Lincoln Riley admits to key drive he could have called better in loss to Michigan
Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans lost in heartbreaking fashion on Saturday as the Michigan Wolverines scored in the final seconds to win 27-24.
Despite being down a lot of the game, the Trojans had a 24-20 lead with 5:01 remaining in the game and got the ball back from Michigan. However, the team threw 2 incompletions and went 3-and-out in just 59 seconds on that drive.
That allowed the Wolverines to get the ball with 4 minutes left and eventually score the winning touchdown with 37 seconds left. After the game, Riley told the media he wished he had it back and would have called that crucial drive differently.
Lincoln Riley on the drive before Michigan's game-winning touchdown when #USC had the ball up 24-20 and had the chance to run some clock: “I thought I could’ve been better. I don’t think I called a very good drive there.”
— Antonio Morales (@AntonioCMorales) September 21, 2024
“I thought I could’ve been better,” Riley said. “I don’t think I called a very good drive there.”
With the 4 minutes remaining on the clock, that was plenty of time for Michigan to play to its ground-and-pound offensive style. If the Trojans were able to run off a couple more minutes, it would have forced the Wolverines to pass the ball.
On the day, Michigan quarterback Alex Orji was only 7-of-12 for 32 yards. However, he was not forced to make many plays on that final drive with Kalel Mullings cover the bulk of the yardage with his legs and scoring the eventual game-winner.
The Trojans will look to get their first B1G win next week as they host the Wisconsin Badgers at the Coliseum.