Notre Dame Offense Looks to Keep Rolling in Primetime: Breaking Down USC's Defense
- Brenden Duffy
- 6 days ago
- 8 min read
This season’s edition of the Notre Dame-USC rivalry will pit two top-25-ranked teams against each other in a game featuring legitimate College Football Playoff implications.
Redshirt freshman CJ Carr has the Irish offense playing at a top-25 level with help from the RB duo of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price and the receiving threats of Jordan Faison, Eli Raridon, and Malachi Fields.
USC was able to put its last-second loss at Illinois behind them last week when it handled a ranked Michigan team at the LA Coliseum. The Trojans have consistently relied on an elite offense to lead them to victory, as the defense has been fairly average for the most part.
USC Results (5-1):
73-13 vs Missouri State (W)
59-20 vs Georgia Southern (W)
33-17 at Purdue (W)
45-31 vs Michigan State (W)
32-34 at Illinois (L)
31-13 vs Michigan (W)
On defense, USC is led by second-year Defensive Coordinator D’Anton Lynn, the former UCLA DC and son of former Los Angeles Chargers Head Coach Anthony. Lynn’s defense has had its share of struggles this year, but last week was an impressive showing. Throughout this year, the Trojans’ front seven has been solid, but the secondary, minus S Bishop Fitzgerald, is where USC is getting burned consistently. Here is where the Trojans' defense ranks nationally:
21.3 points per game allowed (tied-51st)
3 rush touchdowns allowed (tied-10th)
13 pass touchdowns allowed (tied-122nd)
352.2 total yards per game allowed (62nd)
108.5 rush yards per game allowed (29th)
0 rushes of 40-plus yards allowed (tied-1st)
243.7 pass yards per game allowed (tied-101st)
4 completions of 60-plus yards allowed (tied-134th)
8 interceptions (tied-12th)
3.33 sacks per game (20 total) (tied-7th)
7.5 tackles for loss per game (45 total) (tied-12th)
60% (9/15) opponent red zone conversion percentage (2nd)
Defensive Personnel:
Interior Linemen:
Devan Thompkins - The first of two 6-5, 290-plus pound DTs is the redshirt junior. Thompkins has 19 tackles, four for a loss, three sacks, one pass breakup, and a forced fumble this season. His 0.5 sacks per game are tied-77th among FBS defenders. The junior has at least one tackle in each game, including a season-high of six against Michigan State. Thompkins recorded a season-high two sacks and a forced fumble in the win over Michigan. The all-around good DT has tallied a combined 14 tackles across the past three games. He can usually be found on the left side of the line. An impressive pass rusher, Thompkins has 15 pressures, including seven at Purdue, across 146 attempts. Against the run, he has come up with nine stops, and one of his two missed tackles came here.
Jide Abasiri - This 295-pound sophomore DT has seven tackles, 1.5 for a loss, and one sack this season. Abasiri has at least one tackle in five games, including a season-high of two against Michigan State and Michigan. The sophomore recorded his sack against Missouri State and has just one missed tackle on the year. Abasiri has seven pressures across 91 pass rushes and has been solid against the run with two stops and no misses. The DT is typically lined up on the right side, opposite of Thompkins.
Others to watch: Jahkeem Stewart, Keeshawn Silver
Edge Rushers:
Anthony Lucas - The first of three edge rushers to highlight is the 6-5, 285-pound OLB, typically found on the right side of the defense. Lucas has 13 tackles and two sacks this season. He has at least one tackle in five games, including a season-high of four last week against Michigan. The senior tallied both of his sacks against Missouri State and has just two missed tackles on the year. Lucas has been productive as a pass rusher with a team-high 16 pressures and eight QB hits on 159 tries. He notched a season-high seven pressures against Michigan State. The senior has also been good against the run with five stops and no misses. While rare, Lucas has struggled on his 17 coverage snaps with two catches for 25 yards allowed on two targets.
Braylan Shelby - This 6-5, 265-pound junior earned his first start last week after serving as a key backup in the first five games, and for good reason. Shelby leads USC with 3.5 sacks, in addition to 14 tackles, including five for a loss. The junior edge rusher’s 0.58 sacks per game are tied-67th among all FBS defenders. Shelby has at least one tackle in each game. He recorded a season-high four tackles and two sacks against Missouri State. Also, he had a nice performance against Michigan State when he finished with two tackles and 1.5 sacks. Obviously, Shelby is a good pass rusher with 15 pressures on 99 attempts. He has been solid against the run with four stops. Like Lucas, the junior has struggled in his rare coverage snaps, with two catches allowed for 33 yards on two targets.
