The warning sign for USC out of its non-conference slate isn’t about the starting defense. It’s about what happens when the Trojans have to go beyond it.
Through three games, No. 12 USC has already seen enough uneven play from its second and third units to raise a real concern about depth on that side of the ball. That issue showed up again Saturday night against Louisiana, when the Trojans led 35-3 going into the fourth quarter and still watched the game close with the defense getting pushed around.
The Ragin’ Cajuns put together back-to-back 75-yard touchdown drives to finish the night, and the Trojans’ defense looked overwhelmed. It was a frustrating repeat of what happened in week 0, when USC was in control against Michigan State but saw the Spartans score on three straight touchdown drives to end the game.
“Bunch of guys got opportunities, and we had several that did not play the way that we anticipated,” Riley said after the game.
That was the exact kind of situation USC wanted to use for evaluation. Instead of getting clean answers from younger players and reserves, the Trojans got another reminder that the drop from the starters to the backups is too steep right now.
There had been some hope that the defense had settled down after the opener. In week 1 against Fresno State, USC’s freshmen and reserves looked like they had shaken off the nerves and helped secure the shutout. But Louisiana pulled the Trojans right back to the same place they started, with the defense again looking shaky when the second and third units took over.
What stands out most is not just the points or the yardage. It’s the energy level.
The effort and urgency have not held up once the depth pieces enter the game, and that’s a problem USC can’t afford to ignore. The standard has to stay the same no matter who is on the field, and so far that hasn’t happened.
Riley said the secondary is one area where the Trojans would like more bodies, and he made clear they’re going to need some players to develop quickly. But the issue is bigger than one position group. USC needs better depth everywhere on defense.
“I know we've said this a bunch the last few weeks, where we're going to need this one guy here, one guy there,” Riley said. “We're going to need those guys to rise up and step up.”
The larger point is that this is not simply the same USC defense from the previous two years under Riley’s head coaching tenure. The final scores have made the starting unit look a little better than the full picture actually is.
And while Big Ten play may not bring many chances for the Trojans to put every struggling reserve on the field at once, the concern is obvious: if injuries hit a spot, opposing offenses will know exactly where to attack.
In Other News...
USC Heads Into Big Ten Play With Two Growing Problems
USC closed its non-conference schedule with a 49-30 win over Louisiana, and the night offered another reminder of how much the Trojans are leaning on young talent. Freshmen Trent Mosley, Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Mark Bowman all turned in notable contributions, a promising sign as the offense continues to look for reliable playmakers while the schedule gets tougher.
The concern, though, is that the victory came with the same issues that can quickly become costly in league play. Penalties kept piling up and the injury situation worsened as several players left the game for various reasons, leaving USC with a few extra questions just as Big Ten competition arrives. The Trojans get the result they wanted before conference play, but the way they got there left enough to sort through. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley Just Added A Defensive Name Oklahoma Fans Know Too Well
Gary Patterson is back on the sideline, and this time he is walking into a USC program that badly wants a defensive reset. After three years away from coaching since leaving TCU in 2021, Patterson had been keeping busy as a special assistant at Texas and later as a consultant at Baylor, but Lincoln Riley reached out with a bigger job in mind. Patterson, who was just elected to the Hall of Fame, has agreed to join USC as defensive coordinator, giving Riley an experienced hand with a long track record of shaping physical, disciplined defenses.
For Oklahoma fans, the name alone carries plenty of history, since Patterson spent so many years as one of the Big 12s most recognizable defensive minds. Now he is trying to help USC clean up a side of the ball that has lagged behind the offense, and the fit is intriguing because Riley is betting that a veteran voice can change the tone quickly. The question for the Trojans is how much Patterson can lift the unit, and how fast. [Read more 🡒]
USC Win Still Left Fans With A Familiar Concern
USCs 49-30 win over Louisiana gave the Trojans plenty to feel good about offensively, with Jayden Maiava throwing five touchdown passes, Mark Bowman scoring twice and Trent Mosley adding a punt return touchdown. It was the kind of performance that reminded everyone how explosive this offense can be when it finds a rhythm.
Even so, Lincoln Riley left with a familiar concern that has followed USC at different points this season: the penalties. For a team trying to stack wins and keep sharpening its edge, that kind of sloppiness can undercut even a night when the scoreboard looks comfortable. [Read more 🡒]