College Football

Facing D'Anton Lynn, USC's offense gets a familiar test

October 7, 2026

USC’s offense will face a high-stakes challenge this weekend as the Trojans travel to Beaver Stadium to square off against Penn State’s defense, led by former USC coordinator D’Anton Lynn. The matchup carries extra weight for USC, where Lynn spent the past two seasons building the Trojans’ secondary before joining the Nittany Lions.

Head coach Lincoln Riley acknowledged Lynn’s defensive prowess, noting his ability to develop strong defensive backs and implement versatile schemes—a task that will test USC’s offensive execution after a shaky outing last week. In a 25–21 win over Washington, USC clawed back from a 21–10 deficit in the third quarter, fueled by a 48-yard fumble return touchdown from defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart after a costly Washington scoring drive.

The Trojans’ struggles against Washington’s tight end, Decker DeGraaf, stemmed from two poor tackles by safeties Kennedy Urlacher and Rock Hill IV, a sequence Riley called an outlier for a team that otherwise played with discipline. Quarterback Jayden Maiava, who played under Lynn in his first two seasons, downplayed familiarity as an advantage, while tight end Carson Tabaracci framed the Washington comeback as a testament to the team’s resilience and focus.

Wide receiver Tanook Hines, meanwhile, remains confident despite the defensive connection, though his exact words were cut off in the report.