USC Trojans' D'Anton Lynn Excited to Face Alma Mater, Penn State

13 years ago, USC Trojans defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn was a defensive back for the Penn State Nittany Lions. On Saturday, he'll coach against his alma mater. Lynn talks about areas for improvement for his defense and the excitement of facing his Alma Mater.

Jan 02, 2012; Dallas, TX, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback D'Anton Lynn (8) during the game against the Houston Cougars at Cotton Bowl Stadium. Houston won 30-14. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Last season, the USC Trojans finished the season 116th in total defense and 118th in scoring defense. Today, the Trojans currently sit at 34th in total defense and 29th in scoring defense. One of the foremost reasons for the marked improvement has been first-year defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. 

On Saturday, the USC Trojans will host the undefeated, No. 4 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions, who feature the 22nd-ranked total offense and the 33rd-ranked scoring offense. On paper, this is the best offense USC has played since the season opener against the LSU Tigers.

How are the Trojans preparing for this tall task? There’s plenty to dive into, but the main thing is focusing on the basics. Football can be complex, but at its core, it’s a simple game. For the Trojan defense, tackling is a point of emphasis this week. 

There’s no doubt this team is far better than they’ve been in the last two seasons in this aspect, but they’re coming off their worst tackling performance of the season against Minnesota. 15 missed tackles are unacceptable no matter the injuries to key players or inexperience in other positions. 

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Oct 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer (16) runs the ball for a touchdown against the USC Trojans during the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

When asked about tackling, D’Anton Lynn had this to say: “Just because you tackle good in the game, you still have to work on tackling, just because you tackle bad in a game doesn’t mean you’re a bad tackling team.”

That’s a good perspective to have, but the Trojans can’t afford another performance like that. Although they only gave you 24 points, it was a performance in which they wore down in the fourth quarter. Minnesota had only scored 10 points heading into the closing period, but the physicality seemed to drain the Trojans' defense as time went on and you saw more of those missed tackles.

The Nittany Lions star-studded running back room is arguably the best in college football and is led by Nic Singleton and Kaytron Allen. For the Trojans to have a chance, they’ll have to key in on the fundamentals and play traditional football. It’ll be a hard-nosed, grind-it-out Big Ten matchup. 

The Trojans haven’t proved they can win this type of game yet, but they have competed. USC is also 2-0 at home this year, and you can never truly quantify how much home-field advantage plays into a team’s performance. 

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January 1, 2011; Tampa, FL, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback D'Anton Lynn (8) intercepts the ball from Florida Gators quarterback Jordan Reed (11) during the first quarter of their game in the 2010 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images / Kim Klement-Imagn Images

Aside from getting back to the fundamentals, D’Anton Lynn also spoke about an interesting tidbit, coaching against his Alma Mater. Lynn was a three-time honorable mention All Big-Ten defensive back at Penn State from 2008 to 2011.

"It's exciting. I haven't got a chance to see them play in person since I played there, so it'll be cool. Two of my old teammates are on the staff, so it'll be cool to see them before and after the game." 

Seeing his former teammates will be a sweet moment for Lynn, but leaving with a victory after his defense finally puts up a performance they’re capable of would be sweeter. The Trojans will have a prime opportunity to do so on Saturday evening. 

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