USC could not shake its bad habits in 2025 when it mattered most

After the biggest win of the season against Iowa, the USC football team followed that with a very disappointing showing versus West Coast rival Oregon. The final score was 42-27, but even that was generous. It did not reflect how far away USC was from competing with the Ducks. Oregon did not even play its best, yet the Trojans still could not make this game close. The Ducks showed exactly why this team should be in the College Football Playoff, while the Trojans showed the many reasons they are not a playoff team.

Flashes of quality but no relentless consistency

The Trojans' offense looked great at times in this game, but they really saw the effects of not having a run game. The Trojans were only able to get 52 yards on the ground. A lot was put on Jayden Maiava to save this offense. He did at times, but then he also had two costly turnovers. The offense was able to keep this game within at least two possessions, but never able to tie the game up due to their own costly mistakes. The Trojans' playmakers made plays, and Tanook Hines had his best game from a stat prediction standpoint, but he also had two really big penalties that cost the Trojans. That was the story of the game for USC.

Penalties, again

As bad as the mistakes got on offense, it was the mistakes as a whole which left a bad taste in USC's mouth. These penalties continue to show USC is an undisciplined football team. USC had 8 penalties for 103 yards, and these mistakes easily could have been avoided. That has been the story for many games this season under Lincoln Riley. Mix that with multiple mistakes on special teams and you have the perfect recipe to completely gift wrap a game to the opponent.

Failure to play clean football under Lincoln Riley

If the Trojans were able to play a cleaner game, they would have won, and that is one of the most frustrating parts of this game. Oregon committed several 15-yard penalties, missed a field goal, and dropped multiple passes. It didn't matter. If the Ducks made three or four bad mistakes, USC made six or seven in return.

USC defense failed against shorthanded Oregon offense

USC's defense was another big reason for frustration in Eugene. The Trojans' defense had no answers for anything the Ducks did. This team could not consistently get stops. An Oregon team with multiple starters out had its way. Noah Whittington was able to run all over USC, with his 104 yards and one touchdown on the ground. Oregon even had its linebacker chip in on offense and get a rushing touchdown.

Not good on the road versus the good teams

Against the good teams, more often than not, the Trojans get outmatched in the trenches and lose simply because they can not stop the run. Notre Dame had its way, and even Illinois, a team whose run game is average, dominated the Trojans on the ground.

Oregon men, USC boys

The Trojans came into this game with their secondary missing key, pivotal players, and while Kennedy Urlacher got an interception, that was the only bright side. Kenyon Sadiq looked like a man among boys against the Trojans. He was extremely dominant against USC, and he made up for the Ducks not having their top three receivers. The Ducks definitely looked like the more explosive offense, and more importantly, they were able to be the more physical team. That is simply the biggest key to beating this USC Trojans team.

Oregon simply better

Oregon, once they get healthy, will be a team that will be competing for a national championship very soon. This was the perfect game for USC to get the Ducks. The opportunity was there for the Trojans on a silver platter. Their usual mistakes cost them this game. These two teams are closer in terms of talent, more than they have been recently, but the Trojans need to get reinforcements in the trenches in a big way. It is time to open up a blank check for the best defensive and offensive linemen in the country. This game put that notion on full display.

2026 recruiting class has to raise the bar -- significantly

There is still a lot to be optimistic about with this football team, but with Lincoln Riley, there are always the same issues that haunt his teams. Maybe the No. 1 recruiting class next season will be enough to overcome that and finally contend. Within this loss, a 10-3 season is still very realistic and still will be enough growth to keep Riley's seat from being threatened. It will be interesting to see if the Bruins will be the perfect match for USC next week, or the worst possible match like previous years, as they tend to like to play spoiler.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC football could not break bad habits in 2025, a coaching problem