Texas Tech’s Joey McGuire takes shot at USC crowd

Empty Seats in Los Angeles Spark Texas Tech Coach’s Unintended Viral Moment

Cybersecarmor.com – What began as a routine Monday press conference in Lubbock quickly became one of the most shared clips in college football social media. On Aug. 31, Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire opened his postgame availability by paying compliments to Southern California head coach Lincoln Riley — then pivoted into a pointed observation about the near-empty stands at USC’s Los Angeles Memorial Stadium the previous Saturday. The remark, delivered with a self-aware “not to take any shots” disclaimer, nonetheless traveled far beyond the confines of the Red Raiders’ media room.

The Saturday That Left a Stadium Barely Occupied

The backdrop for McGuire’s comment was a game that should, on paper, have drawn a substantial crowd. The No. 14 Trojans hosted San Jose State on Saturday, Aug. 29, at the historic LA Coliseum and won decisively, 42-26. Yet the stands sat largely vacant. Two converging factors explain the thin turnout: an unusual spike in humidity across the Los Angeles basin made outdoor attendance uncomfortable, and the opponent — a Mountain West Conference squad — simply did not carry the draw of a marquee matchup. For a program with USC’s storied pedigree in the sport, the visual of a half-empty Coliseum became an immediate talking point across the college football landscape.

The optics stung because of what the Coliseum represents. For decades, the venue has been synonymous with packed, raucous home games and a fan culture that rivals any program in the country. Seeing those seats darkened for a Week 0 contest, even against a lower-tier opponent, raised questions about the Trojans’ current cultural footprint in Southern California and whether the program’s traditional fan base remains engaged at the same intensity it once was.

McGuire’s Lubbock Contrast

McGuire framed his remark as a comparison of environments rather than a dig at USC’s fan base. He emphasized his respect for Riley and the program before describing what Texas Tech supporters can expect when the Red Raiders host Abilene Christian on Sept. 5 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock.

“Not to take any shots, because I have a lot of respect for USC and Lincoln Riley, but it’s really awesome to be playing in Lubbock, Texas, knowing we’re going to be playing in front of 60,000 (fans),” McGuire said Monday. “It’s going to be warm. It’s going to be every bit as warm as it was Saturday.”

He continued by invoking the resilience of West Texas football culture:

“The great thing is we got some really tough people in West Texas that love their football and they’re going to show up, no matter what the weather’s like. There’s not going to be any excuse of why they’re not going to be here for us.”

The juxtaposition was clear: a coastal stadium emptied by humidity and a low-stakes opponent versus a desert town where 60,000 fans are expected regardless of temperature. McGuire’s point, however well-intentioned, landed as a contrast that social media audiences found difficult to ignore.

A Personal Connection Between the Two Coaches

The exchange carries an added layer of irony given the history between McGuire and Riley. Riley grew up in Muleshoe, Texas, a small West Texas community, and played quarterback for Texas Tech before returning to Lubbock as an assistant coach from 2003 to 2009 under then-head coach Mike Leach. In other words, the man McGuire praised by name spent formative years in the very football culture he was implicitly contrasting with USC’s Saturday attendance. Riley’s own journey from a West Texas small town to the head-coaching chair at one of the sport’s most historic programs makes the empty-stand image all the more conspicuous.

USC’s Response

The Trojans did not leave the matter unaddressed. In a statement issued to USA TODAY Sports, the school acknowledged the factors behind Saturday’s low turnout while projecting higher numbers ahead.

“We understand the factors that impacted Saturday’s attendance,” the school wrote. “We have high expectations and a premier home schedule this season, and we know the competitive advantage an electric Coliseum atmosphere can provide our program. We thank our fans who showed up Saturday and look forward to seeing increased attendance the rest of the season.”

The reference to a “premier home schedule” signals that USC expects later-season matchups to carry far more weight than a Week 0 contest against a non-Power-conference opponent. The Coliseum’s capacity and the program’s historical draw suggest that attendance figures are likely to climb as the calendar fills with higher-profile rivals.

Why the Moment Mattered

McGuire prefaced his remarks with a disclaimer — “not to take any shots” — yet the clip circulated widely within hours, often stripped of that context. The episode highlighted a recurring tension in modern college football: the gap between a program’s historical prestige and its present-day fan engagement, particularly in markets where competing entertainment options and geographic spread have diluted traditional stadium culture. For USC, the Saturday in question was an outlier shaped by weather and opponent profile. For the broader sport, it was a reminder that even the most storied brands must earn their crowd week by week, game by game, and that a single empty-stand image can outlast the final score in public memory.

As Texas Tech prepares for its own Sept. 5 contest in Lubbock, the question McGuire’s comments inadvertently raised will linger: what does it take to fill a stadium, and why do some communities do it effortlessly while others struggle to replicate the phenomenon?