Kameryn Crawford - The third edge rusher the Trojans will rotate in is a 6-5, 265-pound sophomore. Crawford has 16 tackles, six for a loss, 2.5 sacks, and no missed tackles this season. His one tackle for loss per game is tied 62nd among FBS defenders. The sophomore has at least one tackle in each game, including a season-high of four against Michigan State and Michigan. Crawford recorded a sack against Missouri State and Georgia Southern. The versatile OLB is a good all-around defender who started the first five games of the season before coming off the bench last week. He has been good as a pass rusher with 13 pressures on 143 attempts and against the run with eight stops. Crawford allowed a three-yard touchdown reception on his lone target of the season in coverage, but he will not drop back often.
Linebackers:
Eric Gentry - USC’s leading tackler is the 6-6, 225-pound redshirt senior. Gentry leads the Trojans with 41 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles. He has also added three sacks and a pass breakup. The senior’s 1.17 tackles for loss per game are tied-32nd among FBS defenders, and his 0.5 forced fumbles per game are tied-2nd nationally. Gentry has at least three tackles in each game. He posted a season-high 10 tackles against Georgia Southern and also added a sack. His best game came at Purdue when he finished with eight tackles and a season-high two sacks and two forced fumbles. The versatile LB also leads the team with five missed tackles. Gentry can play ILB or OLB and took a decent chunk of snaps at slot corner last week. The senior has been solid in coverage with 11 catches allowed for 89 yards on 15 targets. Against the run, the LB leads the team with 14 stops, but three of his missed tackles have occurred here. Gentry rushes the passer on about 18% of pass plays, totaling six pressures, including the three sacks, on just 32 attempts.
Desman Stephens II - The next linebacker to highlight is the all-around solid 6-3, 235-pound sophomore. Stephens has 30 tackles this season, including at least two in each game. He recorded a season-high nine tackles in the loss at Illinois. The sophomore has combined for 24 tackles across the past four games. In coverage, the interior backer has allowed seven catches for 67 yards across 10 targets. He has come up with eight stops against the run; however, all three of his missed tackles have occurred here. Stephens can be found rushing the passer on about 12% of pass plays, with two pressures across 21 attempts.
Jadyn Walker - Last week, this redshirt freshman earned his first start of the season. Walker, standing at 6-2 and 235 pounds, has 12 tackles, including two for a loss this year. The freshman has at least two tackles in four games, including a season-high of five last week against Michigan. The young LB has been pretty good all-around. In coverage, he has allowed two receptions for just two yards on three targets. He has been solid against the run with seven stops, and one of his two missed tackles has come here. Walker has recorded two pressures on 11 pass rushes while rushing the passer about 18% of pass plays.
Defensive Backs:
Bishop Fitzgerald - USC’s premier ball-hawking DB is the 5-11 NC State redshirt senior transfer. Fitzgerald has racked up 30 tackles, 1.5 for a loss, one sack, a team-high five interceptions, and one pass breakup this year. The transfer’s 0.83 interceptions per game are tied for the most among FBS defenders. He has at least four tackles in each game, including a season-high of six against Georgia Southern and at Illinois. Fitzgerald had a nice performance against Missouri State when he finished with four tackles, a pass breakup, and a 39-yard pick-six. At Purdue and then last week against Michigan, the senior recorded matching five tackle, two interception games. The talented safety can play some slot corner and has just one missed tackle this year. He has allowed nine receptions for 128 yards and two touchdowns on 14 targets. Fitzgerald has two stops against the run with no stops and two pressures on just eight pass rushes.
Kamari Ramsey - Another safety who can play some slot corner, this redshirt junior has nine tackles with no misses and one pass breakup in five games played. Ramsey missed the Trojans’ loss at Illinois due to food poisoning. The six-foot DB has at least one tackle in each game played and recorded a season-high three tackles and a pass breakup against Michigan State. Ramsey has been solid in coverage, having allowed 12 catches for 125 yards and one touchdown on 17 targets. The junior has one come up with one run stop.
Marcelles Williams - USC’s starting left-side CB is the 5-11 redshirt freshman. Williams has 18 tackles this season, including at least two tackles in five games. He racked up a season-high five tackles at Purdue and Illinois. He does have two missed tackles on the year. The solid DB has allowed 15 receptions for 186 yards on 22 targets in coverage. Williams has also come up with one stop against the run with no misses.
DeCarlos Nicholson - Opposite of Williams is the 6-3 redshirt senior CB. Nicholson has 12 tackles, one sack, an interception, and a pass breakup this season. He has at least one tackle in each game and just one miss. The senior has combined for nine tackles across the past three games, with three tackles and a sack at Illinois, followed by three tackles and a pass breakup against Michigan. Nicholson came up with his interception against Georgia Southern. The right side CB has allowed 192 yards and four touchdowns on 13 receptions across 21 targets. He has had a limited impact against the run with no stops or misses. The Notre Dame offense should scheme a few shot plays against this struggling CB.
Others to watch: Christian Pierce
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