"After an inconsistent start to the season for USC' s secondary, the defensive coordinator stood in front of a cadre of cameras and didn't mince words. There were too many coverage busts leading to too many big pass plays, he said. He planned to spend the bye week studying film with microscopic focus in hopes of understanding exactly what had gone wrong."
"Through five games, USC has given up 51 pass plays of 10 yards or more. That's eighth worst in the nation, equating to an average of over 10 such plays per game. And against Illinois, that propensity for allowing explosive plays came back to bite USC in a brutal loss. "The pass defense has to get better," USC coach Lincoln Riley said after the game. "It just wasn't good enough.""
USC's secondary has repeatedly allowed big pass plays and coverage busts that have persisted since 2023. Through five games in 2025, USC surrendered 51 pass plays of 10 yards or more, ranking eighth-worst nationally and averaging over 10 such plays per game. Explosive pass plays played a decisive role in a loss to Illinois. Coach Lincoln Riley acknowledged that the pass defense must improve while noting cornerback errors and expressing conditional confidence about the unit's potential. The upcoming bye and matchups with Michigan and Notre Dame will be critical tests for the secondary's response.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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