Lincoln Riley not looking at Pac-12 Championship as 'revenge game' against Utah

The stage has been set for the Pac-12 Championship game this Friday, as USC will face Utah in a rematch of one of college football’s most exciting games of the regular season. Head coach Lincoln Riley was asked about his team’s upcoming conference championship game that doubles as a rematch, which is not his first time in this position.

“It’s great that it worked out that way, it’s a championship game, you’re gonna play a good team regardless. I don’t think we would be any more or less excited if it was anybody else, I mean I’ve actually been in this situation twice where one of the teams that got us during the year we ended up playing later on,” Riley explained.

In 2020 when Riley was the head coach of Oklahoma, he faced an Iowa State team in the Big 12 Championship game that defeated his Sooners squad in the regular season. Oklahoma secured a victory in the title game, and Riley will be looking to do the same this time around in a new conference, but made it clear that their game on Friday is not about revenge.

“This is not a revenge game, that’s not what this is. We played a really good football game as did Utah up in Salt Lake, it was an elite college football game. Came down to one play here or there, they got us that time, but this is not about that game,” Riley said.

The Trojan’s last game versus the Utes was an instant classic in week 7 and a shoot-out that had no shortage of points scored, as Utah defeated USC 43-43 behind a Cameron Rising touchdown run and two-point conversion with less than a minute left in the game.

“This is a new game, a new challenge, a new setting,” Riley said. “Teams have evolved, both teams have changed certainly throughout the year, so this is about that and obviously the opportunity in that.”

The Trojans have gone on to win five straight games since their regular season loss to the Utes, as they will be looking to ride that momentum and secure a Pac-12 title win for the first time since 2017 versus the defending champs.

Jordan Addison says he is ready to ‘attack’ the Pac-12 Championship game

The USC Trojans capped off their first season under Lincoln Riley with a 38-27 win over rival Notre Dame Saturday, and now look forward to their conference championship game this Friday against Utah. Trojans star wide receiver Jordan Addison was asked about what playing in the Pac-12 Championship means to him following their victory over the Fighting Irish.

“It means a lot, this is what we came here for, play in games like this and now we’ve gotta work throughout this week and then go take that and just keep going,” Addison said.

Addison transferred to USC this offseason from Pitt, where he also played in a conference championship game last season. Addison helped lead the Panthers last year to a 45-21 victory over Wake Forest in the ACC Championship, recording 8 catches for 126 yards, and will be looking to make a statement yet again on another big stage.

“Going into the game next Friday it’s a championship game, big game, big-time players make big-time plays in big games,” Addison said. “So my mindset is gonna be attack, anybody in front of me I’m attacking them.”

Addison has been in attack mode all season, ending the year as the Trojans’ leading receiver with 810 yards and tying for the conference lead in touchdown catches with eight, despite missing two games due to injury this season.

Utah is the only team this season to defeat the Trojans, beating them 43-42 in week 7, as Addison and his team will be looking for redemption on Friday at 8:00 p.m. inside Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.