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USC defense delivers surprisingly solid first-half performance as social media weighs in

Paul Harvey

By Paul Harvey

Published:

USC’s defense has been the thing of nightmares in recent seasons. The spotlight is especially bright on that side of the ball entering 2024 after Lincoln Riley overhauled the defensive coaching staff to try and turn things around.

So far, the unit has been a pleasant surprise in the season opener against LSU. It has not been flawless — Garrett Nussmeier is 20-for-24 in the passing game for the Tigers — but The Trojans have been able to get off the field in key moments.

On the very first drive of the season, USC was able to stand tall with its back to its own end zone. LSU would go for it on 4th-and-goal, but the Trojans kept the Tigers out of the end zone.

USC has also held Brian Kelly’s offense to 3-for-7 on 3rd downs entering halftime and 46 total rushing yards. There is plenty of room for improvement, but the early signs show the Trojans have made some progress on that side of the ball.

Can Riley’s team put that performance together for all 4 quarters? We’ll soon find out, but fans and media alike are pleasantly surprised by the start to the game.

Take a look at the reaction:

https://twitter.com/LoganABrown/status/1830413581181243699

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.