LOS ANGELES — The expectations of Lincoln Riley are so immense, not even his first spring game as the head football coach at Southern California was immune from them.
David Carrillo, who wore a trojan helmet to the game, said he was first in line at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at 7 a.m. Saturday – five hours before kickoff.
“Because I anticipated it being sold out,” Carrillo, 42, told USA TODAY Sports. “I was like, ‘It’s a new Lincoln Riley era. A bunch of players transferring in. It’s a new beginning pretty much.’ “
Riley might turn USC into “the mecca of college football,” as he has promised he would at his introductory news conference. He might win multiple national titles along the way, too, like Pete Carroll did for the Trojans almost two decades ago.
But a sellout crowd for the spring game, well …
The USC faithful on Saturday were about 44,000 fans shy of a packed house. The official attendance was 33,427, despite the free tickets, sunny skies and a fan fest with giveaways such as 15,000 posters and 10,000 shirts.
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ESPN televised the game, and among the highlights: Quarterback Caleb Williams, who followed Riley from Oklahoma to USC, completed his first nine passes, including two for touchdowns to fellow Oklahoma transfer Mario Williams.
“Hopefully we get to pack it out really soon,” Caleb Williams said of the stadium. “But it was awesome to come out here and get in front of a couple of fans and have ESPN and all of that.”
USC coach Lincoln Riley (right) and wife Caitlin Riley during the spring game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Riley, who inherited a team that finished 4-8 last season and a fan base desperate for hope, said, “Today was a great example of the progress that’s been made in a really short time. … We’re not there yet….
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