USC Defense Shows Familiar Struggles in Narrow Victory Over Rutgers
Despite a 42-35 win, the Trojans' defense allowed significant yardage and convertible drives, echoing past defensive shortcomings.
PISCATAWAY, NJ — USC's defense displayed concerning similarities to its previous iterations during its 42-35 victory against Rutgers on Saturday. The unit, under the guidance of new defensive coordinator Gary Patterson, struggled to contain the Scarlet Knights, allowing 460 total yards and struggling on key downs.
Rutgers successfully converted 6 of 11 third downs and 3 of 4 fourth downs, while also maintaining a strong rushing game with an average of 5.3 yards per carry. These defensive lapses have drawn comparisons to the performances seen under former defensive coordinators Alex Grinch and D'Anton Lynn.
Head coach Lincoln Riley acknowledged the defensive struggles, stating, "Gave up too many big plays defensively. You know, not pleased at all with how we played there." However, he also highlighted the significance of defensive turnovers, including interceptions by Christian Pierce and Prophet Brown, which he credited with helping secure the win. Brown's 99-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter extended USC's lead.
Despite these positive plays, the Trojans' secondary faced challenges, particularly with injuries to cornerback Jontez Williams and safety Alex Graham. Rutgers quarterback Dylan Lonergan managed to connect on a 28-yard touchdown pass late in the game, bringing the Scarlet Knights within a single score. Lonergan had previously thrown four interceptions in the team's first two games.
"I look at more just some of the individual breakdowns," Riley commented regarding the secondary's performance. "We obviously had to play with a lot of different guys in the secondary. We had some guys go down throughout the game that weren’t available. And I thought we were just kind of untimely as a defense, really."
USC, now 4-0 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten play, faces a challenging upcoming schedule, including a game against Oregon and quarterback Dante Moore. The team's ability to improve its defensive consistency will be crucial as the season progresses.