Lincoln Riley addresses the perception of what USC is building: 'I don't coach for headlines'

USC received no shortage of criticism this offseason after finishing the 2023 with 8-5 record and 5-4 mark in conference play. On Saturday, USC head coach Lincoln Riley silenced his critics with a 27-20 season-opening win over No. 13 LSU.

“I don’t coach for the media. I don’t coach for headlines. We just try to do what’s best in our program,” Riley said. “We try to stay incredibly committed to it regardless of what anybody says on the outside. Whether they agree with us or don’t agree with us is honestly irrelevant to us.

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“We know what we’ve been building. We’re very confident with the approach that we’re taking, with the people that we’re putting in our program — players, staff, everyone. I just know, I’m not the most experienced guy but I have been through a couple of these and I have a decent idea of what pretty good looks like. I know we’re making progress. It was fun to get the win today.”

USC was most scolded for its defense last season, which allowed 438.8 yards per game and ranked 120th in the country. In December, Riley addressed the problem by hiring former UCLA defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn to serve in the same role at USC.

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Lynn’s presence was obvious on Saturday. Although LSU recorded 421 total yards of offense, USC only allowed the Tigers to convert five of their 13 third-down conversion attempts and squeezed one turnover out of them.

This feat only becomes more impressive when considering the reputation surrounding LSU’s offense. Last season, the Tigers had the No. 1 offense in the nation. Lincoln Riley didn’t take the opportunity to make a statement against LSU for granted.

“Opportunities like this don’t come every single day — high-profile opponent, all the exciting lead up to the game — so I’m glad that we took advantage of it,” Riley said. “But regardless of what happened today, it’s still not going to change what we’re building and a thing we’re doing.

“We’re just so committed to it. Nothing’s going to change it. We’re just going to keep getting better and I’m proud of us for taking this step and getting this opportunity done today.”

USC is happy but far from satisfied. On Saturday, the Trojans will look to begin a win streak as they square off against Utah State at 11 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.