'Heartbroken for the guys in the locker room:' Lincoln Riley reflects on USC's continued struggle to finish games

USC has now lost four games. It had fourth quarter leads in all of them.

The Trojans were up 24-20 on Michigan in the fourth quarter but lost. Two weeks later, they were up 17-10 on Minnesota in the fourth quarter but lost. A week after that, they were up 23-20 and 30-23 on Penn State in the fourth quarter — and, before that, 20-6 at halftime — but lost in overtime. And, this weekend, USC staked itself to a 28-14 lead over Maryland in the final frame, only to let another lead slip.

“Heartbroken for the guys in the locker room,” USC head coach Lincoln Riley said in his opening statement postgame. “It’s been a really tough stretch. Emotionally, it’s tough, man. When you fight like these guys are fighting, and you put yourself in position to win some of these games — we did a lot of good things out there, but it just simply hasn’t been enough.

“Just like last week, I own it. It’s my responsibility. I got to get this team to play better at the end of games. And I’ve obviously not done a good enough job of that, clearly.”

USC has lost its games by a combined 14 points over the course a head-scratching month, the Trojans’ first in Big Ten play.

It’s a stretch Riley said he can’t compare to anything he’s experienced in his coaching career.

“We’ve had so many games that have come right down to it in a row,” Riley said. “And I’ve been a part of other teams that had other things that were kind of their thing, that they had a hard time getting over. But I just think the one that’s made this unique is how emotional and heartbreaking the losses are.

“And it’s like that over and over and over again. That’s probably been the challenge.”

USC quarterback Miller Moss was rolling at Maryland until he threw a third quarter interception. He bounced back with a fourth quarter touchdown strike to wideout Duce Robinson. That said, starting with his interception, he finished the game 12-of-22 after completing 22 of his first 28 passes.

The Trojans defense impressed until it gave up two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including a go-ahead score that followed a blocked USC field goal. Maryland went for two and converted after its first fourth quarter touchdown, so the second one gave the Terrapins a 29-28 lead.

That remained the score as the clock hit triple zeros.

USC got the ball back with 53 seconds left yet turned it over on downs at the Maryland 40-yard line with 11 ticks left.

Riley was asked point-blank why it’s been so hard for his team to close out games this season.

“We’ve kind of taken our turns,” he said. “I mean, closing out games is hard. We’ve been a good enough team to have a chance to win every game, but we haven’t been quite good enough to separate. And when you put yourself in these moments, you are going to have to make some plays to beat somebody, especially on the road.

“You’re going to have to make that field goal or make that fourth down tackle or make that catch or make that throw or block or whatever it is, because it’s just not going to be handed to you.”

Riley reiterated: “We’ve been good enough to have the lead to win them all. We just haven’t been good enough to separate.”