USC HC Lincoln Riley: Negative Trojans Crowd Notion A 'False Narrative'

USC won 42-26 over San Jose State, but the bigger story was the sparse crowd — only about 51,144 bought tickets in the 77,500-seat Coliseum, drawing nationwide attention for the empty seats.
QB Jayden Maiava was nearly flawless (25-for-29, 286 yards, 2 TDs, 191.8 rating) and WR Trent Mosley had 7 catches for 118 yards, fueling a 504-yard offense.
Coach Lincoln Riley downplayed the attendance flap, saying crowds and play have improved each year and expects bigger turnouts for upcoming games (Fresno State Friday night; Big Ten opener at Rutgers Sept. 19).