Penn State football faces its first major opponent of the 2026 season, facing USC at home in the White Out on Saturday night. The Week 6 contest features a 3-2 Nittany Lions team that has yet to tally its first Big Ten win alongside a 5-1 Trojans squad that's beaten Rutgers and Washington, sustaining its only loss to Oregon.
Prior to the season, USC was considered a turning point of the season for Penn State. The Trojans, Michigan Wolverines, and Washington Huskies were all ranked next to each other in the AP Preseason Poll. Now, only USC remains in the Top 25 heading into Week 6.
That doesn't mean the Nittany Lions can't use this game to turn their season around, but it will take a lot to do so considering they have yet to find an identity and play with consistency at a Big Ten level.
One thing does give them a slight advantage, and that's defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn.
Lynn came to Happy Valley after spending the last two seasons (2024-25) with the Trojans as their defensive coordinator. This, of course, has the downside of head coach Lincoln Riley understanding Lynn's defensive playcalling and style, but any advantage in preparation is important for this blue and white squad.
“He doesn’t really have a playbook,” Lynn said during media availability this week, per USC Trojans On SI. “He just has plays that his guys do best. And he has the best scheme beaters in the country if he knows what you’re in. There are times he presents things and, man, you don’t have an answer for it. You have to keep them guessing, and you have to be good with your disguises.
“I told the guys, you can’t look up the stats. They’re going to move the ball. They’re going to have plays. But you know, we need to be great on third down and in the red zone. We need to stop the run, and we can’t give them chunk plays. We have to make them drive all the way down the field.”
D'Anton Lynn reveals three keys for his defense heading into Week 6 vs. USC
Lynn's past experience working with Riley gives him a unique perspective on how this USC offense runs. He knows once the Trojans get the ball rolling, it can turn into a snowball effect that works against the Nittany Lions.
Luckily for Lynn, Penn State's defense hasn't been the primary issue throughout both Big Ten battles. Week 5 at Northwestern was bad for every Nittany Lions, but against Wisconsin, their defense kept them in the game until they finally let up. Starting off strong and holding off this Trojans offense for as long as possible are huge points of emphasis for this upcoming contest. It seems obvious, but Lynn knows how to get it done.
During practice this week, Penn State will have to prepare for the noise level that will ring throughout Beaver Stadium thanks to the White Out. The Nittany Lions will have to be on the same page quickly on defense and do so without hearing each other very well.
Penn State ranks 28th in total defense in the NCAA, giving up 1,464 total yards (4.77 per play), nine touchdowns, and 292.8 yards per game. It's allowed opponents to convert 23.4 percent of the time on third down and ranks fourth in third down conversion percentage in the country. The red zone is where things get sticky, though. The Nittany Lions have allowed opponents to score 92.3 percent of the time in this situation. Opposing offenses have had 13 red zone attempts vs. Penn State and have scored 12 of these times (touchdowns and field goals included). Six touchdowns have come from the run game and one has been a passing score.
Lynn's defense goes up against a USC offense that ranks 11th in the NCAA in third down conversion percentage (converting 52.1 percent of the time) and 17th in fourth down conversion percentage (71.4 percent). In the red zone, the Trojans aren't as efficient in comparison with the rest of the NCAA (99th with an 81.2 percentage in the red zone). They're ranked 29th overall in total offense (2,807 yards so far this season, averaging 467.8 yards per game).
It'll be an interesting matchup between these two teams, especially in late down situations and the red zone considering how they currently compare on paper. Both teams know each other and both will have to face the chaos of the White Out.
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