USC HC Lincoln Riley shows "confidence and excitement" ahead of clash with No. 4 Penn State
No. 13 USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley is full of "confidence and excitement" as his team prepares to take on No. 4 Penn State this Saturday. The game kicks off at 3:30 pm EST at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and will be broadcast on CBS. Last week, Penn State defeated UCLA 27-11, while USC fell to Minnesota 24-17.
Despite the recent loss, Riley remains optimistic. According to the coach, the Trojans have faced tough opponents and learned from those games.
“You constantly learn, grow, and evolve. That’s what these seasons are,” Riley said [H/t On3]. “There’s certainly a confidence and excitement."
He added:
“Is there some frustration that we didn’t finish those off? Sure there is. Of course, there is. We want to win worse than anybody else wants us to win, I promise you. But, we’re still a very confident team.”
Riley, now in his third season with USC (22-10), pointed to the Trojans’ season-opening win against LSU as proof of what they can achieve.
“We’ve done it as a team,” Riley said. “We did it against a really good opponent in LSU. We know that we’re capable, and that’s not a question in our minds.”
Is Lincoln Riley’s USC in a tough spot against undefeated Penn State?
USC is in a tough spot this Saturday, taking on the undefeated Penn State. The Trojans (3-2, 1-2 Big Ten) face a must-win game as they welcome the Nittany Lions (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) to the iconic Coliseum.
It’s a high-stakes battle, with Penn State eyeing a perfect season and USC fighting to stay afloat in the Big Ten race.
These teams last met in an unforgettable 52-49 showdown at the 2017 Rose Bowl, with Lincoln Riley’s USC leading the all-time series 6-4. But with the way this season’s shaping up, Penn State has a real shot to even the score.
The 2,500-mile trip won’t be an easy one for the Nittany Lions, but their perfect record shows they're up for the challenge. USC, however, is playing with their backs against the wall, making this game a must-watch.
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