WATCH: USC Defeats No. 13 Ranked LSU 27-20 in Season Opener
Before USC’s game against LSU kicked off, Trojans’ defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn walked lap after lap around the perimeter of the field at Allegiant Stadium. It was a calm, focused effort that would portend exactly how his USC defense would play over the next 60 minutes against a very good LSU offense.
Turning around the USC defense in one offseason after the Trojans had one of the worst statistical defenses in program history last year didn’t look like just a job for a coordinator. It looked like one of the Labours of Hercules.
Last year’s Trojans couldn’t stop the run, they couldn’t stop the pass, they couldn’t get to the quarterback consistently, they couldn’t tackle in space. Heck, they often couldn’t get lined up before the snap. Besides that, everything was great.
And yet in the span of one offseason, Lynn had that side of the ball full of confidence heading into a game against an LSU offense that lost some big-time playmakers and first-round picks from last year’s squad, but still has plenty of NFL talent lining up.
During game week, Lynn calm and confident when asked if they were ready to face LSU.
“We’re prepared,” he said.
D’Anton Lynn aces first test as USC defensive coordinator
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We can make fun of the Paul Finebaums if we want. You know what, let’s do that. That sounds like a good time. The truth is that college football does mean more to the SEC, and if you want to build profits, manning an oar for the SEC hype machine is pretty good business.
It’s also the case that USC’s critics had a point. Lincoln Riley’s teams hadn’t played much defense over the years, and they hadn’t played any defense at all the last two years.
And despite the star-studded new defensive staff, there were still reasons for concern. It looked like USC struck out in the spring transfer portal. That wasn’t just the perception with national pundits who don’t closely follow USC; that was the perception on WeAreSC. Lincoln Riley said they planned to get defensive linemen in the spring portal. All the fans were convinced they needed to get defensive linemen in the spring portal. What they got was a guy who didn’t start at Wyoming. That, after getting a guy from Vanderbilt in the earlier portal window. And after getting a guy back from the transfer portal who was expected to play about as much as I would. It wasn’t promising. Every USC fan, whether they admitted it or not, had some level of concern.
Especially because this group—this underwhelming group—had an opening day appointment with what is supposed to be the best offensive line in the country. It looked like a potential mismatch.
It wasn’t. That LSU O line is good, especially in pass protection. But Brian Kelly wanted to run the football. LSU players were talking about how they were going to run the football. Anybody who has seen USC play even a single game in the last three seasons wants and expects to run the football against the Trojans.
The better Pop Warner teams could have gone for 200 against last year’s defense. But this is a new group, and it was a struggle all night for LSU. USC consistently squeezed the running lanes. They consistently tackled well. And in the big moments—4th and goal on the opening series, on 3rd and 1 in the fourth quarter with USC down and absolutely needing a stop to keep hope alive—the USC defensive front was more than up to the challenge.
Miller Moss named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week
USC Trojans quarterback Miller Moss was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Weekon Monday, following a standout performance in a 27-20 win over the LSU Tigers.
Moss completed 27 of 36 passes for 378 yards and a touchdown against the Tigers. And he was at his best when it mattered most. The quarterback found wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane on a 28-yard scoring strike with 5:44 left in the game. He then led the Trojans on an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to seal the win with just eight seconds remaining.
On his final two drives of the game, with the Trojans down 17-13 and then tied 20-20, Moss went 7-for-8 for 97 yards and a score. His final pass, a perfectly-placed throw down the sideline between two defenders to Kyron Hudson, put the Trojans in position to win it in regulation.
The win on Sunday was the first ever for USC as a Big Ten team and this marks the first weekly Big Ten award for a Trojan.
Moss has now thrown for 372 yards and 378 yards in his first two starts. And according to USC, Moss is the first Trojan starting quarterback to debut with back-to-back wins over ranked teams since records available in 1971.
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