Lincoln Riley Criticizes USC Defenders' Tackling Attempts

USC head coach Lincoln Riley expressed strong dissatisfaction with two defenders' attempts to tackle Washington's Decker DeGraaf on a crucial third-quarter touchdown, calling the plays "two really just poor attempts at a tackle."

DeGraaf caught a short pass and, despite opportunities for safety Brian Urlacher and cornerback Elbert “Rock” Hill IV to make a play, continued into the end zone. Riley stated that while Hill may have been held, it did not excuse the ineffective tackles. "I mean just, it really wasn’t representative of the way we played the entire game," Riley said. "It was kind of weird that our two worst attempts at a tackle happened on the same exact play."

Riley confirmed he spoke with Urlacher and Hill about the plays, emphasizing that their performance was out of character for both players. "I bet we won’t see it again," he added.

Despite the defensive lapse, USC rallied to defeat Washington 25-21, allowing their fewest points in a month. The victory silenced some fans who had chanted "Fire Riley!" earlier in the game when USC trailed by 11 points.

The Trojans' defense also saw strong play from linebacker Ta’Mere Robinson, who was filling in for Desman Stephens II, who had been suspended for a previous sideline celebration. Riley noted that Stephens' absence has created opportunities for other players, contributing to increased depth at the linebacker position as USC prepares to face Penn State.

"I think what we learned this week is we’ve got a handful of guys in there that can go out there and play really, really well," Riley said of the linebacker rotation. "We certainly look at it as a positive and feel like we know a little bit more, have developed some more depth in that room than maybe we felt 10 days ago."