Lincoln Riley hasn't been through anything like this in quite a while -- four losses in the span of five games, season goals out of reach and left to play out the string of the season.
It was his second season as offensive coordinator at East Carolina, back in 2011. The Pirates lost four of five games to start that season and then three of four to finish it.
"That was probably the toughest year that I’ve had as a coach," Riley said, reflecting back this week. "The program wasn’t in a tough place like this one was when we took it over, but we’d had a decent first year, came back second year, had a bunch of injuries, bunch of things didn’t go our way, we didn’t play well at times, we lost a couple of really close ones. I remember it was a really tough year to go through. I’d never been through anything like that. I was kind of down in the dumps for a little while, honestly. What came out of that, though, was it pushed me to be better. It pushed the program to be better. We found some guys that were really tough, hard-minded kids, especially some of the young guys in that program at the time, that then took off to becoming what we became the next several years. It really became a springboard there. That’s probably the biggest thing I learned from it."
RELATED: Will Saturday be QB Caleb Williams' last game as a Trojan?
While he hasn't had to go through such a stretch since -- enjoying a meteoric career rise as he made a name for himself as OC the next several years at ECU, made the leap to running Oklahoma's offense, took over as head coach there his third year with the program and then led USC to an eight-win improvement his Trojans debut last year -- Riley said he's matured in how he's handled the setbacks and adversity this time around.
"Now, I stay a little more even-keeled. I know what the good is. I know what the bad is. I know what we’ve gotta do to fix it. I know what it’s going to take. I know we’re going to get it done," Riley said. "And you’ve gotta be able to take any situation that comes up, whether you win a close game, you make that play at the end or you don’t, there’s still a whole lot else that’s going to have to continue to improve to go where we need to go, and I know all that. I know we’re going to get there. It’s just one day at a time right now, put your right foot in front of the left and keep moving. You do that, you’ve got the right people, and you’re at the right place, good things are going to happen. And that’s what’s going to happen here."
The major fix won't start until the Trojans hire a new defensive coordinator after the season and set a new direction and identity on that side of the ball.
The roster upgrades won't happen until the transfer portal opens and the 2024 recruiting cycle wraps up.
For many, real renewed optimism won't come until the Trojans look like a more complete and cohesive team on the field next season.
But any positive momentum would be a welcomed change for USC (7-4, 5-3 Pac-12) at this point, and so Riley has emphasized that can start Saturday in the regular-season finale against rival UCLA (6-4, 3-4) -- that this last game matters even if it has no bearing on the conference race.
"You’re going to remember these rivalry games that you’ve played here at USC. You’re going to remember every single game that you played against UCLA and so don’t miss that opportunity," he said. "It’s one of the great things about coming here. You get to do some of these historic things and we certainly want their awareness there so they don’t miss the moment."
And for some of the players who will be back in 2024, maybe this and the bowl game will prove to be that springboard Riley mentioned -- the foundation for better days to come.
Before the Trojans kickoff Saturday at 12:30 p.m. in the Coliseum (on ABC), our TrojanSports.com team covers all the storylines and makes our predictions in the weekly staff roundtable ...
Is this Caleb Williams' last game as a Trojan, and if so, how did his two seasons meet the expectations that were set when he arrived?
Ryan Young: "I absolutely think this is the final time we see Caleb Williams play for USC. While he's always maintained his decision regarding the 2024 NFL Draft hasn't been made yet, anybody whose opinion he values -- including Lincoln Riley -- will surely tell him can't turn down the chance to potentially be the No. 1 pick in the draft. While Williams has been scrutinized and picked apart more this year, that would only continue with another year in college, so his draft stock will never be higher. And even the best NIL compensation doesn't equate to the kind of NFL contract that comes with being such a high pick, plus starting the clock to free agency when the even more massive payday awaits. Williams has a very involved support system that has helped manage his career -- everyone in that circle will tell him it's time to go. And if that's the decision, than the risk of injury in a low-stakes December bowl game just doesn't make sense. Nobody is going to hold it against him if he opts out of the bowl game -- it's become the norm. I believe if USC was back in a New Years Six bowl game, he would play, but that's not the case, and it probably serves Lincoln Riley and Co. best to get a look an extended look at Miller Moss and Malachi Nelson as he assesses the position moving forward.
