LOSANGELES -- Lincoln Riley built his reputation on high-powered, explosive offenses, elite quarterback play and playmakers capable of changing a game in an instant.
Two weeks into the 2026 season, however, the attention surrounding USC might be shifting to the other side of the ball.
Gary Patterson's defense isn't just complementing Riley's offense: It's stealing the show.
Sep 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans defensive coordinator Gary Patterson during the game against the Fresno State Bulldogs at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Sep 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans defensive coordinator Gary Patterson during the game against the Fresno State Bulldogs at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
USC's first-year defensive coordinator showed just how ruthless and suffocating his defense can be when clicking on all cylinders, leading a dominant effort in the Trojans' 39-0 victory over the Fresno State Bulldogs at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday night.
The first official game in the Pac-12 conference couldn't have gone much worse for the Bulldogs.
Patterson, who joined Riley's staff in January, has brought an aggressive, disciplined identity to a defense that held Fresno State to just 116 total yards, the fewest since USC allowed 91 yards against Notre Dame in 2008. Prior to the Fresno State's final drive, USC allowed four completions for 38 yards through the air and surrendered just 56 total yards on 33 plays (1.3 yards per play).
During his 22 seasons in Fort Worth, Patterson had the nation's top total defense five times and became the winningest coach in TCU history, finishing his tenure with the Horned Frogs with a 181-79 record.
Now, the 66-year-old has coached the Trojans to one of the team's finest defensive efforts in school history.
"He brings a whole lot of energy to us," USC safety Kenny Urlacher said. "He just helps us get better each and every day."
The performance marked No. 14 USC's first shutout in nearly two years and just the second occurrence since 2011. The only other shutout during Riley's tenure came in his second season with the Trojans on Sept. 7, 2024, when USC defeated Utah State 48-0 at the Coliseum.
Patterson, who is known for his signature "4-2-5" scheme — a hybrid system built on speed, disguise and discipline — had Fresno State's offense out of sync all night. USC recorded five sacks, seven tackles for loss and forced two turnovers.
No play exemplified the precision USC played with more than the final defensive stand, when Trojans defensive end Jadyn Ramos took down Fresno State quarterback Jayden Mandal on fourth-and-goal from the USC 8-yard line with less than a minute remaining, recording his second sack in as many weeks and putting the finishing touches on the defensive clinic while preserving the shutout.
"That red zone stop at the end was tremendous," Riley said. "That's something we've really been emphasizing heavily."
Perhaps the most impressive feat came from USC's ability to put four points on the board without touching the football. The Trojans recorded two safeties for the first time in the program's 138-year history. Additionally, no team recorded two safeties in 2025, and the feat had not been accomplished since Nov. 9, 2024, when Duke and UNLV each recorded two.
"I don't know that for as long as I've been a coach if we've ever had two [safeties] in a game," Riley said. "That was pretty darn cool."
Junior safety Kennedy Urlacher, the son of NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher, played a major role in helping USC dial up constant pressure.
Urlacher finished the game with two sacks, a forced fumble and a safety, the latter coming when he slammed Mandal out the back of the end zone to give USC a 16-0 lead in the second quarter.
"He's a high energy, high effort player," Riley said. "Once he turns it loose, you feel his speed and physicality on the field."
Urlacher's safety was set up by the instant pressure generated up front. Junior defensive tackle Jide Abasiri beat a double-team block up the middle on third-and-23, forcing Mandal to roll out to his right, where Urlacher was waiting to knock the Bulldog quarterback out of bounds for two points.
"It's good to see guys like KU [Kenny Urlacher] make plays," Abasiri said.
The defensive showing was especially notable after USC allowed 23 points in the fourth quarter against San José State last week. Despite that late-game lapse, the Trojans have been dominant defensively for seven of their first eight quarters this season, allowing just three total points with the starting unit on the field.
That collective execution has allowed the Trojans to play with the speed and physicality that has defined Patterson's defenses throughout his sustained career. Through two games — albeit against inferior, non-conference opponents — USC has shown the ability to pressure the quarterback, force negative plays and create turnovers while remaining disciplined on the back end.
Now, the challenge will be sustaining that standard as the Trojans march toward the heart of their schedule. For Abasiri, continuing to harass opposing offenses starts with every player executing his assignment.
"It ultimately boils down to everyone doing their job," Abasiri said.
