sgvtribune
LOS ANGELES – The USC linebacking corps faced a challenge heading into Saturday's matchup against Washington, as they were without middle linebacker Desmond Stephens II, who was suspended for one game.
TaMere Robinson, one of the linebackers, said he approached the week with a proactive mindset. "I felt like, all week, I just attacked everything," Robinson said. "Whether that was getting the call from a safety, getting a call on my own, setting in the front, going to coaches, asking questions if I was unsure of something."
No. 19 USC (5-1 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) emerged victorious with a 25-21 win, and the linebacker group's performance was strong enough that three players—Robinson, Deven Bryant, and Elijah Newby—were awarded game balls. The defense tied a season-high with five sacks and totaled 48 tackles.
Robinson and Newby each recorded six tackles, tying for second-most on the team. Head coach Lincoln Riley commented on the depth developed in the linebacker room. "Whether it's somebody else getting more reps," Riley said, "or it's just the ability to just simply rotate guys to keep them fresh or using guys different from a package standpoint – we certainly look at it as a positive and feel like we know a little bit more, developed some more depth in that room than maybe we felt 10 days ago."
With the coaching staff's observations from the Washington game, there may be heightened competition for playing time at linebacker. Riley addressed Stephens' return: "Des is a good player and important part of this football team, so we view this a lot like we're coming back off of any normal game, like nothing else happened. We've seen how each group has played, and I think what we learned this week is we've got a handful of guys in there that can go out there and play really, really well."
Robinson made his first career start in place of Stephens. The senior transfer from Penn State, who has battled injuries throughout his career, made an immediate impact with four tackles in the first quarter, including a sack of Washington quarterback Demond Williams for a 5-yard loss that pushed the Huskies back to USC's 45-yard line.
Newby also contributed a strip sack late in the third quarter, which defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart recovered and returned 48 yards for a go-ahead touchdown. "The linebackers, they did great," Stewart said. "They're trusting us for sure, and we just got to trust them. And that's all it takes, is us just trusting each other, playing as one. And once we do that, we'll have great things coming."
Communicating in a White Out
USC's offensive line has protected quarterback Jayden Maiava effectively this season, allowing an average of just one sack per game. According to center Tobias Raymond, the key is communication and identifying plays. That communication will be tested in the loud environment of the White Out game when the Trojans travel to Penn State (3-2, 0-2) this weekend.
To prepare, crowd noise and songs like "Circle of Life" and "Mo Bamba" were played over the practice facility's sound system on Tuesday and Wednesday, getting all USC players, especially the offensive linemen, ready. "When Jayden gives us a call, it's all about echoing and like talking back and forth," Raymond said. "One thing really good about communication and being loud – I feel like it gives confidence to the guys around you – it builds confidence in terms of like man, we're yelling, we're getting the juices flowing, and we're on the same page."
Originally reported by sgvtribune.