USC’s Loss to Indiana Leaves Riley Focused on Missed Chances

USC’s third loss of the season came on the road against Indiana, which disrupted the Trojans’ bid to reach the Big Ten Championship Game and affected their playoff hopes. Quarterback Jayden Maiava had three passes picked off, two of them during the final quarter, and kicker Caden Chittenden missed a field goal from inside 30 yards. USC finished with 13 points in the 27-13 defeat.

Riley said USC had chances to win but made too many mistakes. He pointed to penalties, missed red-zone opportunities and failure to stop Indiana on key third downs. He also said the Trojans dropped several potential interceptions, including three he considered clear chances, and did not perform well enough on special teams.

Riley said USC moved the ball and ran effectively, but failed to turn enough of its opportunities into points. He also took responsibility for the team’s red-zone plan, saying the performance was disappointing given how well the offense moved the ball.

The coach said the team would review and correct its mistakes before moving on. He expressed confidence in USC’s progress and said the players’ competitiveness would help them recover, while acknowledging that the program still needed to improve at closing out games.