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Matt Leinart provides optimistic outlook for USC in 2025 after bowl win

IMG_6598by: Nick Kosko12/29/24nickkosko59
USATSI_24717184 (1)
Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Former USC star Matt Leinart is pretty optimistic about the Trojans going into 2025. While he didn’t want to take too much stock from a bowl game win over Texas A&M, with both teams depleted, Leinart chose to look at the glass half full.

A fourth quarter rally proved to be exciting as USC defeated Texas A&M 35-31 in the Las Vegas Bowl to finish the season 7-6. Sure, Lincoln Riley’s tenure has certainly had more questions than answers since Year 1, but perhaps this could be the turning point going into Year 4.

That’s what Leinart chose to believe.

“A depleted USC football team at 6-6 just beat a depleted 8-4 (Texas A&M) Team (a team who was one win away from going to the SEC title game),” Leinart wrote on Twitter. “Don’t put a ton of stock in these games anymore but you can see what USC can be at times.  A lot of questions going into next year but with a favorable schedule maybe it’s the year they turn it around. One can hope.”

Despite opening with a win over LSU, and actually vaulting to No. 11 in the country on September 21, USC fell to Michigan and 2-1 on the year. Even with a 3-1 start, the Trojans lost three in a row to fall to 3-4 and it seemed like the sky was falling.

But USC rallied a bit, winning three of the next four games. It wasn’t what Riley and crew exactly wanted, but they overcame the midseason slump.

Capping it off with a win over Texas A&M at least sent positive vibes into the next season.

“At the end of the day we all realized what we came to do in Vegas, and that is come out with a win,” wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane, who caught seven passes for 127 yards and three touchdowns, said after the bowl win. “And I think we’re all happy with that, and it’s time to go home and enjoy a little bit of Christmas time that we missed.”

Riley is 26-14 at USC in three years and on the surface, that’s not too shabby. But based on his success at Oklahoma, including four straight Big 12 titles and CFP appearances, USC hired him to bring the Trojans back to the glory days.

Will there be a lot of pressure on Riley to get it right in 2025? No doubt. But at this moment, perhaps Riley can use this bowl win as a foundation to finally have it all come together next fall for USC.