Prior to last week the USC Trojans' pass rush was nonexistent. Against the Washington Huskies, the Trojans had 5 sacks and, for the most part, bottled up an offense with some talent. It was a promising performance for a struggling defense. The Trojans now head into another week with a great opportunity to rush the passer against Penn State.
Gary Patterson had a lot more success last week as he was calling plays from the booth. That may be the right long-term move for USC. He schemed a lot of blitzes from the corners, and Alex Graham delivered on each blitz. Jahkeem Stewart, since returning, has made a huge impact. Luke Wafle finally got home for his first sack.
The Trojans' defense is heading into this game with a ton of confidence. Penn State's
offense has flamed out the last two weeks. Rocco Becht, in his first 2 Big Ten matchups, has been under pressure most of the time. Penn State's offensive line has been dominated. Last week, their offense could not hold up against the Northwestern Wildcats' defense. Against Wisconsin in Week 4, after a 17-0 lead in the first half, Penn State's offense got the door closed on them, getting outscored 24-3 the rest of the way.
USC Trojans deense is not the best in the conference but this is a defense that can be the best in this game and even be the big reason the Trojans win a big game on the road. If the Trojans can keep Rocco Becht under pressure like they did last week against Demond Williams they will win this football game.
On the flip side, with the offensive talent and Lincoln Riley's creativity as a play caller, the advantage goes to the Trojans' offense against Penn State's defense. I like Jayden Maiava and USC to be able to be a tougher match than Northwestern's underrated offense. In this game, USC will have the best defense on the field, and they will take care of business on the road as a result.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC defense has a great chance to have another winning week
