It's five weeks into the season for USC, and defensive coordinator Alex Grinch's frustration is starting show after seeing some of the same mistakes -- ones he believes are very correctable -- recur game after game.

Ultimately, the Trojans held Arizona State to 331 yards (which is below the defense's season average of 358.6), made obvious halftime adjustments, forced the Sun Devils into three punts and an interception on its four second-half possessions and did its part in the 42-25 win Saturday night.

But that first half was still gnawing at Grinch after the game, as USC gave up 101 rushing yards on 16 carries (6.3 per carry), a couple busts in coverage and allowed Arizona State to score two touchdowns and a field goal on its only three drives of the first half (not counting a 1-play possession before time expired).

Grinch's refreshing candor all season in assessing the defense leaves no ambiguity to what he's feeling and why. He continues to assert that the Trojans' struggles against the run mostly come down to players not executing their gap responsibilities.

While still saying it's on the staff to coach better, he also intimated the message has been drilled home repeatedly already.

"Yeah, coach better," he said. "I think we're actually pretty good coaches around here. I think we've got a good linebackers coach; I think our safeties coach (which is Grinch), I know him; I think we've got a good coordinator (also Grinch), I like the guy, he's got to coach better. D-line coach is as good as there is in the country, and on and on and on. So it's one thing if it happens once, another thing five weeks into the season. ...

"Who's got a B gap? Well, we don't design the defense that doesn't have someone there. And so we've got to do a better job either teaching it or not recommending that certain things get executed that way. So we've got to coach them better."