Lincoln Riley rejected the premise of the question Saturday night, that there was some built-in expectation that it would be an extended process to fix a USC defense that posted the worst season averages in program history last year.
Granted, much of that defense is no longer around, but still, most outside the program thought it realistic that a dramatic defensive turnaround would not happen immediately, if even at all during this first season.
"Yeah, we didn't expect it to be a process," Riley said after the Trojans defense blanked another opponent after halftime on the way to a 30-14 win over Washington State on Saturday. "I can't speak for the outside, but we've been a part of turning it around before, we've seen it happen. We know it's not easy by any stretch -- it's really hard -- but we know what it looks like when it happens and we know what it takes to happen.
"I think our guys are seeing that when they follow those steps and they respond to us continually challenging and pushing them, they're going to be more prepared to go play and more prepared like tonight when a couple things don't go your way or you're missing a few key guys."
Indeed, USC was without starting linebacker Shane Lee and then lost star safety Calen Bullock to a targeting penalty early in the second quarter.
Washington State immediate attacked Bullock's inexperienced backup, redshirt freshman Anthony Beavers, with a deep shot that resulted in a 45-yard reception down to the USC 4-yard line. (And if it hadn't been caught, Beavers had also been flagged for pass interference). Two plays later the Cougars scored to take a 14-10 lead as momentum seemed to be shifting in that pivotal Pac-12 showdown.
But the Trojans' defense, even down two of its most important starters, didn't allow another point the rest of the game.
Washington State, which came into the Coliseum with a 4-1 record and had averaged 35.7 points and 428.3 yards over its previous three games, managed just 135 yards over its scoreless final two quarters. The Cougars' 14 points were a season-low and their 316 total offensive yards were their second-fewest so far.
