As the USC Trojans approach a pivotal stretch in their season, the performance of their defense remains a significant concern, especially with the College Football Playoff within reach. This time two years ago, following a disappointing defensive performance, Lincoln Riley made the decision to part ways with Alex Grinch, his first defensive coordinator. “I am that committed, and we are all that committed to playing great defense here,” Riley stated in 2023. “Whatever it takes to get that done, that”s what we”re going to do.”
At the time, not everyone took Riley”s words at face value. “There”s a school on the west coast right now that”s going to re-commit to defense,” noted Kirk Ferentz, head coach of Iowa, shortly after Grinch”s firing. He pointed out USC”s struggles, including a bowl game where they conceded an astonishing 46 points to Tulane. “Now they”re going to think about defense,” he remarked, recalling the importance of defensive prowess in the game.
Fast forward to mid-November, and it is evident that USC has been re-evaluating its defensive strategies. Despite the seemingly improved statistics, such as allowing over two fewer points per game compared to 2024 and yielding fewer yards both in the air and on the ground, questions linger. The defense has generated more pressure, recording three additional sacks than the previous year, and has excelled in the red zone, permitting opponents to score only 67% of the time, ranking third nationally. However, D”Anton Lynn, the Trojans” current defensive coordinator, admits that the improvement has not been consistent.
Lynn explained, “This team is more talented, but they”re just young. It”s just guys who haven”t played before. There are certain mistakes you have to live through.” Unfortunately, those mistakes have surfaced at critical moments during the season. A late pass interference penalty and a missed tackle led to a loss against Illinois, while a glaring missed assignment allowed Notre Dame”s Jeremiyah Love to break free for a game-changing touchdown during a rainy matchup where the run defense faltered significantly.
Encouragingly, the last two games have shown marked improvement, with USC limiting both Northwestern and Nebraska to just three points each after halftime. The disparity in defensive performance from the first half to the second was stark, as the Trojans held their opponents to a mere 209 total yards in the second half. However, it often took a tough start for the defense to begin performing effectively. Riley has credited Lynn for making necessary adjustments when issues have arisen. “When leaks have sprung, we”ve been able to get them closed pretty quickly,” he noted.
Looking forward, Lynn emphasizes the need for his young defense to develop mental resilience. “Just kind of all year with us, we”ve had those moments where we shoot ourselves in the foot, or we get good calls, and we just mess it up ourselves,” said cornerback DeCarlos Nicholson. “We”re just zoning in on that, and just the battle within ourselves. Like man we”ve gotta buckle down right, and we”ve gotta get this stuff done.”
As the season progresses and with only three weeks remaining, the strategy for USC”s defense becomes clearer. “We need to be consistent up front,” Lynn asserted. “We need to stop the run. We need to limit big plays. When we do those things, we can be a really good defense. That”s easier said than done, but again, it just comes back to being consistent.”
