The 2024 season has been kind to Lincoln Riley and the Trojans. The team has managed to pull such stunts that the fans have switched their minds about Riley’s fate as the HC. The center of attraction is his QB Miller Moss. Taking on the shoes of a player like Caleb Williams, everyone knew that Miller Moss had a lot on his shoulders. To say that this guy has delivered would be an understatement.

And before Moss hits the turf against Minnesota, he decided to grab some lady luck. Luca Evans took to X to share a clip of Moss sharing a heartwarming hug before the USC vs Minnesota game. “Miller Moss takes a moment with his mom before USC-Minnesota,” Evans mentioned in the caption of his post. This game is gonna be a big one for Moss. The Trojans are starting off their matchup against their Big 10 rival.

What’s more important is how Moss has handled himself against big-timers like the Wolverines. You gotta keep an eye on this guy. Landing in 3 touchdowns and 1 interception, he instantly became the crowd’s favorite. Although the Trojans failed to secure the dub, Riley proved that he ain’t less than anyone.

The question now is if Moss will be able to take his team to another win against Minnesota. What you gotta keep in mind is that Minnesota is standing on top of the FBS list in terms of pass defense.

The Gophers have allowed barely 100 pass yards in each of their games this season. This could be a struggle for Moss and Riley’s offensive line. We do know that the Trojans struggle a bit when it comes down to their offensive pressure, so what could be their saving grace?

Lincoln Riley’s defense could be the answer

The silver lining of the team has been their defensive line. Under D’Anton Lynn, the defense has shown considerable improvement compared to what they were back in 2023. While there were some big plays in some of their games, the Trojans D-line has barely allowed their opponents to cross 14 points when it comes to the second half of the game.

Take the Michigan game as an example. The Wolverines barely managed to push in 2 touchdowns in the second half. This gave Riley and Co. enough time to fight till the end. While we are not sure if we will see the same thing happen against the Gophers, what we can say is Riley won’t let Minnesota grab the dub that easily.