The No. 16 USC Trojans are headed to the Valero Alamo Bowl to face TCU after a 9–3 regular season, marking the Trojans’ first appearance in San Antonio. For head coach Lincoln Riley, it is a return to a game that helped launch his rise in college football.
Riley’s first Valero Alamo Bowl came in 2009, when he stepped in as Texas Tech’s interim offensive coordinator. That night, the Red Raiders piled up 579 yards in a 41–31 win over Michigan State, a breakout performance that put Riley firmly on the national radar.
Riley’s path first crossed with TCU head coach Sonny Dykes at Texas Tech, where Riley was a player and Dykes served as the wide receivers coach. Their professional connection continued when Riley transitioned to coaching and Dykes was promoted to co-offensive coordinator under legendary head coach Mike Leach. “From early on, you could tell he was going to be very successful,” Dykes said of Riley. The respect is mutual, as Riley described Dykes as “… a tremendous coach. Obviously, his track record speaks for itself.”
Both Riley and Dykes were on the same staff for Texas Tech’s 31-point comeback to beat Minnesota 44-41 in overtime in the 2006 Inside Bowl. That bowl comeback record was tied by TCU in the 2015 Valero Alamo Bowl with the Horned Frogs’ 47-41 triple OT win over Oregon, but neither were in San Antonio for that landmark comeback.
The Dykes family also has deep ties to the Valero Alamo Bowl. Sonny’s father, Spike Dykes, coached Texas Tech in the 1996 edition of the game. Sonny Dykes later returned to the Valero Alamo Bowl himself as a wide receivers coach for Texas Tech in 2001 against Iowa.
Now, Riley and Dykes meet as head coaches for the first time as USC and TCU will face off for the sixth time overall. The Trojans hold a 3-2 advantage, but TCU won the most recent matchup, a 28–19 victory in the 1998 Sun Bowl.
The programs also shared a national spotlight in 2022, when USC’s Caleb Williams and TCU’s Max Duggan were Heisman Trophy finalists, with Williams taking home the award one year after he set the Valero Alamo Bowl passing efficiency record, going 21 of 27 passing with three touchdowns in Oklahoma’s 47-32 win over Oregon in the 2021 game.
Sonny Dykes: Turning Programs into Contenders
Since taking over TCU in 2021, Dykes has led the Horned Frogs to 27 wins, second only to Dutch Meyer through three seasons in program history. His résumé includes successful rebuilds at Louisiana Tech, Cal, and SMU, making him one of just four active FBS coaches to lead four different schools to bowl games.
The 2025 TCU team features a top-10 passing offense led by quarterback Josh Hoover, while the Horned Frog defense has been particularly strong against the run, allowing just nine rushing touchdowns.
Lincoln Riley: A Standard of Excellence
Riley’s track record places him among the elite coaches of his generation. He has produced three Heisman Trophy winners, captured four Big 12 championships, and reached three College Football Playoffs. At USC, Riley engineered the program’s biggest single-season turnaround with an 11-win campaign in 2022, after a season of only 4 wins in 2021.
Quarterback Jayden Maiava has matched Hoover statistically this season while securing the Trojans’ status as one of this year’s top-10 passing offenses as well.
The Valero Alamo Bowl Awaits
This year’s Valero Alamo Bowl is more than a postseason matchup. It is a reunion shaped by shared roots in Lubbock and two accomplished head coaches from the Mike Leach coaching tree. From Riley’s breakout performance in 2009 to Dykes’ family legacy and reputation for elevating programs, USC and TCU are set for a strategic, high-powered showdown.
With elite quarterbacks, explosive offenses, and two offensive-minded coaches whose careers have long intertwined, the Valero Alamo Bowl promises another memorable chapter of must-see college football.