The USC defense is entering the season with a built-in advantage: Gary Patterson and Paul Gonzales already know exactly how the other thinks.
Around the program, the two are sometimes shortened to “GP” and “PG,” and the overlap goes well beyond the initials. Patterson and Gonzales spent 13 seasons together at TCU, where Patterson was the head coach and Gonzales helped guide a series of standout secondaries.
Six safeties they coached there went on to NFL careers. In 2015, when Gonzales coached cornerbacks, TCU led the Big 12 in opponent completion percentage at 49.8 and allowed just 17 touchdown passes.
“They just know each other too much,” cornerback Jontez Williams said with a smile.
That familiarity is a big reason USC is drawing so much attention heading into Saturday afternoon’s season opener against San Jose State. Patterson has not coached a college game since 2021, while Gonzales stayed active in the sport and worked as Baylor’s cornerbacks coach last season. The Trojans’ new-look defense will get its first real test soon enough, and the players are convinced the coaching tandem is ready.
“They obviously have some chemistry there,” cornerback Chasen Johnson said, “and they have some trust in each other. Whether it’s coverage messed up or the coverage needs some tweaking, they can get in there. They can get in that film room together, and they can fix it together.”
That bond appears to be filtering down to the roster, too. Williams said the way Patterson and Gonzales interact sets a tone for the entire unit.
“Just the chemistry they got and how they’ve been like with each other for so long, it kind of rubs off on us, and they bring that energy to us,” Williams said. “The way they just vibe off each other and feed off (each other) helps us out as well.
Williams and Johnson are part of that picture as well. Both are working back from injuries, and both are expected to pick up where they left off.
Williams, a sophomore in 2024, finished with 46 total tackles, five pass breakups and four interceptions. Johnson posted 14 tackles and two pass breakups as a freshman that same season.
They also share another common thread: both are from Florida, which has made them a target for plenty of joking from their Southern California teammates.
“They be trying to get us on the Cali lingo and things like that, but it’s been fun for sure,” Williams said, “just having different insights and backgrounds from everywhere, just being able to come together.”
USC also learned the kickoff time for its Oct. 10 road game at Penn State. The Trojans will play at 4:30 p.m. PT, with the game set for NBC (Ch. 4) and Peacock.
That trip to State College will land during Penn State’s annual “White Out,” a setting widely regarded as one of the toughest in college football. Last season’s “White Out” against Oregon drew 111,015 fans, the second-largest crowd in Beaver Stadium history.
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