USC Trojans Coach Lincoln Riley Addresses Early Kickoff vs. Illinois

The USC Trojans are 4-0 to start the season, coming off a win against the Michigan State Spartans. The matchup kicked off at 8:30 p.m. PT, which is the latest kickoff time, and now the Trojans are heading into the earliest time slot just one week later.

“We’ve had to adapt a little bit in the way that we’ve prepared and how much that we’ve done,” Riley said. “It compounds if you’re not careful. So we’ve tried to be mindful of getting our work done, but at the same time knowing that we need to put a fresh football team on the airplane.”

“Going from the absolute latest kick in the country to the absolute earliest kick in the country has its challenges. But the challenges - like, it is what it is. We don’t make the schedule. Clearly,” Riley said.

This is USC’s second season in the Big Ten conference. Last year, Riley and the Trojans traveled to the Eastern and Central time zones three times, losing all three games against the Michigan Wolverines, Minnesota Golden Gophers, and the Maryland Terrapins.

In the Trojans' inaugural season in the Big Ten, there was a challenge playing in another time zone.. None of the three matchups took place at 9 a.m. PT, and while USC has played early kickoffs before, it does not happen often.

USC kicked off against the Colorado Buffaloes in 2023 at 9 a.m. PT, and while it was less traveling for the team, the Trojans still walked off with the win.

USC Must Find A Way To Start Strong

The concern with playing early is having a slow, possibly sluggish, start to the games. Riley and the Trojans will have to find a way to get energized quickly and start strong. USC has been a dominant team through the first four weeks and will want to maintain that momentum.

The Illinois Fighting Illini will be the Trojans' first ranked opponent of the season, but they are coming off a brutal loss against the No. 11 Indiana Hoosiers. Illinois will be looking to bounce back on its own turf and will attempt to take advantage of the early kickoff.

USC has one of the most well-balanced teams in college football, especially with strength on the offense. Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava has the chance to lead the Trojans to a 5-0 record and rise even more in the rankings. The biggest key will be to start strong and quiet Illinois' home crowd.

After playing Illinois, the Trojans will have a week off to recover from the game and the time zone differences. The Trojans will next face the No.19 Michigan Wolverines on Oct. 11, back home at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.