USC probably not sad to see Mike Riley go to Nebraska
Mike Riley is regarded as one of the best coaches to deal with in college football.
But USC probably isn’t sad to see him become coach at Nebraska.
USC was 8-3 against Riley-coached teams during his two stints at Oregon State. But the Trojans struggled in the last decade at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore.
Top-ranked USC barely escaped with a 28-20 victory on a fog-shrouded night in 2004.
In 2006, the Beavers defeated the third-ranked Trojans, 33-31. Two years later, Oregon State upset top-ranked USC, 27-21. And USC lost, 36-7, in 2010.
Last season, USC defeated the Beavers at Reser Stadium, 31-14.
Riley, a former Trojans assistant under John Robinson, was pursued twice by USC to become head coach.
The San Diego Chargers would not let him out of his contract in 2000, which eventually led to the hiring of Pete Carroll. USC also made overtures to Riley when Carroll left to become coach of the Seattle Seahawks after the 2009 season.
Follow Gary Klein on Twitter @LATimesKlein
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