USC Football: Writer Criticizes 3 Huge Defensive Elements Of USC's Play In Week 2 Win

But should he?

Your USC Trojans pummeled the Nevada Wolf Pack this past Saturday, 66-14. But according to Scott Wolf of InsideUSC, the club has some kinks to work out, specifically on the defensive side of the pigskin.

Let's unpack the critiques.

First off, Wolf wasn't exactly a fan of the way USC's linebackers played, doling out a critical (albeit still semi-respectable) C+.

"It didn’t matter [that] the top two linebackers were out because the opponent was Nevada," Wolf observed. "This would have been a great chance for [true freshman inside LB] Tackett Curtis to get four quarters of college experience but he made a very poor tackling choice and deserved to be ejected."

Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch also came under fire from Wolf for the club's coverages in the opening half especially. Wolf awarded him a C on the night.

"This wasn’t a test of any sorts," Wolf said, again taking an opportunity to dismiss Nevada as being any kind of competitive threat. "It was a glorified exhibition. Still, Alex Grinch’s defense looked vulnerable early. I can’t believe Riley actually read a prepared statement after a 52-point victory about a player getting suspended in a game 10 months ago. He’s starting to become a bit of a whiner."

Wolf reserved special ire for the performance of the Cardinal and Gold's defensive backs, however, as that component of USC's game was assessed a team-worst D+ grade by the committee (of one).

"Domani Jackson gave up a 73-yard pass early and had another deep ball that got dropped," Wolf wrote. "Frankly, I would start [ASU transfer] Christian Roland-Wallace at cornerback but it’s probably not considered politically correct within the program. There was also a 77-yard TD. Every week is an adventure with his crew."

Although the defense hasn't quite been up to Wolf's standards through USC's first two contests, the club has still won by an average margin of 40 points, so clearly they're doing something right.

To be fair, that's mostly a credit to the team's offense, as led by reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams.