No. 16 USC’s defense faces its stiffest test of the season this weekend when the Trojans travel up to Eugene to face the nation’s top rushing offense in No. 6 Oregon. The Ducks’ ground game, which averages more yards than any other team in the country, features a dynamic trio of running backs who have combined for 21 touchdowns.
Defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn didn’t mince words about the challenge ahead.
“They have the number one rushing offense in the country, so they generate a lot of good plays,” Lynn said Wednesday. “They make you defend the entire field. It starts with their passing game, they do a great job with formations, stuff that catches your eyes, and it doesn’t matter who they have in the backfield—all of their backs have the ability to create.”
Oregon’s 9-1 overall record and 6-1 conference mark are built on the explosive plays generated by senior starting running back Noah Whittington and true freshmen Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. The Ducks’ offensive line, a Joe Moore Award semifinalist, will provide a formidable test for USC’s defensive front, including breakout freshman tackle Jahkeem Stewart.
Stewart, who recorded a momentum-shifting interception in last weekend’s victory over Iowa, remains confident in the Trojans’ preparation.
“They got a great O-line, but we’re really just focused on ourselves right now, trusting our gameplan, trusting our scheme,” Stewart said. “We also have to keep the main thing the main thing. We have the best coaching staff in America, so we’re gonna go far with that.”
Despite battling injuries since the season’s opening weeks and elevating scout team players into starting roles, USC’s defense has shown incremental improvement. Lynn emphasized that continued development through repetition remains crucial.
“It’s huge, because we play a lot of different styles of offenses and they need to understand that as best as they can,” Lynn said about the importance of having a healthy scout team.
The Trojans’ run defense has been inconsistent throughout the season. While they held No. 18 Michigan to a season-low 109 rushing yards on October 11—their best performance of the year—they haven’t replicated that dominance in subsequent weeks. USC has developed a pattern of surging in the second half, with late-game defensive stands securing victories over Northwestern and Iowa. Against Oregon’s firepower, however, slow starts could prove costly.
Lynn identified the defense’s strengths while acknowledging areas for growth.
“We play hard, we attack—we need to be more consistent and have a next play mentality,” he said. “We have to make sure we’re executing in that present moment in time, regardless of what happened the play before, or the series before, or half before. We feel very confident in that.”
As the Trojans approach each game with what Lynn calls a “one week mentality,” treating every contest like a championship, this weekend will reveal whether the lessons learned through adversity have prepared them for one of college football’s most explosive offenses.