USC silences 'Fire Lincoln' roars with comeback win over Washington

The knives were already out. The boos were already ringing. At the end of an already brutal week at USC, during which the nation was ready to dance on the graves of the Trojans and their coach, it seemed for much of Saturday that any last shreds of faith in coach Lincoln Riley might melt away in the beating Southern California sun. Not only had the aftermath of their Oregon loss gone as poorly as possible, but now the Trojans were tripping over themselves again, trailing Washington, a middling Big Ten team down to its fourth-string running back, and a chant began to rise above the fray, from the USC student section. “FIRE LINCOLN!” they roared. That refrain had only been heard in hushed tones until this past week. But Saturday, before the No.