Following a historic performance in its season opener — scoring its most points in a game since 1930 — USC football (1-0) turns to take on the Georgia Southern University Eagles (0-1) on Saturday. While the Trojans are strong favorites to win, the game poses an interesting matchup, as they face former Head Coach Clay Helton for the first time since he left the team in 2021. 

Helton was named full-time head coach for the Trojans on Nov. 30, 2015, after previously serving as interim head coach twice. His overall record was 46-24, including a 10-3 season in 2016, capped by a Rose Bowl victory over Penn State. Helton also brought home the 2017 Pac-12 championship, USC’s first since 2008, with an 11-3 record.

However, Helton’s fourth season was defined by disappointment, highlighted by a loss to UCLA that broke the Trojans’ three-year win streak against the Bruins and brought them under .500 on the season. His two following seasons saw slight improvement, with records of 8-5 in 2019 and 5-1 in a shortened 2020 season, but both ended with losses. 

In 2021, Helton was fired after a blowout loss to Stanford in just the second game of his seventh season with the program. Only a couple of years earlier, USC Athletics chose to extend his contract through the 2023 season. 

Helton took to his personal X account to post a farewell message to the Trojan community, writing, “On behalf of my family, I want to express my sincere appreciation for the opportunity of a lifetime to serve as your Head Football Coach at USC.” 

USC named Donte Williams as interim head coach for the rest of the season before hiring current Head Coach Lincoln Riley in November 2021; that same month, Georgia Southern named Helton as the Eagles’ new head coach. Helton is in his fourth season with the Eagles, where he came into this year broken even at 20-20. 

In a post-practice news conference Tuesday, Riley expressed positive feelings about his interactions and relationship with Helton, which he developed at an annual charity golf tournament for college football coaches at Pebble Beach.

“I had crossed paths with him before I came here, when I was at [Oklahoma] just recruiting out here a couple of times, and we sat down and just talked,” Riley said. “That upholds the reputation that I’ve always heard about him … [We were] talking ball, talking a lot of common people that we know or have worked with, talking about USC. He’s been great.”

According to ESPN, Helton’s style of play at USC was focused on bringing physicality while prioritizing the run game. Players said now, as the Eagles’ head coach, Helton emphasizes work ethic. 

“They’re a tough, physical team … They return quite a few players, especially on the defense, and they’ve got some guys that can pop,” Riley said of Georgia Southern’s performance in its season opener. “[We’re] excited to welcome him in. It’ll be great to have Clay back in the Coliseum. We’ll look forward to seeing those guys on Saturday.”

The Trojans will play the Eagles at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.