USC coach Lincoln Riley away from team, practice due to illness

Lincoln Riley has not been with his USC football team for the first two practices of the week while resting at home on doctor's orders, a USC spokesperson said Tuesday.

In his stead, receivers coach Dennis Simmons, who also holds the title of assistant head coach, has taken on whatever extra responsibilities have been needed, while USC is working with compliance to get senior offensive analyst Kliff Kingsbury elevated to full-fledged assistant coach in the interim of Riley's absence.

Simmons talked with media after USC's Tuesday practice and downplayed the significance of Riley's absence.

"At the end of the day, first and foremost, this is Coach Riley’s team. We’re viewing this like a player getting dinged up and the next guy stepping up," Simmons said. "It’s not just myself. It’s everybody – players, coaches, everybody on the staff. We’re holding it down until he can resume his duties. ...

"I really don’t look at it as me stepping in because, I mean, once again this is his program. [I] come to work every day, and it’s just unfortunate. At the end of the day, I know we all think that he is immortal, but I guess God shows us that he is human. When I got here, phone calls were made, conversations were had and this is where we’re at."

Simmons wouldn't say whether or not Riley is expected to return in time for USC's game Saturday at Cal.

"Expected back as soon as the doctors release him to get back," Simmons said.

Riley also did not make his weekly appearance on the Trojans Live radio show Monday night, having Simmons and defensive line coach Shaun Nua fill in for him.

The No. 24-ranked Trojans (6-2, 4-1 Pac-12) are coming off consecutive losses to Notre Dame and Utah and in the middle of a stretch of nine straight games with no break.

Linebacker Mason Cobb said Simmons is "speaking up a little bit more when the team gets together and kind of being that guy" while noting that he hasn't heard from Riley since he stepped away.

"I haven't heard from him. I seen him Sunday, but I haven't heard from him since," Cobb said. "It's a little different, but Coach Simmons, he's stepped up, he's being pretty vocal. All the other coaches are stepping up, [strength coach Bennie] Wylie, and everybody knows next man up mentality. That's how it is. So when Coach Riley's taking his time away, Coach Simmons is doing his thing and we're going to ride behind him."

Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch also downplayed the impact of Riley having to take time away.

"It's business as usual, business as usual. It feels like normal game week," Grinch said. "... You have an opportunity to get Coach Kingsbury with the quarterbacks, so [we're] fortunate that way and then from a staff standpoint we can communicate with him as normal. We've got our roles on defense, roles on offense and crank this thing out. You'd be surprised how normal [it is]."

Simmon was asked who would call plays on offense if Riley was not at the game Saturday ...

"We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it," he said.