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Under new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, the USC Trojans’ defense appeared completely redesigned following strong games against Utah State and LSU.

But the early-season gains made by Southern California’s defense appeared to be more of a mirage than a reality after just one Big Ten game.

Despite outgaining the Wolverines, USC lost to Michigan in week four after giving up 290 yards on the ground and 6.3 yards per carry. Of course, Lynn’s team is not helped by USC quarterback Miller Moss’ pick six, but giving up almost 300 rushing yards is undoubtedly a problem for Southern Cal.

Lincoln Riley looks pleased with his team’s performance, even though the game ended and the Trojans’ poor run defense against Michigan coach Sherrone Moore’s group was disappointing.

Riley remarked following the game, “They have good players up front, and the quarterback is athletic.” “Big plays were the thing that damaged us. They had a pick six on one of their drives, and every drive they scored on, I believe, had an incredible play.

That was the objective of the game. Probably 80–85% of the defensive snaps were won by us. However, we did lose a few of them, which means those are the mistakes you can’t make and the things we’ll need to fix. They had a few notable plays, you know. After that, there were numerous instances in which we were stuffing them in the backfield. Thus, I believe it was just a typical back-and-forth argument.”

The Trojans defense struggled to leave the field in crucial situations, apart from chunk plays, as Michigan converted three of its four fourth down attempts.

On Saturday, September 21, 2024, at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan quarterback Alex Orji (10) runs against USC defender Easton Mascarenas-Arnold (4) during the first half. / USA TODAY NETWORK / Junfu Han via Imagn Images

The Wolverines’ ability to move the chains and run the ball effectively each time they faced a downtime turnover suggests that USC’s defensive line wasn’t playing up to par.

Moore’s team completed just seven passes for 32 yards, allowing Lynn’s team to make Michigan look one-dimensional despite the Wolverines’ dominance on the ground. However, despite the Wolverines’ difficulties in the air, Kalel Mullings, Donovan Edwards, and Alex Orji launched a strong rushing attack that the Trojans were unable to neutralize.

The Southern California defense is undoubtedly a stronger bunch than what the team had in its 2023 campaign, but it still has plenty of room to grow as the season goes on. In the first week, the Trojans limited Utah State to 87 rushing yards, while LSU was only able to produce 114 yards on the ground.

Although the Wolverines’ 290-yard performance against the USC defense seems like an anomaly, the Trojans’ initial Big Ten slate includes other opponents who will try to run the ball against Lynn’s squad.

USC should be able to move past its setback to Michigan and still contend for a conference title and a College Football Playoff berth if its defense can keep opposing offenses from producing huge plays on the ground.