Peristyle Podcast - USC Trojan Football Discussion

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Coach Harvey Hyde says an ugly win is better than a beautiful loss Oct 05, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of the Peristyle Podcasts hosts Ryan Abraham and Coach Harvey Hyde are back together discussing USC's 25-21 victory over Washington and while it was ugly, it was an extremely important result for Lincoln Riley, keeping the Trojans playoff hopes alive. The Men of Troy haven't won against UW since 2016 and desperately needed a win against a former Pac-12 foe after last week's loss to Oregon.

Coach Hyde breaks down the game, talking about how this young squad needs some veteran leaders to step up, alpha players that the other guys in the locker room will listen to and follow into battle. On the offensive side, he talks about how the team came out flat and lacking consistency and how he would like to see the wide receiver rotation tightened up. On the defensive side it was a much more impressive performance and he loved the move of Gary Patterson to the booth, but Washington's offense isn't great and he wants to see this type of effort against more balanced attacks in the Big Ten.

The guys also talk about some of the issues USC has had on special teams and with discipline as the penalty numbers continue to climb. They end the show talking about the upcoming road trip to Penn State where a "white out" crowd will try and make things tough on these Trojans.

Coach Harvey Hyde has been part of the Peristyle Podcast since 2008 and in the USC football world he is an expert on X's and O's, personnel, coaching philosophies and recruiting.

Please follow Coach Hyde on X, Facebook and Instagram at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@CoachHarveyHyde⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or go to his website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HarveyHyde.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for all his his content, including Vegas & Southern California radio shows.

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Make sure you check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠USCFootball.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for complete coverage of this USC Trojan football team.

Tunnel Vision - Trojans escape with a much needed victory over the Huskies Oct 05, 2026

Show notes

On this latest edition of Tunnel Vision USCFootball.com's Ryan Abraham and RJ Abeytia are back in studio talking about USC's 25-21 win over Washington on a hot Saturday evening in the Coliseum. Heading into the game the Trojans were relying on a prolific offense that could overcome the team's defensive shortcomings. Against the Huskies it was the defense that stepped up to overcome mistakes on the offensive side of the ball, including a spectacular thick-six when a hobbled Jahkeem Stewart picked up a fumble and rumbled 48-yards for the go-ahead touchdown.

Ryan and RJ breakdown the good, the bad and the ugly (and there was plenty of ugly on both sides) and talk about how that even though it wasn't pretty, it was an uber-important result for head coach Lincoln Riley and this Trojans squad. Following the loss to Oregon, the local and national media constantly discussed the job security of Riley and the importance of making the College Football Playoffs this year. A loss to a struggling UW when SC came in as a 9.5-point favorite would have likely been the final nail in Riley's coffin, at least as far as fans were concerned.

With the victory, USC keeps its playoff hopes alive heading into back-to-back road games against Penn State and Wisconsin (sandwiched around a bye week). The guys also talk about Gary Patterson's move to the coaches' booth for the game, the improved communication on that side of the ball, USC punting as any times in this game as it did through the first five games of the season and plenty more.

This is the podcast version (audio only) of our Tunnel Vision episode.

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Tunnel Vision: Previewing USC's potential bounce-back matchup with Washington Oct 02, 2026

Show notes

On this latest edition of Tunnel Vision USCFootball.com's Ryan Abraham, RJ Abeytia and intern India Otto are back in studio talking about what USC is hoping to be a bounce-back victory over another former Pac-12 foe, with the Washington Huskies coming to the Coliseum. Both programs are coming off disappointing home conference losses after both had winning but underperforming efforts in their out of conference slates. Lincoln Riley has come under fire for his squad's performance against the Ducks and he needs a win badly to try and get the Trojans ready for a couple of challenging road trips.

The crew takes a look at this intriguing matchup, with a surging USC offense facing a stingy Washington defense and a struggling Trojan defense against a middling Huskies offense. UW quarterback Demond Williams could be the X-factor in this one, with his ability to scramble and pick up yardage with his legs. SC's defensive front has been good at generating pressure but bad at turning that pressure into sacks, tackles for loss or turnovers, so containing Williams will be an important aspect of this game.

