‘Haven't Been Relevant Since Matt Leinart': Former Oregon Star Rips USC
'Haven't Been Relevant Since Matt Leinart': Former Oregon Star Rips USC originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
It's safe to say Kenjon Barner doesn't view Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans very fondly. The former Oregon Ducks running back, who spent eight seasons in the NFL as a journeyman, sounded off on his former Pac-12 rival recently.
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'This fan base is starting to remind me of the Dallas Cowboys fan base, right? Just annoying,' Barner said Saturday on "Ducks of a Feather." 'All you're doing is running your mouth. Your bark is louder than your bite. … Listen, you've got the No. 1 recruiting class coming in. That's cool. You've still got to be able to win football games, which you guys have not been able to do for a very long time.'
At the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 2012, Barner had the best performance of his college career. In a 62-51 win over USC, he rushed for 321 yards and five touchdowns on 38 gives. Lane Kiffin and the Trojans entered that same campaign ranked No. 1 in the nation, but finished the go-round with a 7-6 mark.
The season before, Barner punched it in twice against USC in a 123-yard losing effort at home.
USC coach Lincoln Riley© Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
'You guys have been front-runners,' Barner said. 'You guys have been the school that comes in talking. You know, you've got the look. You're out in front. But when you get on that field? Trash. Tragedy. Tragedy strikes USC. … Listen, there's nothing been nice about y'all.
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'You guys haven't been relevant since Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush, LenDale White.'
The Trojans went 34-5 in the three seasons after Leinart and Bush headed to the NFL, winning the Rose Bowl to cap each year. Head coach Pete Carroll left after one more season, and since then, USC has had just five double-digit-win efforts, including only one since 2018.
Related: Urban Meyer Sends Blunt Message to Lincoln Riley
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
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