LOS ANGELES — The USC Trojans dug in and turned a shaky start into a statement win Saturday, and head coach Lincoln Riley said afterward it was more about identity than scoreboard, calling the 26-21 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes a “culture win.”
Trailing 21-10 at half, USC gutted out a comeback in the rainy conditions at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum—scoring 19 straight points while holding Iowa scoreless in the second half. Riley said the rally wasn’t just about the win, but reflected his team’s resilience and character. “A culture win right there, if there ever was one,” he said. “We didn’t play very good football in the first half… Our team’s resilience, the response at halftime… you can tell from the look in their eye that they knew we didn’t play our best and we could make a run at this thing.”
The win improves USC to 8-2 and keeps their college-football playoff hopes alive as they head into a critical stretch.
With starters knocked out early—safeties Kamari Ramsey and Bishop Fitzgerald among them—USC leaned on depth and attitude to close the game strong. “We had a lot of confidence in those guys that came in,” Riley said.
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