USC’s defense is trending in the right direction, and Lincoln Riley says the biggest change isn’t just effort - it’s how quickly the Trojans are reading the game and adjusting.
The No. 16 Trojans came out of their Oct. 17 bye with fresh energy, and Riley said that renewed edge has shown up on defense, especially in the way his team responds once an opponent starts testing it.
"I think our ability to adapt in the game, like our awareness of how we're being attacked and then how we want to attack back, is really showing up," Riley told reporters during his Oct. 20 presser.
Riley also pointed to health as part of the uptick. With players getting closer to full strength, USC has strung together a 2-0 run, and the coach said the defense has been the foundation.
"Certainly getting these guys healthy back healthy and playing a little bit closer to strength has been healthy as well," Riley added. "We've won those games on the back of our defense.
There's no question I think it builds confidence and excitement because we feel like it's something we can do better in the first half. Being able to finish those games have been a step for us."
Much of the outside chatter has centered on defensive coordinator Gary Patterson moving to the booth, and Riley understands why people have connected that shift to the recent turnaround. But he didn’t put all the credit there.
"I don't feel like the results would be any different if he was on the field," Riley said. "I think it'd be unfair to attribute it all to that.
There's no settling into the role. I think he's really learning our guys a little more, learning our staff more and our guys are learning each other.
It's just the kind oif connectivity on all levels going up and the understanding is going up."
That growing chemistry, Riley said, is showing up in cleaner football. USC is cutting down on giveaways to offenses and making life harder snap after snap.
"We're giving less free yards, we're tighter in coverage, we're making things tougher on offenses. Like, we're just starting to do more things that great defenses do. And if that continues to rise, then our performance is going to continue to grow along like the last few weeks."
The next test comes with Wisconsin quarterback Colton Joseph, whom Riley singled out as a problem for USC to solve. On the Oct. 19 edition of Trojans Live, Riley said Joseph’s game runs through his legs and that he brings a challenge unlike some of the other quarterbacks USC has faced.
"Offensively, a lot of what they do runs through the quarterback [Colton Joseph]. He can really beat you with his legs and he's definitely one of the best runners we've played against. He's a very capable thrower and they've added some nice weapons for him," Riley said.
USC has already dealt with Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, Washington’s Demond Williams and Penn State’s Rocco Becht, all of whom gave the Trojans’ defense problems in different ways. Now Joseph is next in line, and his mobility looks like the trait USC will have to account for most.
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