LOS ANGELES — The prayers of the USC fans have been answered, as the program has relieved Defensive Coordinator Alex Grinch of his duties.
As stated many times, Grinch is a great guy, always open and kind to the media, but his production on the field has been very costly to the title aspirations for the USC program. Going through every game in his tenure, dating back to his first season in Southern California last season, Alex Grinch’s defense has cost USC countless games. In this season alone, had they made a stand against Utah and held Washington to at least 150 yards rushing, let alone 250-plus, Grinch would have a job, and USC would be in the mix for a National title shot. The USC defense was a bottom-15 unit in the Nation in rushing yards allowed, surrendering 186.5 yards on the ground per game.
The league average passing yards allowed per game is 209. The Trojans give up 232 per game. Considering they’ve played the backup QBs for Utah and ASU, this stat is uninspiring. Every time the defense needed to bend, not break, they broke. The Trojan defense ranked 119th in yards given up per play. Maybe the most deleterious stat to the season, USC allowed opponents to convert 3rd-downs at a 40% clip, which ranked 79th in the Nation.
The real shame of the situation is the talent on the roster. The Trojan faithful will look up on Sundays over the seasons to come and see some of the players on this year’s defense making an impact in the pros. Bullock, Muhammad, and Byrd are surefire pros. It’s a shame to waste this level of talent. Maybe the most ironic moment was the moment USC announced the firing of Alex Grinch. They gained a commitment from CB Madden Riordan.
It’s a somber day, as no one wants to see someone lose their job. But if we’re calling it how it is, the Trojans should’ve fired him after back-to-back brutal showings against Utah and Tulane to end last season. Hopefully, Lincoln can bring in real talent at the DC spot as they head to the Big10, a conference that breeds superb offensive linemen.
