Lapses Get Old for USC Defense

The linebacker stands before his locker, speaking quietly, wondering about his team’s confidence.

The defensive lineman ponders all the blown assignments and says, “I wish I knew. I wish I knew.”

The defensive back shakes his head. He has nothing to say.

Of all the problems that have befallen USC this season--penalties, turnovers, missed field goals--the most puzzling are the defensive stumbles.

Not that the Trojans have played horribly. They are ranked in the top 25 in total defense, higher against the run.

But this was supposed to be a dominating squad with seniors along the line and two of the most heralded linebackers in the nation. This was supposed to be the team’s cornerstone, giving the young offense time to mature.

Instead, the Trojans have lost consecutive games in which they have been scored upon early and often. They have vacillated from playing brilliantly to looking unmotivated and ill-prepared. Veterans have suffered uncharacteristic mental lapses.

“For some reason we make a mistake here, a mistake there,” Coach Paul Hackett said. “All of a sudden we dig ourselves a hole.”

The pattern is particularly frustrating for a team that, despite finishing 6-6 last season, allowed the third-fewest yards in the conference and led the nation in take-aways.

Before training camp, middle linebacker Zeke Moreno talked about how he and his teammates were a year older and wiser and looking forward to carrying the team.

“We know our defense has to win some games,” he said. “We want that pressure.”

The only hint of trouble involved the secondary where safety David Gibson graduated and senior cornerback Antuan Simmons had surgery to remove an abdominal tumor, forcing him to redshirt.

Still, in a season-opening 29-5 victory over Penn State, the defense controlled the line of scrimmage, allowing only six rushing yards. One of the newcomers in the secondary, safety Troy Polamalu, returned an interception for a touchdown.

“A great start,” linebacker Markus Steele said. “We just kind of slacked after that.”

Against Colorado, the conference’s best rushing defense was burned for 150 yards by tailback Marcus Houston. That was caused by sloppy tackling, the coaches said, a simple matter to be addressed in practice.

Then, against San Jose State, the pass coverage faltered, giving up 256 yards.

“We started out sluggish,” safety Ifeanyi Ohalete explained. “There were a lot of breakdowns in the secondary.”

Simmons’ absence was becoming more and more significant as opposing quarterbacks targeted his replacement, the small Darrell Rideaux. The situation became worse when the other cornerback, veteran Kris Richard, was slowed by a twisted knee.

That forced the Trojans to experiment with various combinations, throwing sophomore Kevin Arbet and Chris Cash, a junior college transfer, into the mix.

But none of this seemed critical through the first three games as the defense found a way to stop the other team in the fourth quarter and the offense found a way to score the winning points.

The real weaknesses were not exposed until USC began conference play at Oregon State, falling behind 14-0, then giving up 17 points in the fourth quarter. Things got worse against Arizona last Saturday.

The coaches and players argue: Take away a play here, a play there, and the defense has performed well.

To some extent, they are right.

In the Oregon State loss, tailback Ken Simonton ran for 234 yards and three touchdowns--136 of those yards came on six runs.

“Every time,” Moreno said, “it was because one person didn’t do their job.”

The rest of the game, Simonton had a less-spectacular 98 yards on 31 carries.

The vulnerability to big plays was even more pronounced against Arizona.

On the third play from scrimmage, USC gambled with a blitz. But Steele, one of the team’s most-talented players, hesitated. Arizona quarterback Ortege Jenkins had time to hold the ball while receiver Bobby Wade beat Richard deep for a 75-yard touchdown pass play.

Not long after, Steele and Ohalete overpursued on a run around left end, leaving a seam for tailback Clarence Farmer to cut upfield and sprint 80 yards for another touchdown.

Arizona held a three-touchdown lead at the end of the first quarter despite having only three first downs.

“Every mistake we made, they wound up making a great play on us,” Steele said.

So where does the defense go from here?

When players make mistakes across the board, the onus usually falls on the coaches. Hackett has wondered aloud if he and his staff are doing something wrong.

The players, meanwhile, have consistently accepted the blame, saying they botched assignments that they had practiced over and over.

So while the team continues to tinker with the secondary, as well as reviewing the overall defensive scheme, this week will be devoted to the game’s mental side.

“We’ve got to play error-free football,” defensive coordinator Bill Young said. “We’ve just got to show our players that every play is important because you don’t know which one is going to decide the game.”

With No. 9 Oregon coming to the Coliseum on Saturday, the defense must achieve that focus in a hurry. The players must find a way to perform every down even when, as Hackett put it, “There is no question we’re a little out of sorts.”

It is hard to say why experienced players find themselves in this predicament, harder still to predict how they will react.

The secondary wasn’t talking after Saturday’s game. Moreno spoke in a way characteristic of his playing style, vowing to be more physical. The big tackle, Ennis Davis, best symbolized the team’s frustration.

“I wish I knew,” he said. “I wish I knew.”

UP NEXT

No. 9 Oregon

at USC

Saturday

12:30 p.m.

Channel 7

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