USC spring football game: New-look defense ramps up

After a spring meant to ensure progress, new pieces fell into place in USC’s revamped defense, ready to start over.

Anthony Lucas, the Trojans’ new five-star lineman, who transferred from Texas A&M, towered over the line of scrimmage, as intimidating as promised. Mason Cobb, an All-Big 12 Conference linebacker at Oklahoma State, crouched in the middle and ran into every hole with reckless abandon. In front of him was Kyon Barreswho was an All-Pac-12 Conference defensive tackle at Arizona, holding down the interior at USC’s size.

So much of the Trojans’ defense looked different than the group that fell apart at the end of last season, and for the last four weeks leading up to the spring game, optimism had been the dominant story. But when quarterback Caleb Williams dropped back on the opening drive Saturday and confidently ran a 45-yard pass down the field, it was fair to wonder how much a handful of players plucked from the transfer portal could be expected to turn the defense around. .

This question could not be solved in one spring game. But the opening drive didn’t offer much consolation. It took just three plays for Williams to lead the Trojans down the field and find a wide receiver Mario Williams in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown, marking an early gut punch by USC’s defense.

We knew what we had to fix, safety Calen Bullock said. We got to the touchline and thought: Let’s calm down and play football.

USC running back Austin Jones (6), right, celebrates with wide receiver Mario Williams after Williams made a first-quarter touchdown catch.

(Allen J. Cockroaches/Los Angeles Times)

USC’s defense really settled down. It came after the quarterback at times. It was compressed somewhat secondary. It even clinched a spring victory over the Trojans’ offense, 42-34, for what that’s worth.

But it never faced Williams again after that first drive, as the reigning Heisman Trophy winner sat out those first three games. Three of the defense’s four forced turnovers came against freshman quarterback Malachi Nelson, who struggled to find his footing in his Coliseum debut. Not to mention, the defense still had issues against the run, as several running backs, including a pair of impressive freshmen, blew through the Trojans’ front.

Still, afterward, USC coach Lincoln Riley remained sunny about the defensive outlook. He pointed to the bulkier front seven in particular as evidence.

“We all knew deep down that we had holes there last year,” Riley said. I mean, is that right? You knew. And even when we were winning games and playing, playing well defensively, as you know, at some point you have to address that. That became the focal point whether we won five games last year, 11 games or 15 games last year. As it was meant to be. And so I’m excited about how it looks.

Changes have certainly been made since last season. It was clear on Saturday. But whether they are enough will not be known for some time.