Lincoln Riley Defending Desman Stephens Despite Ugly Hit on Oregon QB Doesn’t Sit Well with Fans

USC head coach Lincoln Riley defended LB Desman Stephens for staying in the Trojans dugout even after he was ejected by the officials.

Lincoln Riley Defending Desman Stephens Despite Ugly Hit on Oregon QB Doesn’t Sit Well with Fans

Lincoln Riley defended USC LB Desman Stephens (Image via Yardbarker/X)

The situation got chippy at the Coliseum on Saturday afternoon. Third-year linebacker Desman Stephens was ejected for a late hit on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore.

No. 12 USC hosted No. 20 Oregon for a BIG 10 crunch game. The Trojans were unbeaten before kickoff while the Ducks suffered their only defeat of the campaign to Oklahoma State a couple of weeks earlier.

It was the Ducks that broke the deadlock in the first quarter with a field goal. USC answered back in the second quarter. Quarterback Jayden Maiava connected with Kayden Dixon-Wyatt for a 31-yard touchdown.

Minutes later, Stephens lowered his shoulder and smashed into Moore’s facemask. Multiple penalty flags were thrown at that moment. After a brief discussion, the officials ejected Stephens from the game.

An ejected player is required to stay inside the locker room until the final whistle. However, cameras caught Stephens standing on the sidelines near the Trojans dugout.

During the post-game presser, reporters asked head coach Lincoln Riley why Stephens was still allowed to stay pitch-side. Riley said, “because he’s on our football team.”

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Fans call out Lincoln Riley for siding with Desman Stephens, who was ejected for a targeting penalty

A coach defending a player from his team is the normal reaction. But this situation is different. Stephens wasn’t only flagged for targeting; he was also accused of committing unsportsmanlike conduct after the tackle.

Lincoln Riley Defending Desman Stephens Despite Ugly Hit on Oregon QB Doesn't Sit Well With Fans
Lincoln Riley (Image via Yardbarker)

Stephens was seen celebrating with a couple of teammates in the end zone. This action left fans riled up on social media. Riley protecting Stephens by saying he did not see the celebration added fuel to the already raging fire.

Whether anyone would be forthright about it or not, Lincoln Riley has been in the hot seat for a while. The drop in attendance at home games is a telltale sign that fans are losing faith in the coach. It took the fans until the Oregon game to finally show up in numbers. Unfortunately, the Trojans lost 41-27.

Maiava completed 23 of 42 passes for 326 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Running back King Miller carried the ball 13 times for 74 yards, while Dixon-Wyatt caught 7 passes for 114 yards and 1 touchdown.

The defeat left USC with a 4-1 record. This was Riley’s third straight loss against Oregon head coach Dan Lanning.

USC appointed Riley in 2022. That year, Heisman Winner Caleb Williams led them to a Big 10 title with an 11-3 record. That was the last time USC had double-digit wins. They fell short by one win in 2025 and were defeated in the Alamo Bowl by Tulane. Riley boasts a 39-19 record as the Trojans’ head coach.

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