USC coach Lincoln Riley dismisses the noise, says team can go on a run

Lincoln Riley couldn’t have had a much worse weekend.One of the USC football coach’s top linebackers compounded a questionable hit by celebrating it while the quarterback he pummeled lay motionless on the field.Riley’s team went on to lose the showdown against Oregon – at home, against a backup quarterback, no less – before getting grilled about allowing linebacker Desman Stephens II to remain on the sideline after his ejection.While some fans, a large segment of the media and even one notable alumnus turned on Riley, the coach suggested Monday that his team has a chance to deliver the last word.“The reality is, we go on the type of run that I think this team can have and have the type of stretch that we can, then ain’t nobody going to be talking about the end of that game,” Riley said during the “Trojans Live” show hosted by the school’s athletic department.“I mean, that’s just the world outside, and I understand it, but our world inside’s a lot different than the world outside.”One person who has spent time in both realms – former star USC wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson – appeared to be done with Riley given a post on X.

Johnson listed Riley’s 39-19 record next to the identical one of former coach Clay Helton through 58 games, adding that Riley was only 5-15 versus ranked opponents versus Helton’s 10-16 record.Johnson ended his tweet by writing “smdh!” next to an emoji of a face palm.Riley said he understood there would be plenty of chatter after a 41-27 loss in a game that was widely considered a must-win for the Trojans’ College Football Playoff hopes.“At a place like SC, a place like Oklahoma, where I was at before, like, the one constant is the noise,” Riley said.“Like, there’s always noise.

It’s just, what is the noise, right? Like, after you win games, the noise is typically over-positive and overblown and not accurate.And after you lose, it’s honestly, it’s the same way just on the other side of i...