USC football was equal parts shocked, stunned, bamboozled, and mortified after they lost to the Tulane Green Wave in the 2023 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, 46-45. The Trojans had their hearts broken after witnessing a thrilling fourth-quarter rally from Tulane. The Green Wave came storming back from 15 points down with under five minutes left in the game to book their thirteenth win of the season. As for USC, it was the Trojans' third loss of the 2022-23 campaign. Here we will look at the four people most to blame for the USC Trojans' Cotton Bowl loss to Tulane.
Despite a successful first season handling USC football for head coach Lincoln Riley, their final outcome was a disappointment. They did achieve their best season in years, but they also ended with two losses. As such, they fell from the No. 4 spot in the College Football Rankings to being defeated in the New Year's Six. Additionally, Riley's career record in bowl games is now 1-4.
The loss was also frustrating for 2022 Heisman winner Caleb Williams, who had a great game overall. Williams threw for 462 yards and five touchdowns. He showcased the reasons for his Heisman win with his electric playmaking and ability to extend plays with his legs. Although Tulane had one of the stronger defenses in the American Athletic Conference this year and often pressured Williams, they struggled to bring him down. The game was also a standout performance for wide receiver Brenden Rice. He had a career-high six catches, 174 yards, and two touchdowns.
Now that Williams is back for next season, the challenge for USC football will be to restock the roster, particularly on defense. They should also aim for a Pac-12 championship and College Football Playoff appearance.
Now let's take a look at the four people most to blame for the USC Trojans' loss to Tulane in Week 13.
Final from Arlington.#FightOn | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/VvIdjAlHY2
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) January 2, 2023
4. K Denis Lynch
Trojans kicker Denis Lynch finished 1-of-2 in this game. Yes, it was just one miss, but it turned out to be a difference-maker.
His miss was a particularly long one at 52 yards. That field goal attempt by Lynch, however, fell short. It would have been the longest make in his career, but he lacked enough leg. It was one of two big miscues from USC football's special teams. The other one was…
3. WR Mario Williams
With a 15-point lead late in the final period, USC football should have held on for a Cotton Bowl win. However, they allowed the Green Wave to make a huge comeback. After Lynch's fourth-quarter field goal gave the Trojans a 45-30 lead, Tulane scored big in the next sequence using just two plays.
Despite the Green Wave cutting the deficit to just eight points, though, USC still had a comfortable lead. All they had to do was avoid any major mistakes. However, disaster struck on the following kickoff when returner Mario Williams fumbled the ball and it went out of bounds at the one-yard line. This special teams error was made even more surprising by the fact that Williams had only returned one kickoff all season.
As a result of this mistake, the USC offense was put in a very difficult position. For the next bizarre turn of events, we put the blame on…
2. Coach Lincoln Riley
Lincoln Riley did not have a stellar game in this one. Particularly unfortunate was his choice to run the ball with the Trojans' backfield in their own end zone.
As mentioned already, USC football's offense found itself in terrible field position with just an eight-point lead. Afterward, the Trojans started at their own one-yard line. They tried two rushing attempts, but on the second, running back Austin Jones was tackled in the end zone. That resulted in a safety that brought Tulane within six points.
Riley's decision to rush the ball instead of putting it in his Heisman Trophy winner's grasp was just terrible. I mean, you have a Heisman Trophy winner right under center. This is precisely the kind of situation where you need to use him.
1. Trojans Defense
Entering this game, the USC football team allowed an average of 27.9 points per game. That ranked 81st in the country. In this game, they allowed Tulane to score on seven out of ten possessions. Despite sacking Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt four times, including two from Nick Figueroa, the Trojans couldn't come up with enough stops. Their only turnover on the day was a strip by Mekhi Blackmon on Tyjae Spears.
It's clear that the USC defense was outperformed and outcoached by the Green Wave. Throughout the game, the USC football team struggled to stop both the run and the pass from Tulane, leading to a memorable comeback by the Green Wave. The rally began with a quick two-play, 63-yard drive that was largely the result of a 59-yard connection from Pratt to Duece Watts. Spears then ran in for a four-yard touchdown on the next play, narrowing USC's lead to 45-37.
This has been a recurring theme for the Trojans all year. As such, defensive coordinator Alex Grinch may have a difficult offseason after yet another disappointing performance from his group. After the loss to Tulane, Grinch faced criticism from fans and the media. And this was just a month after a poor outing against Utah in the Pac-12 Championship game.
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