Ryan Kartje (LA Times) — It was two years ago this month, with USC’s defense at an unthinkable nadir, that Lincoln Riley finally decided to fire Alex Grinch, his first defensive coordinator.
“I am that committed, and we are all that committed to playing great defense here,” Riley said in 2023. “Whatever it takes to get that done, that’s what we’re going to do.”
Not everyone took Riley’s comments seriously at the time.
“There’s a school on the West Coast right now that’s going to re-commit to defense,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said a month later. “You give up [46] to Tulane last year in a bowl game — at a place where Ronnie Lott played. Now they’re going to think about defense. That was the first thing we thought about 25 years ago.”
Rest assured, USC has thought about it plenty since. And now two years into the rethinking process, with the College Football Playoff very much within reach in mid-November, USC’s defense is still the biggest question mark facing Riley and his staff over the final stretch of this season which continues, fittingly, against Ferentz and his 21st-ranked Hawkeyes on Saturday.
On paper, the defensive improvement has been palpable, year over year, even if it’s a bit less drastic from this season to last. USC is giving up more than two fewer points per game in 2025 and fewer yards per game through the air and on the ground than in 2024. The defense has created more pressure, already with three more sacks than last season (24 to 21), and clamped down in the red zone, with opponents scoring only 67% of the time, third-best in the nation.
But that progress hasn’t always been linear, admits D’Anton Lynn, the Trojans defensive coordinator. Where in his first season, Lynn had a litany of experienced defenders from the transfer portal to lean on, his second season has made for a much different experience.
“This team is more talented, but they’re just young,” Lynn said. “It’s just guys who haven’t played before. There are certain mistakes you have to live through.”
Those mistakes have surfaced at some of the worst possible times this season. In the loss to Illinois, a late pass interference call and a missed tackle on a swing pass proved to be the difference. At Notre Dame, a blatant missed run fit saw Irish back Jeremiyah Love break off an explosive touchdown run that turned the tides. The run defense ended up coming unglued, giving up over 300 yards in a rainy defeat.
The last two games have been much more encouraging, with USC holding Northwestern and Nebraska to three points apiece after halftime. The difference between the two halves was significant as the Trojans held the two opponents to a combined total of 209 second-half yards.
In both cases, the defense didn’t find its stride until it was first punched in the mouth. But Riley credited Lynn for his adjustments from there.
“When leaks have sprung, we’ve been able to get them closed pretty quickly,” Riley said.
The next step is stopping those leaks before they burst. And that starts, Lynn says, with letting the mistakes they make roll off their shoulders.
That mental hurdle is one that USC’s young defense has struggled with this season.
“Just kind of all year with us, we’ve had those moments where we shoot ourselves in the foot, or we get good calls, and we just mess it up ourselves,” cornerback DeCarlos Nicholson said. “We’re just zoning in on that, and just the battle within ourselves. Like man we’ve gotta buckle down right, and we’ve gotta get this stuff done.”
That battle is quickly reaching its crescendo with just three weeks left in the season. But as that final stretch approaches, the blueprint for USC’s defense is clear to Lynn.
“We need to be consistent up front,” Lynn said. “We need to stop the run. We need to limit big plays. When we do those things, we can be a really good defense. That’s easier said than done, but again, it just comes back to being consistent.”
CELEBRATING PAT CASHMAN
Haley Sawyer (OC Register) — Former USC and Long Beach City College football star Pat Cashman died on Nov. 5 at age 79 after battling dementia for several years.
Cashman, a defensive back, made a pivotal, electrifying play in the 1967 game against UCLA when he intercepted Maxwell and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Gary Beban and returned the ball 55 yards for a touchdown, tying the game 7-7.
O.J. Simpson broke off a 67-yard touchdown run to win the game, 21-20, and the Trojans moved on to beat Indiana, 14-3, in the Rose Bowl game for the national championship.
“Pat knew everybody,” Tommy Gorrell, a former USC golfer and friend of Cashman, said. “He was like Mr. Long Beach. Everybody loved him.”
