Gary Patterson’s first shutout at USC did more than pad the Trojans’ early-season résumé. It put his defense in the spotlight across the Big Ten.
After USC’s 30-0 win over Fresno State on Sept. 4, Patterson was named CBS Sports’ Big Ten Conference Coordinators of the Week. The Trojans’ defense was ruthless, limiting the Bulldogs to 116 total yards while piling up five sacks, seven tackles for loss, a forced fumble, an interception and two safeties.
Those two safeties stood out even more because of the company they put USC in. The last team to record two safeties in a game was the 2023 National Champions Michigan Wolverines versus Maryland (Nov. 18, 2023).
Three defenders earned game balls after the win: redshirt-freshman nickelback Alex Graham, junior nickelback Kennedy Urlacher and redshirt-senior safety Prophet Brown.
Graham finished with four total tackles - three assisted and one solo - along with 1,5 tackles for loss, a sack, a quarterback-hit and a safety. Urlacher was all over the field, posting three solo tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble and a safety. The new responsibilities Graham and Urlacher have taken on in Patterson’s 4-2-5 scheme have clearly asked plenty of them, but the payoff has shown up on Saturdays.
Brown didn’t make a tackle, but his first-quarter interception marked the first of his college career and helped set the tone early. He also helped lock down his side of the field as Fresno State struggled to generate anything consistent.
Pro Football Focus also gave strong marks to junior defensive lineman Jide Abasiri and Urlacher. Abasiri played 20 snaps and earned a 93.8 grade after producing six pressures, three quarterback hits, a sack and a pressure win-rate of 54.5 percent. Urlacher was right behind him with a 93.6 grade on 19 snaps.
The performance moved USC’s defense to No. 3 in the Big Ten Power Rankings, behind Indiana at No. 2 and Ohio State at No. 1. Another strong outing could push the Trojans up again.
Next up is Louisiana on Sept. 12, with USC looking to keep both its win streak and home win streak alive.
Louisiana’s offense put up 474 total yards in Week 1 against Lamar University, including 243 on the ground. Quarterback Lunch Winfield completed 16-of-22 passes for 189 yards, threw two interceptions and added 84 rushing yards of his own.
For USC, the challenge is clear: linebackers Desman Stephens II and Deven Bryant need to be more involved than they were over the last two games, while Abasiri and the rest of the defensive line will be expected to keep bringing pressure and forcing turnovers.
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USC Suddenly Has Real Competition Brewing Before Louisiana
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The depth chart is already beginning to reflect the competition behind the scenes, with Gallegos listed alongside Madden Riordan at safety and veteran edge rusher Braylan Shelby sliding behind freshman Luke Wafle. For a team trying to sort out roles early in the season, those are the kinds of changes that can matter just as much as the matchup itself. [Read more 🡒]