Lynn Has USC Defense Looking Powerful In Spring Game

The USC Defensive Vibe Was Bad in 2023

Trojan fans became accustomed to an “oh no” energy every time the defense took the field in 2023. Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch was already on the hot seat coming into the season. And things looked worrisome right from the get-go as they gave up 28 points to a mediocre San Jose State team in their first contest of the season. Though things got slightly better in their victory against Nevada, USC then proceeded to give up 41 points to both Arizona State and Colorado and could not stop the bleeding for the rest of the year. By the time the team reached the season’s end, players could be seen walking away from the defensive sideline huddles held by Grinch. It became obvious that he had lost the team.

Riley Hit a Homerun With Lynn Hire

D’Anton Lynn had established himself as one of the best defensive minds in the country while at UCLA, taking a team that had nowhere near the talent of SC, and turning them into the number 10 ranked defense in the country according to FOX Sports . So when Lincoln Riley convinced Lynn to take a trip down the freeway and join him on the Trojan campus, it was a major get for USC. And Lynn’s impact was felt immediately.

In the following weeks, Lynn brought in a group of handpicked coaches to form one of the best defensive staffs in the country, adding former North Dakota State FCS coach of the year Matt Entz to coach linebackers, University of Houston defensive coordinator Doug Belk to be in charge of the secondary, and former Los Angeles Rams assistant coach Eric Henderson to oversee the defensive line.

Lynn’s Impact Was Felt Immediately

It became obvious right away that the Trojan defense was much different, as there was a palpable energy during the Spring Game that could not only be felt but heard. As was reported on the Trojan Blade podcast, you could hear the players talking to each other on the field, as they followed Lynn’s rule of “obnoxious communication”. This was especially true in the secondary.

For most of the day, Miller Moss and his probable backup, Jayden Maiava, had trouble finding open receivers, as the safety and corners kept them contained most of the game. In addition, few of the USC’s elite receivers could find openings deep. This led to a combined total of four interceptions on the day, two given up by each quarterback.

Other Noticeable Improvements

Maybe the biggest noticeable improvement was in player placement. Last season, the Trojan defense was continuously plagued by out-of-position players. The results were missed coverage and a defense that could never seem to stop third or even fourth-down conversions. It did not seem to matter what plays were run at them, as both ground and aerial attacks were equally effective against them.

However, this did not appear to be the problem in this Spring Game, as players seemed to more often than not, be at the right place at the right time. In the end, the defense was able to grab a decisive victory over the  Trojan offense, winning by a score of 43 -28.

There Is Still Need for Improvement and Question Marks

Though there was great reason for optimism, Lynn surely recognizes that there is also much room for improvement. The defensive line looked like they were way behind in their development as compared to the secondary, and with recent defections via the transfer portal, USC has some holes to fill as well as to find ways to bolster its depth. The Trojans will be looking for help in this area through the transfer portal as was reported by Grid Iron Heroics Victor Haltam.

In addition, there are still unanswered questions.  Missed tackles plagued the Trojans all last season, as week after week, poor reads and arm tackling led to massive yardage gains by opposing offenses. Since Spring Game tackling is light if not non-existent, it was difficult to get a feel as to whether this problem has been dealt with effectively. Most likely we will not know the answer to that question until the Trojans’ first game when they open up their season against LSU on September 1 in the Vegas Kickoff Classic.