A month ago, USC was still searching for answers on defense. On Saturday, it found something more valuable: momentum.
Last week’s 21–17 win over Nebraska seemed more than a victory, but a glimpse of what the Trojans’ defense could become under defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. Now, with Northwestern coming to the Coliseum this week for Friday night lights on FOX, Lynn’s unit is trying to turn that breakthrough into a lasting identity.
Lynn arrived from UCLA in Dec. 2023 after transforming the Bruins’ defense from No. 87 to No. 11 nationally in one year. In USC’s win over Nebraska, his defensive approach was on full display.
The defense held the Cornhuskers to just 286 yards of total offense, including only 106 in the second half. After halftime, USC allowed only three points and 3.4 yards per play.
Before the stat sheet filled up, what stood out to Lynn was how his players handled the game’s swings.
“It was good to see the guys respond,” Lynn said. “We knew what type of game it was going to be … up and down. Our biggest thing was just move on to the next play and play our style of ball all game.”
Defensive ends, senior Anthony Lucas and sophomore Kameryn Crawford, combined for one of the biggest plays of the game, forcing a fumble from Nebraska sophomore quarterback Dylan Raiola at the USC 33-yard line midway through the third quarter to kill a drive.
“We’re just trying to knock the line of scrimmage back at least two yards before we even make a play,” Lucas said. “Coach Lynn preaches that … for the edges, it’s about setting the edge and coming back inside to help.”
Along with the forced fumble, Lucas finished with four solo tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Behind them, USC’s linebackers continued to anchor the defense with discipline and versatility. Sophomore linebacker Desman Stephens II led the team with 10 tackles, while redshirt senior Eric Gentry added eight tackles and a forced fumble, continuing the play that’s earned him some national attention.
Former Heisman Trophy winner and FOX Sports analyst Robert Griffin III called Gentry “the best linebacker in the country right now,” while also praising USC’s front seven saying, “The bodies they have up front — these are the type of players that can help them compete for national championships the next few years.”
This week, Coach Lynn echoed that confidence in Gentry.
“He’s played Sam, Will and Mike for us, we can even move him to the edge,” Lynn said. “He’s a very smart football player who understands all those spots and when you have a guy like that, it helps us a lot on defense.”
The Trojans’ defense isn’t just thriving in the trenches. Their secondary has turned into one of the nation’s most opportunistic groups, led by redshirt senior safety Bishop Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald, a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist, leads the country with five interceptions — three of them inside USC’s red zone. His 40 total tackles (28 solo) and five picks mark the best season by a Trojan defensive back since Calen Bullock in 2022.
Alongside him, redshirt junior Kamari Ramsey has become a steady presence in coverage and an aggressive tackler in open space.
“When you turn on the tape, you can tell everyone’s on the same page,” Ramsey said. “People are talking before the snap, signaling, just doing their job. That was the main thing.”
Fitzgerald said the chemistry between units has been key to the defense’s rise. “It starts with the corners,” he said. “When the corners have a great game, it opens up the playbook. Coach Lynn can call whatever he wants … the D-line sped up every quarterback, and that helped us play fast.”
With four games left and a playoff push still in reach, consistency remains the test for USC this week. Northwestern may not be the Trojans’ toughest opponent on paper, but it presents a new test in physicality and rhythm.
“They’re probably going to be the best offensive line we’ve played all year,” Lynn said. “They’re physical, experienced, and play well together.”
Still, there’s a quiet confidence around the defense this week.
“We had a shakier start to the season,” Fitzgerald said. “We’re staying consistent and keeping our heads down. Each week we’re growing in confidence, and that’s allowing us to play faster.”
For the first time all season USC’s defenders aren’t talking about what they need to become, but starting to sound like they already know who they are.
With four games left in the 2025 season, including a trip to No. 6 Oregon, USC’s defense finally has something it can lean on — an identity.