"Troy has fallen," "This is unacceptable": USC fans want Lincoln Riley fired after falling to 4-11 vs. ranked opponents following loss to Illinois

USC fans are asking to give coach Lincoln Riley his release papers after its No. 21-ranked Trojans lost 34-32 against No. 23-ranked Illinois on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.

The loss dealt the Trojans its first loss of the season after opening the year with four straight wins. However, the setback further buried Riley, who is on his fourth season as USC's coach, on the fans' eyes, as he fell to 4-11 against ranked opponnets in his career.

A disappointed USC fan is urging the school to fire the coach, using a quote from Homer's "Iliad" that referred to the destruction of the ancient city following the Trojan War.

"This is why you FIRE LINCOLN RILEY! TROY HAS FALLEN! #USC," the fan wrote.

JT The Brick

@JTTheBrick

This is why you FIRE LINCOLN RILEY! TROY HAS FALLEN! #USC

Another fan felt Riley's losses are unacceptable especially with the program's storied college football tradition.

The USC Trojan Times

@USCTimes

Minnesota. Maryland. Illinois. We’re USC, man. We have got to beat those schools. This is getting unacceptable and tiring. College football is leaving us behind.

Other fans echoed the clamor of most Trojans fans to release Riley and move on.

Tony Pajamas

@TonyPjs412

Today is why you fire Lincoln Riley before he even gets on the plane

Seth Valdes

@WifiSeth

@USC_Athletics fire Lincoln Riley. That is some of the worst coaching I’ve ever seen.

Ryan ™️

@RyanBitchesAlot

Lincoln Riley absolutely has to go at this point. @uscfb

Another fan singled out Riley's ineptness in calling plays on both sides of the field and inefficient clock management as reasons for his displeasure.

Tony 🅱️itcoin

@TheTonyPrince

defense was abysmal. clock managemant was embarrassing and offense couldn’t bail em out. welcome to lincoln riley ball

The No. 21 Trojans, who fell 31-17 in the fourth quarter, could've stolen the game on a big fourth-quarter rally. They took advantage of an Illinois fumble that resulted to a touchdown and converted on a two-point conversion to cut the lead to 31-25.

And later on, Jayden Maiava threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Makai Lemon and Ryon Sayeri kicked the extra point for a 32-31 lead.

However, USC's defense couldn't stop Illinois's eight-play, 51-yard last-ditch push that resulted to a David Olano 41-yard field goal that handed the victory to the Fighting Illini, who improved to 4-1.

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Defense couldn't bail out Lincoln Riley, USC from absorbing first loss of the season

USC absorbed its first loss of the college football season to Illinois, due to its poor defense.

The Trojans' defense allowed the Fighting Illini to compile 502 total yards (331 passing yards and 171 rushing yards).

USC also allowed 25 first downs, including a 6-of-10 third-down completion attempts. Worse, their defensive line allowed Illinois' Luke Altmyer to orchestrat a 51-yard final drive that led to a David Olano field-goal kick.

The Trojans are heading to a bye week that could threw them out of the AP Top 25 poll altogether.

They have a week to recuperate from their physical issues before it plunges to a Week 7 clash with the Bryce Underwood-led Michigan on Oct. 11 at L.A. Memorial Coliseum.