A USC fan makes the victory sign as the sun sets during a college football game against the Michigan Wolverines at the Los Angeles Coliseum on October 11, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.Adrian MedinaThu, November 27, 2025 at 6:40 AM UTC·3 min readLOS ANGELES, CA -- Going into the 2025 season, the USC Trojans' defensive line would be one to look forward to, as players such as Kameryn Crawford, Jahkeem Stewart, Eric Gentry, and Bishop Fitzgerald, to name a few, have put the Trojans' defense on another spectrum compared to the 2024 Trojans defensive line. Despite the highs the USC defensive line has showcased this season, there has also been a plentiful display of miscommunication and miscues that have subsequently cost the Trojans a handful of games, but each of those has been a learning experience in its own right, according to defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn.
"There's been a lot of good, but there's also been losses that we've had to grow from," Coach Lynn said in what he takes from the three losses that USC has suffered thus far, with one week left in the season. "In a way, it's brought the team and defense closer, but, as I said, we have to be more consistent."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHeading into the final week of the 2025 season, the Trojans find themselves with an 8-3 record, with their three losses coming from Illinois, Notre Dame, and, most recently, Oregon, which destroyed any chance USC had to secure a potential spot at the College Football Playoffs. Each of USC's wins has showcased how dominant the defense can be when they all start from kickoff on the same page, but the losses have mattered more, especially from a teaching standpoint.
With each loss, it has become more of a teaching moment for coach Lynn on how to better navigate a defensive line that has its spurts of youth and players who have extensive college experience. Alongside that, coach Lynn has learned plenty this season, as he mentioned after Wednesday's practice, more so that he states that he's been a better teacher all around in every facet as the season progressed.
He then goes on to say that every year, he should be able to develop his teaching methods more efficiently, and feels that he's done that by installing better ways of preparation for his defensive line, whether it be through walkthroughs, the meeting room, or onto the field.
With the Victory Bell game against UCLA scheduled for Saturday, coach Lynn says that they have a great opportunity to create negative plays against this Bruins offense, but on the opposite side of the spectrum, they also run the risk of giving up big plays with UCLA's quarterback Nico Iamaleava at the helm.
AdvertisementAdvertisement
