Alex Grinch on the disappointment, excitement of the USC defense to open the season

The points allowed weren’t great. The rushing yards allowed weren’t great. And some of the issues in giving up the big play that plagued the Trojans in 2022 were still evident in a 56-28 win against San José State to open up the 2023 season for USC. But on Tuesday afternoon, there was still a sense of positivity from Trojans’ defensive coordinator Alex Grinch stemming from his group’s performance this past weekend. And Grinch is not often overly positive when discussing his or his unit’s performance.

“The percentage is way tilted in the positive direction,” Grinch said. “I’m not really a rose-colored glasses type of guy. But you can’t ignore that. The percentage of plays that I thought were played at a high level were obviously good.”

San Jose State had runs of 29, 36 and 57 yards (the 36-yard run coming on the game’s final play) as well as touchdown passes of 28 and 32 yards.

“In football, that ball makes like water,” Grinch said. “It’s going to find a crack. And so where we’re deficient obviously showed up.”

Grinch said the coaches have to keep “coaching them up” in the coming days and weeks. But he definitely doesn’t appear to be dissuaded by the potential of this defense after the first game.

“At the risk of sounding like a coach that’s bluffing you, I’m extremely excited about week one,” Grinch said, though adding, “and very, very disappointed by individual plays.”

The chunk plays will undoubtedly haunt the Trojans against the better teams on the schedule later in the year. Fixing the missed assignments that help lead to those is a major priority. Grinch knows the USC defense can’t simply say, “Well, if it’s not for these seven plays…” Eliminating them entirely could stand between the Trojans making the College Football Playoff and falling much shorter than that.

“When you watch that play, you say, ‘What was the deficiency on it?” Grinch said. “Oh my God, how correctable that is.

“I don’t believe that’s our best yet,” Grinch continued. “Obviously, extremely disappointed by some of the numbers. We gotta go from there.”

Grinch on the late first-half score

There were at least three specific plays by the USC defense that likely stand out from that game to Trojan fans. One of them was a San Jose State touchdown pass just before halftime. Cornerback Domani Jackson was put in a difficult situation trying to cover two Spartan receivers streaking downfield and couldn’t get over in time to knock away the eventual touchdown pass. Grinch took the blame for that play.

“That’s one of those situations, and I told Domani this,” Grinch said. “Has he had enough reps of that with the ball in the air coming at him? And I’ve got to be honest with myself and say, you know what, that’s probably not the situation to put him in.”

Grinch praised Jackson’s play overall and said he’s excited to have him out there going at 100%, which was far from the case last season.

USC missed opportunities up front

He also had positive things to say about the impact Bear Alexander had on the game, as well as the entire defensive front getting pressure on the quarterback.

“Watching the tape, I thought Bear was more impactful than probably on Saturday I maybe thought he was,” Grinch said. “You see the state sheet and you’re thinking of some of those scrambles, God dang we didn’t get any pressure. Then you watch it and say, oh man, some missed opportunities.”

Grinch said that’s about much more than just the front four. He said that ties into playing together and getting comfortable as a group. It also comes down to the linebackers and defensive backs helping to finish plays.

“It’s on that second level, guys making sure that they’re firing the gun a little bit quicker in some of those situations,” Grinch said.