Cashman’s son, Tyler, was a standout receiver at Los Alamitos High School and played tight end at USC. He had three receptions for 19 yards in a 41-32 victory over Northwestern in the 1996 Rose Bowl game.
Pat Cashman is survived by Tyler and his daughter, Summer.
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Congratulations to USC and Lincoln Riley: I am very happy for Riley; ecstatic was he along the sidelines. This was a must win for the team and for him…make or break, do or die. On to Eugene: Ducks look very good; their only loss was a close one to Indiana in Eugene. But they only beat Iowa by 2 pts in Iowa. Autzen Stadium [ Mr. Autzen invented plywood] is very noisy = The Ducks are addicted to quack; their costume’s quack me up. Truely, the Trojans will be quacked-up in Eugene.
Triple-double tonight in Inglewood for Rodney Rice. Only #2 in program history.
Hopefully, USC sends back all those wonderful, weather-proof, salt-of-the-earth Hawkeye fans wishing they had never come to L.A. for this game in the first place. We owe ’em big time. As everyone knows, the last time USC played IOWA in the 2019 Holiday Bowl, they delivered the hurt to USC big-time 49-24. USC is basically a TD fave, we’ve got ’em at home, USC has more talent, we’re on a two game winning streak, the unranked Hawks are coming off a heartbreaking ORE loss, and USC has the playoffs in its sight with also an extra day to get ready… Read more »
MAKE or BREAK game for USC: SC may lose to Oregon…it’s expected, BUT this game is the decider for a successful season and for Riley’s status in the coaching world. BTW: SC did beat Oregon up in Eugene in 2011; Kiffin coached SC to a good lead, then almost lost it. The Ducks quacked…missed a last-second field goal.
USC snapped ORE’s 21-game winning streak at Autzen, the longest in the country at the time. The 38-35 win also brought to an end ORE’s 19-game Pac-12 winning streak. An incredibly fun game to watch if you were a USC fan.
Watching them play the Gophers, they look beatable to my untrained eyes.
I just turned on the game in response to your post and the Ducks are smashing MINN 42-13 with 11 mins to go. Seems pretty dominant to me, and my untrained eyes! 😂
Everybody has terrible games. Oregon is due for one. I am not counting their loss to Indiana, because the Hoosiers are very good. We have to play with our hair on fire and for the Phil Knight Experience to play poorly in a critical game. And if there is bad weather and rain, we will be used to it. Today’s game will make the third time by my count that SC has played in wet conditions this season.
But first, we must overcome a bad matchup for us against the Hawkeyes. Let’s go!
This is for Doc, go with the flow Doc. Josh Pate USC to win and cover Klatt Iowa to win, 19-16 ESPNMatchup Predictor: USC 76.2% chance to win FPI Projection: USC by 7.5 points College Football NewsBig Game Ben: USC Nathan Erbach: USC Pete Fiutak: USC Fiutak: Oregon ran for 261 yards and averaged over seven yards per carry last week against the Hawkeyes. USC 27, Iowa 20 John Kennedy: USC Jackson Langendorf: USC* Andrew Margolick: USC Jake Margolick: USC Doug Millen: USC Johnny Rosenstein: USC Joshua Schulman: USC Nick Shepkowski: USC Matt Hayes: USC Jordan Mendoza: USC Paul Meyerberg:… Read more »
Is anybody brimming with confidence about tomorrow’s game, especially with the bad weather? Well, I am not.
Make me a fool for doubting our chances, Trojans! Embarrass the hell out of me. Please. 😁
C’mon man!! We got this, Iowa is big and slow. USC is big and fast. This is BIG BOY football.
They are big and slow but they are disciplined and don’t make mistakes. You can always tell how disciplined a team is by how many penalties they have. Iowa has been #1 in the nation in least amount of penalties for the last 10 years. They certainly don’t have SC’s talent. SC’s 2025 team has 39 four stars and 3 five stars and a ton of talented three stars. Iowa has 13 four stars and 0 five stars. But they are well coached.
