After the USC defense has surrendered a ridiculous amount of points in 2023, DC Alex Grinch has been fired. Ross Dellenger was the first to report the news.
Coming into the year, USC had been highly regarded. Most thought they would compete wit LJ Washington and Oregon for the Pac-12 championship. With two losses and both schools ahead of them in the rankings. The chances of them making it are slim. They’ve already mathematically been eliminated from the College Football Playoffs. Though, they’ll make a bowl game.
Saturday nights 52-42 loss to No. 5 Washington appears to have been the last straw. USC now ranks No. 122 out of 133 FBS teams in total defense (436 yards per game) and No. 124 in scoring defense (34.5 points per game). That defense under direction of Alex Grinch doesn’t breed championship caliber.
The loss to Washington dropped USC to 7-3 overall and 4-2 in Pac-12 play. It was the Trojans’ third loss in their last four games.
Following the departure, defensive line coach Shaun Tua and inside linebackers coach Brian Odom will serve as interim co-defensive coordinators.
Grinch came with Riley when he left Oklahoma for USC. The two had visions of building a college football powerhouse. Less than two years later, that dream has come to an end. Riley has a belief that the defense will rebound and the Trojans can salvage their season.
“I have complete belief and conviction we will play great defense here,” Riley said Monday. “It is going to happen. There’s not a reason in the world why it can’t. We’ll continue to take the steps we have to do to do it and we’re going to be very aggressive that way.”
Riley fired Alec Grinch with No. 6 Oregon and California rival UCLA left on the regular season schedule.
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