Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley. Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Is Lincoln Riley to blame for crushing loss to Illinois?

By Matthew Cassidy | Last updated Sep 28, 2025 1:37 PM ET

In the second marquee matchup of the Big Ten slate on Saturday, Illinois stunned USC with a 41-yard walk-off field goal, sealing a dramatic 34–32 win in a clash between Top-25 opponents.

Did Lincoln Riley's late-game decision-making ultimately cost the Trojans the win?

USC found itself trailing late in the game before a 16-yard touchdown pass to Makai Lemon gave the Trojans a 32-31 lead with 1:55 remaining.

But Illinois had all three timeouts — and used them wisely. With composure and efficiency, the Illini drove down the field, setting up kicker David Olano for a game-winning field goal as time expired.

Lincoln Riley falls to 4-11 against ranked opponents at USC pic.twitter.com/D6pSwYjdgM
— College Football Report (@CFBRep) September 27, 2025

Did USC score too soon?

USC’s offense had been humming on that final drive, dictating the pace and catching Illinois off balance. But in hindsight, did the Trojans leave too much time on the clock?

It’s one of football’s trickiest balancing acts: managing the clock while trying to score. Riley chose aggression. Can you fault a coach for trusting one of his top weapons?

Lincoln Riley with some of the worst clock management you’ll ever see Illinois ends USC by default

Demoralizing loss for USC faithful. Should’ve never happened #USC #Trojans #Illinois pic.twitter.com/u1CDFhq3PU
— Alex Monaco (@Alex__Monaco) September 27, 2025

It’s easy to second-guess from the couch. But managing a college football game — especially at the Division I level — is a task only a select few are equipped to handle. The outcome may sting, but Riley didn’t flinch in the moment. He played to win.

In the end, Illinois capitalized because it had the time — and the talent — to do so. This wasn’t a coaching collapse. It was a high-stakes chess match, and Illinois had the final move.

Matthew Cassidy

I am a graduate of IU Indianapolis with a B.A. In Journalism. I grew up in Southern California, but now live in the state of Indiana. My topics of expertise include the MLB and NBA, along with knowledge of pretty much any American sport. Be a part of something bigger than yourself!

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