USC vs. Notre Dame: D’Anton Lynn’s defense faces its toughest test

When D’Anton Lynn inherited one of the worst defenses in college football, the expectation was that even an average performance would make a big difference at USC. Especially when paired with one of the most electric offenses.

A year later, Lynn’s defense has made significant strides. USC jumped from 121st to 32nd in scoring defense, from 119th to 43rd in rush defense and from 119th to 65th in total defense, while the defense’s third-down conversion rate, red-zone conversion rate, missed tackles and explosive games that were abandoned all went together. significantly down. But the Trojans (6-5, 4-5 Big Ten) still struggled on their way to barely being bowl-eligible.

It’s not Lynn’s fault, whose defense peaks right when it’s supposed to.

“We’re playing our best ball right now,” cornerback Greedy Vance said. “We communicate at a high level. We play fast. We have less mental mistakes. And you know, we’ve just been around each other longer now. So we’re more comfortable playing together.”

No. 5 Notre Dame has played its best ball since mid-September. No team in college football has been more dominant since the Fighting Irish were upset by Northern Illinois early in the season. Notre Dame leads the nation with a plus-301 point differential, despite having the No. 10 strength of schedule according to ESPN’s Football Power Index, and has won each of its last six games by an average margin of nearly 34 points.

As Lynn sees it, Notre Dame is “the best offense we’ve played.” Which should be an ideal yardstick to end his first year as a defensive coordinator.

“They are very talented,” Lynn said. “Their offensive line will probably be the best offensive line we’ve played all year. Both of their backs are very good backs. They’ve got big tight ends. They’ve got speed on the outside.”

Here’s what else to watch during USC’s matchup with Notre Dame on Saturday (12:30 p.m. PST on CBS) at the Coliseum: