USC's Defense Shows Improvement Under Gary Patterson's New Press Box Role

USC's defense has shown marked improvement in the two games since defensive coordinator Gary Patterson transitioned to a press box vantage point. The unit is recording more stops, conceding fewer points, and making critical plays to complement the team's offense.

Patterson, who has not spoken to reporters since the season began, recently discussed the shift on the USC athletic department's YouTube show, "Trojans Live." He credited head coach Lincoln Riley with the idea, suggesting it was a method for coaches to better "meld it all together" as they learned to work with one another.

"Moving up to the box has really, really helped," Patterson stated. "Not just with me seeing things – because I’ve always been a guy that saw things from the sidelines – but putting us in a situation where I get more communication from the sidelines now because I’m not down there."

Patterson explained that safeties coach Paul Gonzales, a former longtime assistant at TCU, serves as his primary contact on the sideline. This new arrangement has facilitated quicker calls to the field, addressing a previous issue of delays before the snap, by allowing Patterson a clearer view of developing plays.

"It's starting to pay off," Patterson added. This benefit has been particularly evident in the second half of recent games. No. 16 USC (6-1 overall, 3-1 Big Ten) held opponents scoreless for significant portions of the second half in their wins against Washington and Penn State, limiting those teams to a combined 3-of-24 on third-down conversions.

Riley noted the defense's improved ability to adapt in-game. "I think our ability to adapt in-game to how people are attacking us, I think our awareness of how we’re being attacked and how we want to attack back is really starting to show up," Riley said. "We’ve won those games on the back of our defense, I mean, there’s no question."

Riley also highlighted the increased familiarity among defensive staff and players as a contributing factor to the team's improved play. "Just kind of the connectivity on all levels is going up, the understanding is going up," Riley said. "And then when you go and you have some success and you make some big plays in games to help the team win the game, there’s a confidence associated with that and so I think our guys are really starting to gain some confidence."

Despite the recent successes, questions remain about whether Patterson's defense has fundamentally surpassed its previous iteration under D'Anton Lynn. USC currently ranks No. 63 nationally in total defense, allowing 350 yards per game, and No. 81 in scoring defense with 25.1 points allowed per game.

The Trojans are set to face a physical Wisconsin team known for its running game. However, Wisconsin's offense has struggled in the passing game, averaging just 199.7 passing yards per game (No. 100 nationally), which may mitigate USC's defensive weakness in pass coverage where they allow 239 passing yards per game (No. 110).

Patterson acknowledged the defense still has room for improvement. "It’s like, when are we going to get over giving up four explosives before you guys figure out we don’t need to do this kind of stuff, right?" he remarked. "And I need to do a better job of making sure that we put them in [the right] positions."

From his new vantage point in the press box, Patterson appears to be in a better position to guide the team's defensive strategy.