Reply To: USC and their soft defense

[Java]

21 points a game?   Considering that includes a ko return for a td they didn’t give up and a few turnovers by the offense that set up td.  I’d say so.  That’s a massive improvement.

id like to see them improve their run defense.  But look where they were previously.  They have a lot of youth.  They are a much better d than they were 2-3 years ago.

id like to see everything improve.  But you dont show up and have a top 10 defense in a year or two.  The schools you named have been stockpiling talent and playing the same scheme for years

USc offense has been weak in the b10.  25 pts yesterday.   21 v Nebraska.  24 versus nd.   33 v awful Purdue.   Continual failures to get 7 and getting 3 instead?  Turnovers?  Oh and how many touchdowns or huge plays have come back due to illegal centers downfield?   O Connor had another yesterday.  Offense failures continue

their offense ranks 6th in the nation and 10th in scoring. Pretty awesome right?  38.3 points a game?  Take away their two division 2 cream puffs where they scored 132 points and they’ve only topped that once.    In fact they have averaged 31.3 points a game despite the defense having about 3 of those points on pick 6s.  The 31.3 points a game ranks them 48th.

that puts a defense in terrible position.

I’ll  help.  If the offense scores 35+ it’s done its job.  If the defense holds the other team to less than 30 it’s done its job.  25 or less is good and 20 or less is awesome.  On the offensive side 35 points a game is only top 20 so I’m not being overly demanding for Riley’s rep here.

against Notre dame despite USC turnovers the d held nd to 27. On the road.  The nd qb didn’t throw for anything.  Illinois was their bad game this year.  Couldn’t stop them.  Bad games happen. Defense is not a finished product.

I think the problem w usc is the offense.  I think they turn the ball over too much.  I think other than lemon their wr have been weak.  And I think they still can’t win short yardage situations.  Which alters play calling dramatically on 3-4th down and in the red zone.

btw I say all this at 8-2 with a young team and a great recruiting class.  It takes years to hold a program and get the players in place. USC tried to do it fast and after one year of portal transfers I was here saying that’s it.  You can do it for one year but you can’t build a program like that.   Sure enough they tried it 2-3 times and it cost them.  Chad Bowen comes in and decides USC gonna build with hs talent.   And that takes time

so USC the last year or two has started over.  New DC.  New DL coach. New recruiting strategy.  Renewed commitment to ca.  problem is by the time they did this Riley is in year 3 and they’re laying eggs on the field. Natives restless.

what they are doing this year should have been what year 2 or 3 looks like.  The whole Caleb Williams and Oregon running back dye and Addison from Pitt thing was instant happy candy but rotted the teeth.   All of that set USC back a year or two. This is year 4 and what it should have looked like in year 2-3

 

and as a side note.  All of that masked what lemon was. I was screaming in 2023 that he should be playing.  Those idiots had him at corner most of the year.  Completely wasted him.  I said early on he was Pakua nua. That would have made a huge difference.  Everyone else was in love with branch and duce. Both of whom were 💩   Lemon 🍋 was the man and it took all the way to the bowl game to prove it.  So frustrating