**This is a combination of notes from yesterday along with more perspective today from Riley, all on defensive topics**
The big storyline this week, to me, is the status of linebacker
Eric Gentry. We'll get another update from Lincoln Riley on Thursday morning, but if I'm reading tea leaves I'm assuming he won't be out there Saturday at Minnesota.
That's why I asked defensive coordinator
D'Anton Lynn on Wednesday what the hardest thing to replace is if Gentry is sidelined?
“The versatility. There’s – normally, when a guy’s out, you just put in his backup and you do the same stuff. You don’t really have a backup Eric," Lynn said. "There’s no one else that can do all the stuff that he does, so that’s the biggest challenge. It just makes us have to use guys a little bit different.”
I don't know if this will come to fruition, but linebacker
Mason Cobb mentioned that
Anthony Beavers has been practicing in some of the roles Gentry normally fills. Beavers has been working with the linebackers in recent weeks, moving over from the safeties.
"
[Gentry's] energy is always there, but man, we've got to put other guys in position to make that play. We've had Tone working that position and some of the guys. Not having EG out there, it's tough -- he's a big part of our defense and our fire," Cobb said.
Beavers was named one of the game captains last week vs. Wisconsin, which was notable as he only played 3 defensive snaps in the game and has only logged 11 all season (while also playing on special teams.
"Tone is a versatile guy. He’s obviously plays safety. He’s played nickel. We’re playing him at some Sam. He’s gonna play some Will. He’s kind of a guy that has the athletic ability to play a bunch of different spots. And the more he can do, the better," Lynn said. "From the day I got the job here, he’s a guy who has had a big influence on this team. The players in the locker room absolutely love him. He does everything how it’s supposed to be done."
Said
Lincoln Riley: "Beavers really has been very bought in from the beginning. He's always been a tough, physical presence for us. He's had varying roles defensively, but he's always done well when we've played him. He's been a very good special teams player for us. He's been great in the locker room, great for the mentality of the team. Just a guy like, no job too big, no job too small. I think he has the respect of everybody in this program, so we felt like he had absolutely earned being the captain and is no question one of the best leaders on this football team."
So something to keep in mind there. It doesn't sound like freshman
Desman Stephens' role would be impacted if Gentry is out, as he's exclusively been practicing as the backup middle linebacker.
“Des has been the backup Mike, so he’s really been staying in that spot. Not really trying to put too much on his plate," Lynn said.
But with
Raesjon Davis redshirting the rest of the season, the linebacker depth is thinner -- with or without Gentry -- and Lynn suggested that both S
tephens and
Elijah Newby could get some opportunities the rest of the way.
"Rae's got to do what he's got to do, whatever's best for him. EG, he's healing up well, but Desman, that's a guy you can put on the field quick," Cobb said. "He came in, was very well-rounded as a linebacker. You get guys that are young, they'll come in, their stance is all messed up, back-pedal is messed up, stuff like that. He was well-rounded for coming in early."
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Redshirt sophomore
Zion Branch saw an expanded role at safety last weekend with Akili Arnold sidelined, playing a season-high 26 defensive snaps after playing only 12 total (all vs. Utah State) to that point.
Branch flashed at times, including on a third-and-long stop at the end of the first quarter when he was setup a good 12-15 yards downfield and closed quickly to make a tackle on the sideline to limit Wisconsin to a 6-yard gain and force a punt. That was one of his two tackles on the day.
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"Physicality. He made some impressive tackles. He was communicating. He played fast," Lynn said. "For a guy that wasn't here at all in the spring, he's been in and out of camp because he had some dings, I thought he did an outstanding job. And so did
Bryson Shaw also."
Branch offered his own takeaways from his extended playing time ...
"I feel like I did good. I had some good talks with my coaches. There's always room for improvement, but I do feel like I did good and just looking to keep growing and getting better every week," he said.
The tricky part is if Arnold is back this week, what becomes of those extra snaps for Branch and Shaw? Through the first three games, the Trojans were reluctant to take either Arnold or fellow starting safety
Kamari Ramsey off the field.
"Shoot, just staying the course. That's what my coaches tell me -- just stay the course, everything going to work out how it do. Big faith in God. I was ready for the moment, did what I did," Branch said. "... I know what I can do as a player -- keep having faith in God and everything will work out."
In addition to missing the spring recovering from the season-ending knee injury from last season, Branch was sidelined again late in fall camp with a finger injury that required an unspecified procedure.
"Now that I'm back, I'm feeling the best I ever felt. So just looking to going up from here," he said. "... I definitely feel positive things coming. I'm just ready to go."
The former top-100 prospect did speak highly of playing for Lynn.
"Coach Lynn, I can't praise him enough. You can ask anybody on this defense, he's the best. I feel like he can go out here and get us in the right position, everybody trusting him, so we're ready to go," Branch said.
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It generated some conversation this week that USC's defensive line only has 1.5 sacks through four games (1 for
Braylan Shelby and 0.5 for
Devan Thompkins), though
Gentry has 2 sacks while rushing off the edge.
Both Lynn and Riley said they aren't fixated on the stat total as long as they feel they're being disruptive with pressures and getting off the field on third downs, which the Trojans indeed have been doing well.
"Edge guys, they’ve been getting better and better each week. There’s more than one way to affect the quarterback. It doesn’t have to be just sacks. It can be taking him off of his spot, compressing the pocket. So it’s something we need to get better at. But I think we’re going in the right direction," Lynn said. "I just look at it as affecting the quarterback. Obviously, you want to get as many sacks as you can. But then you also look at, OK, what are the different ways you can affect them? You can affect them with disguise. You can affect them with, again, like getting him off his spot, getting pressure in his face, getting him to flush to a certain side."
Said Riley: "Sure, would you look at it and love to see some more production there? Yeah, absolutely, and we’ve had some opportunities. But the other thing is, are you affecting the quarterback? And if you look at, certainly, how well we’ve played on third downs and look at us in general, we have been able to affect teams. And sacks are great, and obviously we want more of ‘em, but at the same time you’ve got to be affecting the quarterback. And I do think, in large part, we are doing that. But, certainly, continuing to improve in our base four-man rushes, getting home more, hitting the quarterback more, moving him off his spots, getting sacks, is something that we’ve got to continue to improve on. It’s been a big emphasis point for us.”
To that end, it's been asked on the board here whether true freshman
Kameryn Fountain might emerge as an option as the season goes on, so I posed the question to both Lynn and Riley ...
“I think Kam definitely can contribute this year. I would not put that out of the question whatsoever. He’s progressing, he’s getting a lot of good reps both with our defense and with our scout-team right now, he’s getting better fast," Riley said.
Said Lynn: "Kam Fountain has been doing great. He’s a guy that’s put on a lot of size. We’re playing him across the front. He’s been doing great."
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