Times of Troy: USC is better on defense. But the depth is still a problem
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Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter, where we have reached the end of USC’s cupcake non-conference season. There’s only so much we can take from a three-game stretch in which the Trojans outscored their opponents by 25 points per game.
On the whole, there was plenty to be encouraged about. USC’s freshman class has been a revelation. The offense hasn’t skipped a beat. And the defensive line has been better than anyone could have hoped. Suddenly, with two of the conference’s top three teams falling last week, it doesn’t sound so crazy to think that USC could contend for a Big Ten regular-season crown.
But there is one thing we’ve learned over the last three weeks that could get in the way of the Trojans reaching their potential.
We saw a glimpse of that problem in the fourth quarter Friday, as Louisiana and its quarterback Lunch Winfield did whatever they wanted against USC’s defense. Down to reserves at almost every position, the Trojans all but laid down in the back half of its defense. The Ragin Cajuns marched down the field with ease on two straight touchdown drives, hitting four plays of 25 yards or more to do so.
The game was already well in hand at that point, and some of that is just complacency on USC’s part. But nothing we’ve seen this season has given any reason to believe that the Trojans can trust the depth on their defense. And that could be a problem this season.
Nowhere is the issue more pressing than in the secondary, where USC’s depth at safety is looking dire of late. Even Lincoln Riley admitted Saturday night that he wasn’t happy with where things stand.
“The secondary is the one where, you know, we need to continue to bring a couple other guys along,” Riley said. “Because we’re going to need them.”
USC probably won’t be playing its backups in the second half from here on out. But to Riley’s point, they will need some of those players to step up, if they hope to contend for the Big Ten.
At cornerback, the Trojans can’t afford to lose Jontez Williams, who has been far and away USC’s best at the position, and at safety, it really can’t lose Prophet Brown, either.
It’s not like USC doesn’t have talent in its defensive backfield. They have multiple highly touted talents currently on second- or third-string — guys such as cornerbacks RJ Sermons or Marcelles Williams, who were once seen as future stars. Those players just have never played up to their potential. At safety, it’s even less certain.
The depth has been much improved elsewhere on the defense. Namely on the defensive line, where the Trojans now go six deep on the interior, with at least four edge rushers that they trust.
That’s a major improvement, but it’s going to take a bit longer to get that deep at every level of the defense.
Big Ten stock report
Stock up
UCLA. Sorry, Trojan fans, but the Bruins look like the real deal under new coach Bob Chesney. The rushing attack especially is rolling, with 10 touchdowns and almost 500 yards through two games.
Indiana. The Hoosiers have really only done what we’ve expected them to do, outscoring their opponents 107-16 through two weeks. But the fact that they’ve looked just as dominant in that stretch, while Oregon and Ohio State have both been hobbled, opens the door for Indiana to secure its place atop the conference.
Stock down
Oregon. Everyone was stunned to see the Ducks drop one at Oklahoma State, but this team is simply not right at the moment. It really looks like Oregon is missing its coordinators.
Minnesota. With a potential NFL quarterback (Drake Lindsey) and running back (Darius Taylor) at his disposal, I thought PJ Fleck might have Minnesota surprising people this season. A three-touchdown loss to Mississippi State suggested the opposite.
Extra points
—Defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart should be a “full participant” next week ahead of Big Ten play. Stewart tried to give it a go on Saturday, but the situation with his foot injury “had to be perfect” for him to play, Riley said. The matchup with Rutgers should give him a chance to shake off any rust ahead of a critical showdown with Oregon. But my question going forward is how much USC will be managing these circumstances all season. The Trojans have looked good on the defensive line even without Stewart, but adding another five-star talent to the front could really elevate the defense to a different level. We’ll have to wait and see how much he plays
—The run game looked better. But is it good enough? USC piled up 225 rushing yards, its most in a game, by far, this season. Almost 40% of those yards came in the fourth quarter, when the game was already in hand. But even before that point, USC did look a lot more explosive. The backs busted five first-half carries for 10 yards or more. “We were a little more connected,” Riley said, “which was a big goal.” Getting King Miller rolling ahead of Big Ten play, after two quiet weeks, was also important. So far this season, he has 19 more carries than Waymond Jordan and has been the clear top back.
—USC finally got freshman tight end Mark Bowman in the open field. And the early results were quite encouraging! USC made a point to get Bowman involved early and often, with four of his seven targets coming further than 10 yards down the field. He had six catches for 86 yards total, all of which came in the first half. I’d expect more and more to be added to his plate in the coming weeks.
Polling the people
USC cruised through its non-conference slate. Now after three comfortable wins, do you feel better about the Trojans’ trajectory than you did at the start of the season?
Yes, I feel better
No, I feel worse
Nothing has changed
Click here to vote in our survey.
Olympic sports spotlight
A tough start to the season for USC’s women’s soccer team continued last week with the opening of Big Ten play. The Trojans were shut out twice in a row — 5-0 by Michigan State, then 2-0 by Purdue. They now have just one win in eight matches and two goals over their last four games.
No. 6 Ohio State looms soon, but the rest of the schedule coming soon should be a bit more manageable.
What I’m watching this week
The best competition show on television returns this week … with a new twist. “The Traitors: New Blood” won’t have the reality show celebrities we’ve come to know. It will have deception and Alan Cumming, which is all I really need. But it’ll also have a bunch of average Joes playing.
I have my doubts about the format. But will I be watching? Of course.
In case you missed it
Trent Mosley’s stellar start continues as USC beats Louisiana for 10th straight home win
How USC center Tobias Raymond went from soft spoken to team leader
How unique family values helped Trent Mosley become a breakout star at USC
Until next time ...
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at ryan.kartje@latimes.com, and follow me on X at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
