USC defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn spoke with media Wednesday for the first time since his group gave up 17 receptions for 224 yards and a touchdown to Penn State tight end Tyler Warren in a 33-30 overtime loss Saturday.

Lynn gave his perspective on how the Trojans allowed one player to have such a dominant performance against them -- the most catches by an opposing player against USC ever.

"They did a good job just with the pre-snap stuff, getting our guys' eyes in spots that they shouldn't have been. That was a game where run players, you have to play run, pass players you have to play pass. And they're going to sit there and do the same stuff all game, and as soon as you don't do what you're supposed to do they're going to capitalize on it," Lynn said. "And two or three times that game, we had guys not doing what they were supposed to do and to Penn State's credit they saw it."

Lynn also addressed filling the void left by defensive end Anthony Lucas' season-ending injury, what freshman linebacker Desman Stephens II's strong performance means for his role moving forward, how defensive tackle Devan Thompkins has emerged and more.

Watch the full interview here and scroll down for a complete transcript of his comments.

What did Desman Stephens' performance do for his role moving forward?

“I mean, he just did a bunch of stuff that he’s been doing in practice. He’s gotten, from the time he got here until now, it’s night and day. So he’s just going to keep on growing, keep on developing. And he just showed that, you know, we have confidence in him in games. So he’s gonna keep on getting snaps each game. You know, each game’s gonna be a little bit different as far as how that rotation goes, but he’s definitely going to be in games.”

When did it click for Devan Thompkins?

“Yeah, well, the thing with him, he has a lot of versatility. So, with some of the injuries that we have, he’s one of those guys that, he can play on the inside but he can also play on the outside. So, with the injuries that we have, he’s kind of doing whatever we need, so he’s been doing a great job with that. I still do think that his natural position is inside, but the more he can help us outside, it’s gonna help everybody.”

With injuries, how do you feel about youth/reserves?

“I’m excited for ‘em. It’s been fun to recruit ‘em. It’s been fun to see ‘em this spring. It’s been fun to see ‘em in camp. They’ve been doing a bunch of good stuff in practice, but doing it in games is completely different, so it’s exciting.”

What made you commit to Devan as a starter?

“Just felt like, the past two or three weeks, you just saw him take strides. And just felt like, he earned it.”

How important will he be in pass-rush w/Anthony out?

“It’s going to be huge. Because again, he gives us pass-rush from the inside, but then he can also spare those guys on the outside. So he’s going to be out there a lot for us.”

What made you go with Zion next to Kamari, Akili last game?

“We played Kamari in the slot some, just because of the gameplan and some stuff that we had going on. And with that, brought an extra safety, and Zion’s a guy that, he’s been doing good in practice, he’s done good stuff in games, same thing with Bryson Shaw. So that just opened up a spot to get both those guys on the field.”

Is there a plan to continue to find ways to get Zion in there?

"There is, and again, each game's going to be a little bit different, like there's going to be some games we have that package up, some games we don't, but the games that we don't there might be a different package that gets him on the field."

How can you get more sacks?

"Just keep on emphasizing it, keep on trying to develop our pass rushers, and then on my end just keep on trying to just attack protections and affect the quarterback as best I can."

What can you learn from Tyler Warren's performance against your defense?

"Yeah, they did a good job just with the pre-snap stuff, getting our guys' eyes in spot that they shouldn't have been. That was a game where run players, you have to play run, pass players you have to play pass, and they're going to sit there and do the same stuff all game, and as soon as you don't do what you're supposed to do they're going to capitalize on it. And two or three times that game, we had guys not doing what they were supposed to do and to Penn State's credit they saw it."

What do you tell your players after a performance like that?

"Same thing. There's a lot of stuff in that game that we need to improve on and we need to get better. There's a lot of stuff in that game that we got better at. And no matter what happens, we need to learn from it and grow from it as a staff, as a team and keep on taking steps in the right direction."

How do you redistribute Anthony Lucas' snaps and how ready is Kam Fountain to maybe take on a share of them?

"You know, I don't know exactly, it's going to just depend on the flow of the game, but Kam is going to be a guy that his role is going to continue grow. Again, I don't know exactly what it's going to be this week, but he is going to get some time. He's been doing good stuff in practice. He's flashed all camp, so I'm just excited that he gets a chance to go out there and do it on actual game day now."

Is he still a little bit raw in some areas at this point?

"Very, very, but you know, all the freshmen are at this point."

Where have you seen Kam grow some?

"Just his football IQ. For him to come in here and to play a different position and to learn everything we're doing up front, it was completely different for him. Just his knowledge of the scheme and football overall."

How did you see Desman Stephens' safety experience come out on that interception?

"Oh yeah. I definitely didn’t think he would take it that far. I thought he’d be tackled immediately. So I was impressed."

Cool to see a guy take advantage of his chance like that?

"You can just tell it gave him a lot of confidence. We have confidence in him. We’ve seen him do it every day in practice. But to go out there and do it in the games is completely different. So you can just see that he knows that he can do it. So he just needs to keep on doing what he’s been doing, and his role is going to continue to improve."

Did you feel you feel you returned to form tackling-wise last week?

"We tackled better. Was it perfect? No. There’s still some stuff we can clean up with the DB’s and inside backers, but it was improved from the week before."

Do you plan to keep rotating a lot on defense and getting young guys in?

"Yeah, just with depth and keeping guys fresh, we want guys as fresh as possible at the end of games. Again, every game is going to be a little different with how you can get guys in. You want certain guys in at certain situations. But the best we can, we want to keep guys fresh, and at the same time, develop these other kids too.

With the cornerbacks struggling last week, is there a chance Marcelles Williams could get a shot at some point?

"There’s a chance that all of those guys do. I can’t exactly answer that yet."

What gives you the indication that young guys are ready to play?

"First is just trust. For all of them to come in and learn the scheme and show that OK, we can trust that they know what to do and they can go out there and communicate and execute their assignment. That’s the first step."