At the end of the show Ryan, RJ and India will answer questions from the chat and make their score predictions for the game.

This is the podcast version (audio only) of our Tunnel Vision episode.

Composite Two-Star Recruits: USC squanders Oregon shot, recruiting recap, Washington visitor list and Cut Five, Keep Three challenge Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

The Composite Two-Star Recruits podcast returns as USC squanders Oregon shot in a 41-27 loss. The Cilantro Boys also give a USC-Oregon recruiting recap, Washington visitor list and do the Cut Five, Keep Three challenge.

TIME STAMPS:

(0:00): Hurricane's AC

(7:17): USC-Oregon Recruiting Angle

(01:34:03): USC-Oregon Recruiting Recap

(01:59:59): USC-Washington Visitor List

(02:17:26): Keep Three, Cut Five Challenge

(02:46:43): Listener Questions

USC's missed opportunity against Oregon will be hard to recover from Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

In this edition of the Peristyle Podcast hosts Ryan Abraham, RJ Abeytia and Makena Arteaga are back in studio talking about why the Trojans failure against the Ducks has now put this program in dire straights. We said the Oregon game was a must-win with serious consequences, and now it is up to Lincoln Riley to somehow try and bounce back, make a run against an extremely difficult schedule and make the College Football Playoffs. Saturday's contest wasn't just important because of the opponent, a former Pac-12 rival that USC recruits against often, it was also the first program with a pulse the Trojans faced, putting into question how good this team actually is.

The crew also dives into the Desman Stephens suspension that head coach Lincoln Riley discussed on Tuesday. Riley said he met with athletic director Jen Cohen and decided that Stephens would be suspended for USC's game against Washington. They also talk about how the fanbase has responded to the disappointing effort against the Ducks. Supporters came out with tremendous energy Saturday in the Coliseum, but many have renewed doubts about the program and are back in "wait and see" mode as the season rolls on. What will the crowd look like against a struggling Washington team and what happens if SC doesn't sweep the road trip against Penn State and Wisconsin?

Losing to Oregon takes a mulligan off the table for Lincoln Riley. That means each and every game will require the Trojans bringing something close to their 'A' game to even have a chance of finishing 10-2 and earning a spot in the CFP.

Helium Boys: USC chokes against Oregon, Desman Stephens fallout, best non-Flatliners bounce backs Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

The Helium Boys, Shotgun Spratling and Chris Trevino, are back behind the microphones to break down the latest USC disappointment after the Trojans gave up 14 unanswered points to lose their fifth straight to Oregon, falling to 4-1 after a 41-27 defeat. They also preview USC's bounce-back opportunity against Washington this weekend.

The podcasting duo opens with the Two-Minute Drill where Chris discusses learning about the creation of one of his favorite TV theme songs while Shotgun talks about the Trojan Family and Coliseum atmosphere for the matchup against the Ducks.

The boys of Helium jump into listener comments before breaking down the Trojans' failure to finish in its loss to Oregon. They talk about the positives of getting playmakers Jahkeem Stewart and Terrell Anderson back in the mix and Jayden Maiava rebounding with a better performance and better mechanics. But they also discuss the rise in open space for the USC defense and decline of accountability in the program, particularly on the defensive side. Multiple times Shotgun references the movie Flatliners as he talks about how the Trojans can leave their sins in the past.

The podcasting duo converse about the Desman Stephens hit on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, the reaction and the national firestorm response. They also discuss USC's usage of slogans and gimmicks to try to push the team forward while the Trojans continue to struggle to be able to carry momentum and ride the wave.

Shotgun and Chris then, after a break, take a look forward at USC welcoming Washington into the Coliseum for a primetime matchup where both teams are searching for a big bounceback following their first loss of the season. They look at the key matchups that will take place, including Huskies quarterback Demond Williams going against USC's linebackers and secondary and the matchup between the USC crowd and head coach Lincoln Riley.

To close out the show, Shotgun takes on Trevino's Take It or Leave It segment before an Overtime period of ranking famous comebacks.

