When D’Anton Lynn inherited one of the worst defenses in college football, the expectation was that even a middling performance would make a major difference at USC. Especially when paired with one of the most electric offenses.
A year later, Lynn’s defense has made significant strides. USC leaped from 121st to 32nd in scoring defense, from 119th to 43rd in rush defense and from 119th to 65th in total defense, while the defense’s third-down conversion rate, red-zone conversion rate, missed tackles and explosive plays given up all went down considerably. But the Trojans (6-5, 4-5 Big Ten) still struggled en route to barely becoming bowl eligible.
That’s no fault of Lynn, whose defense is peaking right when it’s supposed to.
“We’re playing our best ball right now,” cornerback Greedy Vance said. “We’re communicating at a high level. We’re playing fast. We have less mental errors. And you know, we’ve just been around each other for a longer time now. So we’re more comfortable playing together.”
No. 5 Notre Dame has been playing its best ball since mid-September. No team in college football has been more dominant since the Fighting Irish were upset by Northern Illinois early in the season. Notre Dame leads the nation with a plus-301 point differential, despite having the No. 10 strength of schedule according to ESPN’s Football Power Index, and has won each of its last six games by an average margin of almost 34 points.
As Lynn sees it, Notre Dame is “the best offense that we’ve played.” Which should make for an ideal measuring stick to finish his first year as defensive coordinator.
“They’re very talented,” Lynn said. “Their offensive line is probably going to be the best offensive line we played all year. Both of their backs are very good backs. They have big tight ends. They have speed on the outside.”
Here’s what else you should watch during USC’s matchup with Notre Dame on Saturday (12:30 p.m. PST on CBS) at the Coliseum: