With its season hanging in the balance after two straight losses, USC has had to forge ahead this week without its head coach.
Lincoln Riley missed a second consecutive practice on Tuesday with an undisclosed illness. A USC spokesperson said that the coach was recovering under doctor’s orders and described his status as “day-to-day.”
It’s unclear whether his absence could stretch through the weekend, with USC slated to travel to Berkeley for a critical matchup with California on Saturday.
For now, in Riley’s place, USC receivers coach Dennis Simmons is serving as acting head coach. USC was also working with its NCAA compliance office to elevate offensive analyst Kliff Kingsbury to an acting assistant role.