Tag: usc football spring game

The 2024 USC football spring game, as it happened

Here’s how the 2024 USC football spring game unfolded in the Coliseum.

It was the beginning of an era at USC football on Saturday. The Trojans moved into the Big Ten Conference, preparing for the 2024 season and trying to show they have come a long way since the end of the failed 2023 campaign. It was the first game for defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, linebacker coach Matt Entz, defensive line coach (and co-coordinator) Eric Henderson, and secondary coach Doug Belk. This USC football spring game was the first true test drive for coach Lincoln Riley’s new philosophy centered around toughness, size, physicality, defense, and the running game. We will have weeks — months — to unpack this game and look back on it, but in the immediate aftermath of the proceedings on Saturday inside the Los Angeles Coliseum, we can say the event fundamentally delivered on its promise. Here’s how the game unfolded, as shown by some of the big plays and how fans and journalists reacted to it all:

One obvious question facing the USC defense after the spring game

Yes, #USC made multiple INTs in the spring game, but does that mean the D truly improved? One question has to be asked.

There are so many questions facing the USC football defense heading into August and the season opener against San Jose State. The Trojans had very few proven and consistent players in 2022, at least in terms of guys Lincoln Riley and Alex Grinch knew would be strong every week. Tuli Tuipulotu is one, Mekhi Blackmon was another. Eric Gentry was that kind of a player in the first half of the season before his crucial injury set back the defense.

In 2023, USC needs more guys to step up at more positions. Did the USC spring game move the needle and get the Trojans closer to that fundamental goal? Maybe … but one question has to be asked before we get too optimistic around here.

It’s true that USC defenders made multiple interceptions in the spring game. A few forced fumbles were created. Multiple pass rushers got at least one sack. There was plenty to like.

Yet, this question has to be put forth: Were the good plays by the USC defense primarily the product of the fact that Caleb Williams and the first-team offense played only three plays — three total snaps! — in the game?

When Caleb was out there, USC’s offense moved three plays for a quick and easy touchdown. The defense looked lost.

When this defense goes up against Notre Dame and Washington and Oregon, will it be similarly lost? When this defense faces Sam Hartman, Michael Penix, and Bo Nix, will it hold up?

That’s the question we all have to ask ourselves.

Playing well against freshman Malachi Nelson shouldn’t be given more weight or emphasis than necessary. Let’s put it that way.

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Lincoln Riley sees considerable improvement in USC front 7 at the spring game

Lincoln Riley thinks the #USC D-line has made progress. Everyone would agree players look more physically developed.

The USC Trojans need to improve in a lot of areas on defense. Everyone knows that heading into the 2023 season. However, if you had to choose one area where the Trojans had to make an especially big leap, which position group would you pick?

It shouldn’t be a close call here. The secondary matters. The linebackers matter, too. However, the USC defensive line is clearly the most important position group on the team. If that unit holds together in the 2023 season, USC should thrive. If the Trojans can be more than a Swiss cheese-level sieve up front, their weaknesses will be minimized, not magnified.

Lincoln Riley told 247Sports he loved what he saw from his defensive front seven at the USC spring game on Saturday:

“The difference in the front seven is noticeable,” Riley said. “I think we all knew deep down that we had some holes there last year. It is what it is, right? You knew that. And even when we’re winning games and playing well defensively, at some point, this has got to be addressed. It was gonna be a focal point. No matter if we won five games last year, we won 11 or we won 15 games last year, it was gonna happen and so I’m excited about what that looks like.”

We shouldn’t think this position group has it all figured out, but players are definitely bigger and thicker than they were at this time one year ago. We will see if that translates into better performance this fall.

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The best part of the USC football spring game: No major injuries

The presence of big plays is what fans love, but the absence of a big injury is the No. 1 goal for every team’s spring game. #USC

We can debate how important it is that the USC wide receivers dropped multiple passes and were sloppy in Saturday’s spring game. We can discuss how alarming it is that the defense missed a lot of tackles in open space. We can speculate about Malachi Nelson, given the many rough edges he displayed on Saturday. We can argue about the level of quality in the secondary, given that we saw a mixture of interceptions, pass interference penalties, and insufficient coverage which was bailed out by dropped passes from receivers.

We can have real debates about a lot of topics coming out of the spring game, but on one point there should be no debate: USC achieved the No. 1 goal of every college football team in its spring game.

Yes, fans and analysts want to see progressions in various aspects of competition and player development, but the top goal for every spring game at every school is always and invariably this: no big injuries.

USC achieved that.

We remember Travis Dye getting hurt against Colorado last year. We know how much injuries affected this team: Eric Gentry, Andrew Vorhees, Romello Height, Domani Jackson, and others.

USC’s ability to avoid a key injury makes the spring game fundamentally successful — not a runaway success, but certainly a game which did not set this team back heading into August camp.

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