D’Anton Lynn Prepares Penn State Defense for Familiar Challenge Against USC

Penn State’s defense will likely face its toughest task yet against a high-powered USC offense on Saturday inside Beaver Stadium.

Defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn is preparing to face off against his former boss in USC head coach in Lincoln Riley, who calls the offensive plays for the Trojans. Lynn coordinated USC’s defense from 2024-25, building familiarity with Riley’s tendencies which may prove advantageous when the two meet.

It won’t be Lynn’s first time going against Riley from the opposite sideline. He served as the defensive coordinator at UCLA in 2023, when he led the No. 14 scoring defense nationally and stymied the Trojans in a 38-20 win. His performance did enough to earn a job offer from Riley that offseason.

On Tuesday afternoon, Lynn spoke to members of the media to describe what he’s expecting from his former colleague.

“You know he’s tough because he doesn’t really have a playbook,” Lynn said. “He just has plays, and he’s going to do what his guys do best.”

What the Trojans have done best this year is pass the ball, averaging 311.7 air yards per game. That sets up a battle of strengths, as the Nittany Lion secondary has allowed just 119.6 passing yards per game, which ranks third nationally and best in the Big Ten.

That group will be tested against former three-star quarterback Jayden Maiava, who’s been elite this season, spreading the ball around to a plethora of playmakers. Seven USC pass-catchers have eclipsed 100 yards this season.

“Just from when we played them, my first year at UCLA, you know, it’s a game where I told the guys, you can’t look up at the stats,” Lynn said. “You know, they’re gonna move the ball. They’re gonna have plays. We need to be great on third down. We need to be great in the red zone, and we need to stop the run. And then don’t give them a chunk plays. Make them drive all the way down the field.”

Having faced Riley’s scheme on both sides of the matchup, Lynn understands the razor-thin margin for error when facing Trojan playmakers. If Penn State can limit explosive downfield gains and force USC into long, methodical drives, Lynn’s unit will have a strong path to leaning on its elite pass defense and securing a signature victory in the White Out.