USC coach D’Anton Lynn reveals the Trojans’ problem with late-game crashes

USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley and quarterback Miller Moss were the main victims of the team’s late-game failures, but defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn took responsibility for the Trojans’ inability to finish games.

“We need to be more consistent,” Lynn said. “We have to play in important moments. We did it in games, but not when we needed it. Just like in this game, there are two moments of sudden change where we just have to keep them out of the end zone. We’ve done it plenty of times this year, but when the game is at stake, we have to be able to do it.

Lynn refers to two important moments that provided momentum for Maryland in the second half. The first came in the third quarter when Moss was intercepted by Lavain Scruggs, who returned it 51 yards and put the Terrapins in the red zone. In the next game, Billy Edwards Jr. he connected with Tai Felton for a touchdown that cut USC’s lead to seven.

The Trojans scored two points again in the fourth quarter, but the Terrapins continued to defend. Roman Hemby’s 10-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion made it a six-point game. Still, USC had an opportunity to end the game with a 41-yard field goal that would have made it a nine-point game with less than two minutes remaining. The kick was blocked and returned to USC territory. A pass interference penalty on cornerback John Humphrey early in the drive helped jumpstart a Maryland drive that ended with a 3-yard touchdown run by Edwards Jr. with 53 seconds left. The decisive score capped the fourth quarter with a 15-0 run and gave the Terrapins a 29-28 victory.

There is no doubt that the Trojans’ defense has improved significantly under Lynn, but their inability to make key saves late in games has been an issue. It started in Week 4 against Michigan, when USC was trailing by four, they lost a 10-second, 89-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by Kalel Mullings with 37 seconds left. The same scenario played out against Minnesota in Week 6. After tying the score late in the fourth quarter, the Golden Gophers mounted a 12-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Max Brosmer’s 1-yard field goal with 56 seconds left.

The following week, the Trojans shut down Penn State for the first two quarters of the game, and by halftime, USC held a 14-point lead. The Nittany Lions scored touchdowns on their first two possessions of the second half, but the Trojans regained a seven-point lead late in the fourth half. Once again, the defense needed one more stop. Penn State put together a 12-play, 75-yard drive that included two fourth-down conversions to tie the game and send the game into overtime, where they took first place 33-30.

“You have to be consistent,” Lynn said. “You have to do your job throughout the game and then as a staff, starting with me, you have to make sure I am doing everything I can to make sure they are in the best position throughout the game. game.

“Every time you lose, of course you come back and there are a lot of things you would do differently. I just try to learn from the games and try to be as good as I can next week.”

USC returns to action on Friday, October 5 when it hosts the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The match is scheduled to start at 8:00 p.m. Polish time and will be broadcast on FOX television.