Lincoln Riley: A Lot of Teams Don't Win 3OT vs. Arizona Like Caleb Williams, USC Did

USC head coach Lincoln Riley tried to put a positive spin on his team needing three overtimes to put Arizona away in a 43-41 win Saturday at home.

"A lot of teams don't win this game going down 0-17," he told reporters.

"When you go down 17-0, you get tested internally," Riley added. "Your culture gets tested quick. Defense is what got us going."

Almost every national champion throughout history had a game or two in which it was far below its best yet came out on the losing end. Winning close games is often the sign of a true contender as well.

In the case of USC, though, its comeback Saturday night spoke to what were existing concerns around the team, questions that have arguably lingered over Riley's entire coaching career.

Riley is a brilliant mind, but his defenses have consistently left something to be desired. The trend is carrying on into 2023, with the Trojans allowing an average of 421.3 yards and 27 points per game.

The defense deserves some credit for improving in the second half.

Arizona only came away with a field goal from a 1st-and-10 at the USC 11-yard line early in the third quarter. In addition, the Wildcats offense stalled after crossing the 50 on what proved its final drive of regulation. Tyler Loop missed a 50-yard field goal attempt with 2:08 remaining.

Still, it's tough to square how dynamic USC is on offense with Caleb Williams and how middling it is on the other side of the ball.

Notre Dame, Utah, Washington, Oregon and UCLA all lay in wait for the Trojans. On the basis of what we've seen in the first half of the season, it's tough to see how they manage to come through unscathed from such a difficult stretch to close out the year.