Offensively, they are not that good. They are 116th in the nation in total yard and 105th in the nation in passing yards. Even in Rushing yards they are just 45th. In points scored they are 61st.
We need to play ball control offense and run the ball but also throw short and intermediate routes so Iowa can’t load file box.
I think we can win this game even in rainy conditions.
Thanks for the encouragement fellas.
I’m with you DDS. Most pundits are prediction a Trojan victory, but I am really scared about this game. Iowa will use its offense to control the clock, and playing in a downpour doesn’t fit our style. If we win by 1 point, I will be thrilled.
I would love to eat crow
Hawkeye Football: Updated Game Line, Weather Forecast for USC-IOWA Nick Richards (Iowa Hawkeyes Football) — What?? I hope you didn’t pack that rain gear up for the year, because Saturday’s weather in Los Angeles looks horrible. Another game in steady rain? Looks like it. At kickoff, the weather forecast calls for a 100 percent chance of rain. We are talking a monsoon this weekend, with Los Angeles County under a flood watch with mudslide warnings for parts of the metro area. Some areas will receive 0.5 to 1.0 inch of rain per hour with rainfall totals in the 2-5 inch range.… Read more »
Tomorrow’s weather will definitely not be horrible by Iowa standards. Their fans traveling here this weekend might actually enjoy it.
Here are Week 12’s college football games with the biggest Playoff implications (Justin Williams/The Athletic) No. 21 Iowa (6-3) at No. 17 USC (7-2), 3:30 p.m., BTN; Line: USC -6.5 A USC win keeps its at-large CFP hopes alive — currently 20 percent, according to our model — with a potential Playoff elimination meeting at Oregon next Saturday. At 5-1 in Big Ten play, the Trojans are still looking up at Ohio State and Indiana, but a victory over Iowa would bode well for a two-loss winner of USC at Oregon on Nov. 22 to make it as an at-large,… Read more »
Who are three IOWA defensive players USC fans should watch and why? Tom Kakert, publisher of On3 IOWA site Hawkeye Report: TK: “I will start with the players up front and go with the Aaron Graves. He’s the most experience defensive tackle and is pretty explosive and can get into the backfield. In the defensive backfield the player to watch this week will probably be T.J. Hall. He’s a California native so he has a lot of family and friends who will be in the stands on Saturday. He had has a very good senior year at cornerback. Finally, at linebacker, the most active… Read more »
Iowa is #4 in Total Defense, #5 in Passing Yards Allowed, #17 in Rushing Defense. The biggest test so far for Riley and Maiava on a sloppy wet afternoon.
Do you believe that as the game actually plays out, USC will end up being hurt more than IOWA by the wet weather because of the diff in the teams styles and strengths?
I get the impression most SC fans think this to be true, whereas I think slippery balls, bad footing and other weather-related negatives can and will hurt IOWA just as much as USC. But I’m sure that’s a minority viewpoint.
Iowa has the lowest Yards Per Game of Offense of all USC opponents so far, including GaSo and MissSt. Both teams will be slowed on offense. Probably even as far as the conditions.
I often enjoy watching teams play in some bad weather, as long as it’s not ridiculous. Generally, the only thing that stops a football game is lightning.
You know my mantra by now. No excuses. For all I know, the weather will end up helping USC because of a bad error made by the Hawkeyes because of it.
This game should be insanely interesting for USC fans. We’ll really find out if we’re ready to prove that USC football can bury this label that USC under LR has physicality problems in the B1G.
Would LR dare try a trick play in these conditions? If so, what would you call?
I would try the famous puntrooskie put together by Bobby Bowden to beat CLEM in 1988. I happened to be at that game as a guest of the CLEM football program, so it stands out in my mind because of its spectacular, unexpected nature and full-on success, which happened right in front of me. I was also privileged that day to watch CLEM coach Danny Ford’s pre-game locker room speech to his team, during which he literally predicted to his team that the game would likely turn on some aspect of the kicking game because FSU had Deion Sanders on… Read more »
We will have one of the best Os (USC) against one of the best Ds (Iowa) and a mediocre D against a mediocre O. Pretty even matchup IMO.
