USC's Five-Game Report Card (Part II)

Heading into USC's "bye week," let's take a look at how Southern Cal has done so far.

You can check out Part I of the report card HERE.

Defensive Line: A

It would be naive of me to say that this could be one of the greatest defensive fronts that the Trojans have ever had. That being said, the defensive line for the Trojans has exceeded expectations much like their fellow linebackers.

Despite losing arguably their best defensive lineman, end Armond Armstead, in training camp, the Trojans' defensive line has anchored a crew that ranks fifth nationally in not only rushing defense but also total defense.

Redshirt freshman Nick Perry has helped terrorize opposing quarterbacks for much of the season, notching six sacks to date, which leads all Pac-10 players. The interesting thing about Perry is the fact that he is not even one of the two starters at defensive end.

Junior Everson Griffen and redshirt freshman Wes Horton have both produced well since assuming the starting jobs.

Sophomore Jurrell Casey and junior Christian Tupou have slid right into the starting tackle positions and have provided a stout presence for much of the field.

Let's not forget about senior Averell Spicer, a defensive tackle, who continually spells the starters and does not miss a beat.

Then there is true freshman defensive end Devon Kennard, one of the most highly touted pass rushers to come out of high school this past year. Kennard has already shown flashes of what he can bring to the field in his limited appearances this season. It is scary to think how good Kennard could be in one to two years.

Simply put, football is for the most part a battle of the trenches, and luckily for the Trojans, they have one of the best defensive fronts in all of college football. This defensive line should continue to develop and be a force for the next few years since it is a very young group. This grade is about as easy an A as they come.

Linebacker: A

One would think that losing your top four guys at a position would dramatically hurt the team—think again. Chris Galippo, Michael Morgan, and Malcolm Smith have all stepped up and exceeded expectations in replacing a talented group including Brian Cushing, Clay Matthews, Rey Maualuga, and Kaluka Maiava.

What was supposed to be a weakness for the Trojans has become one of their strongest attributes as the trio of Galippo, Morgan, and Smith brings a level of athleticism to the linebacker position that is unrivaled.

Take Michael Morgan, for instance—the junior elder statesman of the "new-look" linebacking corps allegedly runs a 4.3-second 40-yard dash.

Having such incredible speed at the position has allowed the Trojans' linebackers to hone in on the opposing team's marquee player, effectively shutting him down. Just ask Cal's Kevin Riley what he thought about the USC linebackers after being chased around for most of last Saturday. I'm sure he will tell you it was quite the cardio workout.

Chris Galippo has overcome injury to lead the Trojans in tackles with 32. He has also added contributions in USC's pursuit of the quarterback, notching one-and-a-half sacks and one interception as well as forcing one fumble.

Michael Morgan is third on the team in tackles with 25, but he leads the teams with 9.5 tackles for a loss. Throw in his three sacks, and Morgan is slowly putting together an All-American season.

While Malcolm Smith has been sidelined with injury this season, when he is on the field, he is all over the field. It seems as though he pops up in every play, making some tackle or corralling some running back. When Smith was forced out due to injury, both Luthur Brown and Jarvis Jones did not miss a beat filling in for the banged-up Smith.

Secondary: A-

Rounding out the defense is a Trojans secondary that has helped this defensive unit earn straight A's across the board. I struggled with giving the secondary an A- compared to an A, but I felt as though there is always room for improvement, and with the secondary, I don't think we've seen the best of things to come.

The defensive secondary is led by arguably the best player on the entire USC football team, All-American safety Taylor Mays. He is a beast on the field, possessing lethal size and speed at the safety position. Even though he missed a game due to injury, Mays is second on the team with 28 total tackles.

Just his presence on the football field alone is enough to make opposing offensive coordinators cringe and have to plan their game around the dynamic Mays.

Josh Pinkard, who received a sixth year of eligibility after suffering two season-ending knee injuries, switched from safety to cornerback earlier in the year to help the Trojans after Shareece Wright did not make the grade(s). For the season, Pinkard has not missed a beat at cornerback and has done a great job disrupting passes with his agility and large frame.

Senior Kevin Thomas has started at the other corner position for the Trojans and has had a solid season so far, and Drew McAllister proved his worth with an admirable performance filling in for Mays for one game.

The Trojans secondary has been solid, if not good; however, as I said before, there is some room for improvement. I expect with the return of some key players from injury, plus the development of the defensive front seven, USC's secondary will have all the opportunity in the world to make big plays the rest of the season.

Stay tuned for USC's five-game report card (Part III).