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Lincoln Riley details current state of USC offense entering Week 3

On3-Social-Profile_GRAYby:On3 Staff Report•09/13/22
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Coach Lincoln Riley surveys the field during a USC vs. Rice game on Sept. 3, 2022. (Harry How / Getty Images)

No. 10 USC is off to a 2-0 start to the season, already having one conference win in the bag after taking down Stanford 41-28 on Saturday. Lincoln Riley isn’t ready to say his team has arrived, only that led by the USC offense the Trojans have gotten off to a good start.

USC is averaging 53.5 points per game on 521.5 yards per contest. Both figures ranking top-15 nationally.

Following the win at Stanford on Saturday night, Riley was asked how he feels the offense is coming along and whether it’s developing at the rate he anticipated.

“I don’t really try to decide if it’s on or off schedule,” Riley said. “Like to me I believe that group, like other groups, did really, really good. We’ve had some really good moments here in the first two games that I’m extremely excited about.”

Elite transfers powering the USC offense

Former Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams is the headliner of Riley’s offense, having followed the offensive guru to the West coast. He has been electric, completing nearly 80 percent of his passes at 39-of-49 passing for 590 yards and six touchdowns without an interception.

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He’s had plenty of help, too.

Pittsburgh receiver transfer Jordan Addison has caught 12 passes for 226 yards and four touchdowns. Oklahoma transfer Mario Williams is second on the team with six catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. And in the win over the Cardinal, Oregon running back Travis Dye got going after a slow opening week. He finished Saturday’s game leading all rushers with 105 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

Needless to say, there are plenty of pieces for Riley to work with on the USC offense.

That he’s only going into Week 3 with the bunch yet been so successful already should be a decent indicator of where things are headed. Of course, Riley doesn’t want his team getting ahead of itself.

“We have a lot to clean up and a lot of consistency to find in coaching-wise, playing-wise,” Riley said. “So we’re just on our climb, we’re on our journey. I think all three units of this football team can be really good and we’ve just got to improve and do it more often.”