Totally agree. This Iowa team is designed to defeat a team like SC – elite D and time consuming ball control O. The only 3 loss team rated in the CFP #25 at #21. Lost to Indiana by 5 and were one play away from defeating Oregon.
Iowa’s game plan will be simple: On offense run the ball making 1st downs, keeping the ball running out the clock scoring a field goal or TD while minimizing USC having procession of the ball. On defense, shut down the Trojan running game and forcing them to pass the ball in a very wet game looking for picks & dropped passes turning the ball back over to the Hawkeye offense. It’s what Iowa does getting the most out of less controlling the LOS and managing the game clock. If we see anything different from Iowa tomorrow, the football World will… Read more »
Jamaica, Totally agree. This sets up a very tough game. Hopefully, the SC D is able to prevent the Iowa O from controlling the clock and time of possession.
With all the talk here about the 1967 USC/UCLA football extravaganza, I decided to look around and found this very cool retrospective Sports Illustrated pre-season piece by the SI staff on the USC team, John McKay and lots of other Trojan names you will recognize. Here’s what SI thought and wrote in the 1967 pre-season about McKay’s 2nd national championship USC team. POOR JOHN MAY GET RICH WITH HIS JAVELIN DUCKERS Right in the middle of a $106 million construction master plan that is raising buildings faster than the students can lower their convertible tops, USC Football Coach John McKay… Read more »
There was also a great Dan Jenkins article in SI the week before the game. It was the cover story. I remember Jenkins pointing out the irony of where the schools were located — the rich kids’ school in South Central and the public school next to Bel-Air. Here’s a link to the cover.
https://vault.si.com/vault/1967/11/20/42960-toc
College football Week 12 oddly specific predictions: USC stumbles in trap game, Alabama surges (Manny Navarro/The Athletic) Upset alert — unranked IOWA at No. 17 USC (-6.5) Lincoln Riley’s team has a good chance of making the College Football Playoff if it wins its final three games. The Trojans enter Saturday afternoon’s game at the LA Memorial Coliseum 20-2 as a home favorite under Lincoln Riley. Iowa, though, plays excellent defense and runs well. The Hawkeyes have also won 20 games under Kirk Ferentz as a road underdog since 2003. With a trip to Oregon on the horizon for… Read more »
The day of that ‘67 game was one of the great days of my young life.
Pat Casman was a big part of that. So were O.J., Jimmy Gunn, Mike Scarpace, and, of course, Zenon Andrusyshyn.
Jimmy Gunn was brutal that day. I think he was playing hurt too, while making Gary Beban his personal punching bag. Beban was a physical wreck, but played with a lot of heart and still threw for over 300 yds. Jim Murray famously said, “If Beban wins the Heisman trophy, fill it with aspirin.” Scarpace’s recovery of Earl McCullough’s 55-yd flanker reverse fumble was an awesome hustle play too. And poor Zenon, USC’s secret weapon all day long. I don’t think UCLA fans ever forgave him. They didn’t forgive USC 6-8 DL Bill Hayhoe either, who was blocking whatever Zenon… Read more »
Gunn played most of the game on a torn ACL and he was a terror in the fourth quarter.
Beban showed a lot of moxie that day. What a beating he took.
Shout out to Bill Hayhoe, too.
After the game, my girlfriend and I went to Westwood for dinner and a movie. When the movie let out, the Sunday Herald Examiner was on the newsstands so I bought a copy I still have. Classic headline in the Sports section: “Bruins Dial Z for Zero”
That’s a crazy fun memory. I can relate, as I’m sure many other TDBers can too.
It reminds of the the wonderful old days when the massively thick Sunday LA Times and other papers had awesome, big sports sections which would feature many articles and photos that could be obsessively glossed over, seemingly for hours while drinking great coffee or bloody marys and relishing what the best sportswriters had to say about the best games.
Man, Cashman was the legend at Long Beach City College. They are right, he was liked by everyone in town.