UW Huskies Opponent Defensive Preview: USC Trojans
· Yahoo Sports
The Huskies hit the road for the first time this season to face the USC Trojans at the Coliseum. Washington (3-1) and USC (4-1) are both coming off of tough losses that have left their respective fan bases recalibrating expectations for their seasons. UW is desperately looking for answers on offense after yet another concerningly slow start against Minnesota that was covered up by a deceptively close final box score. USC lost to an Oregon team that was without Dante Moore for much of the game after taking a brutal hit that ultimately also cost USC a starting LB to suspension. In Moore’s place, Dylan Raiola torched USC’s defense for nearly 300 passing yards in just under three quarters of play, restoking concerns about the Trojan’s ability to field a competent defense under Lincoln Riley.
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The Scheme & Personnel
Trojan defenses during Riley’s tenure have gained a reputation for being porous at best, and now on his third defensive coordinator in five seasons, Riley may still be looking for a coordinator who can help him win in ways other than a classic mid-2010’s Big 12 style shootout. This season, legendary former TCU head coach Gary Patterson has been brought in to right the ship in place of now-Penn State DC D’Anton Lynn. Patterson, a one-time leading defensive innovator who pioneered the modern nickel defense, is back on the sidelines after spending the last four years off the field in various special assistant roles after the end of his TCU tenure.
Patterson’s defenses have been known for their unique play call design that split coverage calls and rush calls in a way that they could be mixed and matched to suit the situation. They also featured a speed-based style of play that focused on spilling runs and allowing their best athletes to rally to the ball for the stop. This was all based out of necessity at TCU where they were often outmanned by the Texas’ and Oklahoma’s of the world.
At USC, that isn’t the case. After a huge roster overhaul in the offseason that culminated in the #1 HS and transfer class. Many of those new players feature prominently on this defense. 5-star DE and top 10 recruit Luke Wafle, former 4-star transfer DT Alex VanSumeren, and 4-star transfer DE Zuriah Fisher bolster an already talented defensive front that blends a ton of experience with blue chip caliber talent. Jahkeem Stewart is listed as questionable, but he’s another DL to keep an eye on. At the second level, former UW LB Deven Bryant, Jadyn Walker, and former Penn State transfer Ta’Mere Robinson look to hold down the LB position with Desman Stephens on suspension. Bryant’s time at UW was marred by inconsistent performances, but he’s actually leading the Trojan defense in tackles this season. Right behind him in tackles is safety Christian Pierce, but you should also keep an eye out for nickel Kennedy Urlacher (yes, the son of Brian Urlacher). Urlacher is very active from the nickel spot with 2 sacks, 15 tackles, a forced fumble, and several PBUs.
Keys to the Game
In all likelihood, this game will either be a blow out or a shoot out, and UW fans need to hope for a shoot out. USC hasn’t scored less than 27 points yet this season, and that was against Oregon. On the season, the Trojans are averaging just under 40 points per game. Basically, we know they’re going to score points, even against our relatively strong defense. By comparison, our offense is average 28 points per game, but that number is skewed by our 48 point outing against FCS Eastern Washington. Take that out, and we’re averaging just 21 points per game. Fortunately, USC’s also given up a boatload of points. Just in the last three games, they’ve allowed 30 points to Louisiana, 35 points to Rutgers, and 41 points to Oregon. Louisiana’s QB had a combined 300+ yards passing and rushing plus 3 TDs, and Rutgers went blow for blow with USC where turnovers ended up being the difference. Neither their run defense nor their pass defense is a particular strength, but in every game where an opponent successfully scored on USC, they were able to run the ball effectively and pass the ball efficiently.
If UW’s going to follow that blueprint, we’re going to need a huge game from Demond Williams on the ground an through the air. The run game continues to be a challenge, but Fisch has yet to commit to leveraging Demond’s dual threat mobility in the run game. Given his recent regression or inconsistency as a passer, we need him to find a way to be a dynamic contributor on offense without over burdening him and without the offense becoming one dimensional.