LOS ANGELES — USC’s pass rush is one of the best in the nation four games into the season. The No. 21 Trojans are currently in a four-way tie for the FBS lead with 16 sacks.
USC (4-0 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) will face its toughest challenge yet this season on Saturday against No. 23 Illinois (3-1, 0-1) and quarterback Luke Altmyer, who is averaging 213.75 passing yards per game.
Defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn has been preaching rushing with vision in order to keep the defense focused from game to game.
“The more you start affecting the quarterback, the more quarterbacks start to scramble and extend plays,” Lynn told reporters after practice on Wednesday. “So it’s just making sure that our pass rush, our rush lanes are good. They know who has the two-way go, who has to stay on this side, who has contain. If I go inside, who’s going to loop and wrap – it all has to be coordinated.”
Nine USC players have recorded at least one sack and defensive end Braylan Shelby has gotten to the quarterback the most with 3½ sacks for losses of 15 yards in addition to two QB hurries. He ranks second on the team in tackles for loss with five, which is just behind linebacker Eric Gentry’s seven.
Increased size on the defensive line has allowed the Trojans’ pass rush to more easily execute plays. The line’s starters and second-team players have gone from a combined average of 278 pounds last season to 300 pounds this year.
That’s helping with the run defense, too. USC has 38 total tackles for loss, which is the second-best mark in the FBS.
“I feel like our D-line is getting a lot of pressure,” linebacker Desman Stephens III said. “When they hold the line like that, it allows us ’backers to shoot the gaps and just play freely.”
INJURY UPDATES
Head coach Lincoln Riley said after practice on Wednesday that up-and-coming cornerback Prophet Brown will not return from a lower-body injury any time soon.
“His return is not in the next several weeks, but it’s progressing,” Riley told reporters. “It’s frustrating for the kid, but he’s a great kid. He’s stayed in great spirits, and it’s one of those things we definitely can’t rush.”
A medical redshirt is possible, but Riley said their focus is on getting Brown healthy before making any decisions.
Alex Graham, another cornerback, has been progressing faster than expected and Riley hinted at a timetable for his return.
“He’s got some of the size and physicality at a young age,” Riley said. “Sometimes DBs, when they come in, they need that time to develop. And he’s already got some of that which is cool. Hopefully he continues to progress. With a bye week ahead, the hope is he could be ready pretty quickly after that.”
Kamari Ramsey has been playing at nickelback to make up for the injuries in the cornerback room. But the potential return of either Brown or Graham could create shifts in the secondary.
“He just understands the defense,” Lynn said. “He can tackle, he can blitz, he has versatility in coverage – so he’s a guy we’d like to move around. With some of the injuries that we’ve had and the lack of depth in the slot, it’s just hard not to keep them in the slot right now.”