Foley and Arledge - The Trojan Truth on USC's loss to Oregon Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

USC had its biggest opportunity of the season Saturday night, but Oregon pulled away from a 27-27 fourth quarter tie for a 41-27 win at the Coliseum. Shane Foley and Chris Arledge discuss the troubling defensive numbers, pivotal moments and why this was more than just another loss.

Coach Harvey Hyde on the state of the USC program and why it has gone downhill Sep 28, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of the Peristyle Podcasts hosts Ryan Abraham and Coach Harvey Hyde are back together discussing USC's poor showing against Oregon, falling 41-27 in predictable fashion. The overall state of the Trojan football program is not in a great place and Coach Hyde goes into detail on where he feels the team is and why it is there. SC put a lot on the line for this game, bringing out legends to run out of the tunnel to try and connect this team to its glorious past. But the product on the field was nothing like the glory days of USC football and Lincoln Riley and company simply laid an egg in the biggest and most important game of the season.

Coach Hyde sets the scene to back when Riley was hired and all of the concessions that were made, from building a new facility to softening the schedule, and talks about why that has allowed the SC football program to drift away from its true identity. Five years in, Coach Hyde talks about why he feels Riley simply wasn't the right hire for the program, starting with the poor state of the defense despite three separate defensive coordinators hired in a five-year span.

From the game, Coach Hyde gives his thoughts on the Desman Stephens hit on Dante Moore and how the undisciplined sidelines after the play were a horrible look for the program. He also talks about the turning point in the game that essentially sealed the Trojans fate against the Ducks.

Coach Harvey Hyde has been part of the Peristyle Podcast since 2008 and in the USC football world he is an expert on X's and O's, personnel, coaching philosophies and recruiting.

Tunnel Vision: USC's inexcusable loss to Oregon is 100% on Lincoln Riley Sep 28, 2026

Show notes

On this latest edition of Tunnel Vision USCFootball.com's, Ryan Abraham, RJ Abeytia and Shotgun Spratling are back in studio breaking down USC's 41-27 loss to Oregon in the Coliseum. Coming into the game we felt this was a must-win for head coach Lincoln Riley, a pass/fail test that would show if the Trojans championship window was actually open. By the time the final whistle blew, it was extremely clear that the Men of Troy were not a championship caliber team and for that you can lay the blame squarely at Riley's door.

This was a very winnable game for the Trojans, especially after quarterback Dante Moore was knocked out of the game. With a great home crowd, a 7-3 lead and Oregon's backup quarterback in the game there is no reason for USC to lose the game. Shortcomings like ill-timed penalties, third down defense and special teams mistakes were supposed to be addressed by Riley but they were clearly still a problem on Saturday.

At the end of the day, Lincoln Riley is the head coach, not just the offensive coordinator. He is responsible for all aspects of the team, from roster building to discipline, offensive design to defensive drills run in practice. It is his job to make sure that everyone is ready for the big games and they don't come any bigger than Oregon in the Coliseum. Saturday was a failure on Riley's part and there are simply no excuses for the loss.

This is the podcast version (audio only) of our Tunnel Vision episode.

Tunnel Vision - Previewing USC's biggest game of the season, a home contest with the Oregon Ducks Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

On this latest edition of Tunnel Vision USCFootball.com's Shotgun Spratling, RJ Abeytia and intern India Otto are back in studio talking about USC's massive matchup with Oregon. The No. 12 Trojans are 4-0 and coming off a lackluster performance on the road at Rutgers while the No. 20 Ducks are 2-1 and trying to put that surprising road loss to Oklahoma State in the rear view mirror.

This is a must-win game for both teams, with Lincoln Riley needing to show that this program is capable of making the College Football Playoffs and Dan Lanning keeping the Ducks dreams of a national championship alive (and continuing their dominance on the West Coast). For USC, a win puts the rest of the Big Ten on notice that the Men of Troy are capable of taking down the top dogs in the conference. It also makes this Trojan team nationally relevant and a real threat to not only make the CFP but earn a higher seed with the potential to make a run.

The crew talks about all of the off-season buildup to this game, analyzes some of the key matchups and gives updates on the injury situation for both teams. They end the show giving their picks, with USC a 3-point underdog at home to Oregon.

This is the podcast version (audio only) of our Tunnel Vision episode.

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