"So, USC fans should enjoy Saturday -- one last time to see Williams run circles around defenders in the backfield while buying time to make some ridiculous completion downfield, one chance after a rough month and a half to see him stamp a more favorable finish to his accomplished Trojans career. And to the second part of the question, he's exceeded any reasonable expectation that could have followed him to USC. He had been impressive as a true freshman at Oklahoma, but he wasn't yet the quarterback who would win the Heisman in his first season at USC. He elevated his game significantly in his sophomore season, sparking legitimate conversations about whether he is the best player in USC's storied program history or the best college quarterback since ....? Ultimately, the lack of even a conference championship will factor into how he ranks among fellow USC legends, but on talent and entertainment level alone, Williams is the best college quarterback of my lifetime. He didn't come into Alabama or Georgia or another stacked program and do what he did last year -- he helped bring USC up from the depths of 4-8 to win 11 games while putting the team on his back in every big game.
"This year, obviously, was a little different, but it doesn't dim Williams' lasting legacy at USC. He's earned his place as one of the Trojans' all-time greats -- and that's a hell of an accomplishment considering the talent pool -- and USC fans should savor Saturday with the expectation it will be his final performance for the program."
Tajwar Khandaker: "I think the odds are fairly high that Saturday will be the last time we see Williams in the cardinal and gold. I won’t be entirely shocked if the junior decides to run it back for one more season, but I’m steadfast in the belief that a chance at being picked No. 1 is not to be postponed lightly. Though the team overall certainly hasn’t followed the trajectory most fans hoped for over two years, I’d argue that Williams himself met and exceeded the expectations he came with to Los Angeles. To win the Heisman in his first year as a Trojan was a phenomenal feat, and one that will be remembered for decades to come. For the two years he’s been at USC, Williams has been the best player in college football, or at least very close to it if you’re considering the slightly tough stretch of games he had in the middle of this season. Were it not for Williams, this team and its fans could not have dreamed of playoff appearances, and he came within a hair’s breadth of leading the team to one in his first season here.
"Though we can nitpick and criticize the flaws in his game and the lapses he’s had, those are few and far between when compared to the body of work he’s put forth in his time at USC. With even a half-competent defense, Williams could have very likely led this team into national title contention. Though those dreams have crumbled for now, Williams deserves every ounce of gratitude and respect for how much of himself he gave on the field for this team, bringing the team back into the national spotlight and creating the kind of positive momentum this program so desperately needed. His career numbers over two years are sensational (7,786 passing yards, 71 touchdowns passing, 21 touchdowns rushing, and just 9 interceptions) and make a strong case for his labelling as the best quarterback in Trojans history."
Jeff McCulloch: "I actually don’t think this will be his last game as a Trojan. It will be his last game at the Coliseum, however. I think he will play in the bowl game, especially if there is an opportunity for them to play in the Alamo Bowl against Oklahoma. It’s likely he won’t be as mobile as he has been all season to protect himself, but as the true leader of this team for the last two seasons, I bet he will want to go to war with his teammates for one last battle. He might only play the first half so the second half, Lincoln Riley can see what he has from Miller Moss and Malachi Nelson.
"This season has definitely been the toughest season for not only USC fans, but for Caleb Williams.Not only has this team struggled, but Williams has also been scrutinized under a microscope because of his dominant performance last year. He hasn’t been as good as he was last year when he won the Heisman, but he’s still one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Williams has outperformed any possible expectation during his tenure at USC. He has truly done everything he could possibly do to bring this team to the playoffs. Not his fault the defense was horrific during the last two seasons under Alex Grinch. We will truly not be able to appreciate how special Caleb Williams has been to this team until he leaves. He will go down as one of the best quarterbacks ever in college football. Miller Moss and Malachi Nelson are not Caleb Williams."
