USC sweeps non-conference slate

The Trojans defeated Louisiana 49-30 in week 2 to complete a 3-0 start, with coach Lincoln Riley pleased overall with the team's performance.

Time to raise the floor

Riley says the Trojans must now focus on 'raising the floor' as they prepare for their Big Ten opener against Rutgers on the road.

“But one thing we've talked about with our guys is raising the floor with our play.”

What 'raising the floor' means

Riley defines it as minimizing the gap between a player's best and worst performances, not just making great plays but ensuring bad plays aren't catastrophic.

“A lot of times you hear coaches say 'be more consistent' or 'make less mental mistakes.' But one thing we determine in our program is the floor of your play.”

Great players minimize bad football

Riley explains that elite players are defined by solid average plays even when they're not at their best, creating consistency that separates great from good.

“Known a million guys who could make great plays who weren't great players. There's a big difference.”

The formula for winning

Great teams minimize bad football and capitalize on opportunities, a focus Riley has emphasized for the past three weeks of preparation.

“At the end of the day, that's what great players and teams do: They minimize the bad football and when they have their opportunities, they make great plays.”

Penalties a major concern

Riley identifies penalties as a huge issue that needs fixing, noting the team had too many in their most recent game against Louisiana.

“You know, penalties have been a huge issue. There were too many of them the other night.”

Consistency and improvement focus

Riley says consistency of play, raising the floor, and reducing penalties are top priorities heading into Big Ten competition.

Play action evolution at USC

Riley traces his use of play action from Texas Tech through East Carolina to USC, evolving it based on the team's running game effectiveness.

“It's something we've evolved a lot. I mean, years ago at Texas Tech we didn't do play action a ton because we didn't run the ball.”

Running game drives play action

Riley emphasizes that effective play action starts with running the ball well, creating defensive conflict that makes the passing game more effective.

“There's definitely some cat-and-mouse games to that, and it starts with running the ball really good.”

Early travel for Rutgers trip

USC is departing Thursday for their Rutgers game to account for the long air travel from Los Angeles to New Jersey.

“We're doing things a little bit different. We're going out on Thursday. Felt like that was th right thing to do with the length of the air travel.”

Adapted practice schedule

Riley says the team has adjusted their practice schedule for road games and won't use the Thursday departure strategy for every away contest.

“But we won't do that with every road game this year. Just this one. We've definitely adapted our practice schedule during the week.”

Managing travel and body clocks

USC has made adjustments to aircraft and player recovery protocols to manage the effects of cross-country travel on the team's performance.

“We have made some adjustments with the aircraft and these guys' body clocks and how we're handling that. And it's been good.”