USU gave up 572 yards, including 316 rushing yards to a team that came in averaging 102.2 per game (117th in the country) and that hadn’t rushed for more than 177 in any game. Huskies junior running back Dillon Johnson hadn’t rushed for more than 100 yards in a game in his career but rumbled for 256 yards and 4 touchdowns on 9.8 yards per carry, while quarterback Michael Penix Jr. did the rest, completing 22 of 30 passes for 256 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT and a rushing TD.
Riley deflected big-picture questions about the defense, making clear he wasn’t going to deliver a referendum on the whole season at this point, with two games to play.
“I understand the question, I know it’s your all’s job to ask it, I’m not into the big picture questions right now,” he said. “Like, my job’s to go try to beat Oregon next week and to coach what we have here. I know as a head coach it all falls under my responsibility ultimately, and I don’t shy away from that — and I never have — but there’s times and places for those discussions and those will happen at the appropriate times.”
But his frustration — perhaps his exasperation — came through in a way it hadn’t at any point this season.
Watch the postgame press conference here and scroll down for a complete transcript of his comments.
