Penn State defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn is heading into Saturday’s White Out with a very familiar opponent on the other sideline.
Lynn, who spent the last two seasons as USC’s defensive coordinator before returning to his alma mater last winter, will be matched up against Trojans head coach and playcaller Lincoln Riley when Penn State hosts USC. He’ll also be preparing for quarterback Jayden Maiava, the same passer he coached last season in Los Angeles.
For Lynn, the move back to Happy Valley still feels like the right one.
“It feels good to be back,” said Lynn, a Penn State letterman who played cornerback from 2009-12. “I love the players, love the staff. I still love all the people at SC, but since I've been here, me, my wife, my kids, we're extremely happy.”
Penn State’s defense is coming off a rough night, too, after giving up 413 rushing yards in a 34-13 loss to Northwestern. That puts extra weight on Lynn’s job this week, especially with USC bringing the most dangerous passing game the Nittany Lions have seen so far.
Maiava is averaging 290.7 passing yards per game, good for second in the Big Ten. By comparison, Wisconsin’s Colton Joseph averages 226.4 yards and Northwestern’s Aidan Chiles sits at 225.
Lynn knows exactly how tricky Riley can be to defend, and he didn’t spend much time dressing that up.
Beyond the stat sheet, Lynn said Riley is tough to play against because “he doesn't really have a playbook.”
“He just has plays and he's going to do what his guys do best,” Lynn said. “He probably has the best scheme-beaters in the country.
If he knows what you’re in, there's times where he'll present things, and it's like, ‘Man, you just don't have an answer for us.’ You have to keep them guessing.
You have to be good with your disguises.”
This isn’t even Lynn’s first time lining up against Riley and USC. Back in 2023, when he was UCLA’s defensive coordinator under Chip Kelly, the Bruins beat the Trojans 38-20 on Nov.
- Before that game, Lynn told his players they “can't look up at the stats” and “they're gonna move the ball.”
Caleb Williams still threw for 384 yards in that loss, completing 31 of 42 passes with one touchdown and one interception.
That experience gives Lynn a useful frame of reference now, especially with Maiava posting 1,744 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 68.6 percent of his throws.
His checklist for this week is pretty clear.
“We need to be great on third down,” Lynn said. “We need to be great in the red zone, and we need to stop the run and then don't give them in chunk plays, make them drive all the way down the field.”
Penn State’s defensive backs are also hearing their share of outside noise. USC receiver Tanook Hines reportedly brushed off the unit when asked what stood out to him, saying “nothing much for real,” according to Ahmad Akkaoui of 247Sports.
Penn State safety Jeremiah Cooper didn’t take the bait.
“When we play somebody, we don't expect them to be nice to us, so at the end of the day, man, he has his thoughts,” Cooper said in response. “At the end of the day, it's only us. We’ve got to go out there and be one team, be one secondary and let all the outside noise, just let it go."
USC’s receiving group has enough talent to make that a real test. Hines is one of five Trojans who have caught at least 10 passes this season, and he had five catches for 51 yards and a touchdown in last week’s win over Washington. True freshman Kayden Dixon-Wyatt leads the group with 25 receptions for 372 yards and three scores.
Cooper said Lynn is giving Penn State an edge by leaning on what he knows about USC personnel.
“knows a lot of personnel” on the Trojans’ offense and is helping his defense practice for the game by “running the scheme off who he knows over there.”
That familiarity helps with some of the names, but not all of them. Cooper pointed out that Maiava is a known piece, while Dixon-Wyatt and fellow freshman receiver Trent Mosley bring different problems. Mosley started the year with back-to-back 100-yard games against San Jose State and Fresno State, though he has missed the last three games and USC listed him as questionable on its first availability report of the week.
“They’ve got great receivers, great athletes on that side of the ball,” Cooper said. “I mean, we can't wait to play them. I have full confidence that we're going to go out there and do our thing, but I mean, it's a great passing offense, a great quarterback, great receivers.”
In Other News...
Penn States White Out Puts One USC Advantage Under Pressure
The White Out at Penn State is already looming as a major test for USC, but it also carries a familiar twist for Lincoln Riley. On the other side will be DAnton Lynn, now Penn States defensive coordinator, who spent last season on Rileys USC staff and helped stabilize a Trojans defense that had been searching for answers. Their shared background gives this matchup an unusual layer of familiarity, with both coaches knowing something about how the other thinks and prepares.
For Penn State, Lynns return to the opposite sideline adds intrigue to a game that will be driven as much by adjustments as by atmosphere. Riley has long been one of the sports sharper offensive minds, and Lynns recent success against that same environment gives the Nittany Lions a meaningful point of confidence. There is mutual respect between the two, but Saturday night is about more than that history. It is a chance to see which coach can turn familiarity into an edge when the crowd, the stakes and the pressure are all at their peak. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State White Out Just Got Bigger Than Anyone Wanted
Penn State is heading into Saturday nights White Out with a lot more on the line than usual, and not just because No. 19 USC is coming to Beaver Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff. The Nittany Lions have spent the past couple weeks trying to steady themselves after losses to Wisconsin and Northwestern, results that have put a spotlight on a season that was supposed to feel more settled by now.
USC arrives with the kind of profile that can make an already charged environment feel even heavier. Lincoln Rileys team is 5-1 and has flashed the offensive punch that has become its calling card, even if the defense has left room for concern. For Penn State, the White Out is no longer just about pageantry and atmosphere. Its a chance to halt the slide before the questions around Matt Campbells tenure grow any louder. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Still Needs More From One Key Pass Rusher
Penn States defense came out of the Northwestern game with a few reminders of how thin the margin can be up front. The run defense gave up more ground than usual, the sack count stayed low, and the overall pressure package never quite found a steady rhythm. For a unit that has leaned on disruption to set the tone, it was the kind of afternoon that left the staff looking for a little more from the edge.
Yvan Kemajou has been part of that conversation because the flashes are there, but defensive coordinator DAnton Lynn made it clear the next step is consistency. Penn State likes the playmaking potential Kemajou brings, and the coaches know there is still room for the defense to tighten up as the season moves on. The upside remains obvious, but the Lions are still waiting for that pass-rushing spark to show up snap after snap. [Read more 🡒]