The 2024 USC football spring game, as it happened
It was the beginning of an era at USC football on Saturday. The Trojans moved into the Big Ten Conference, preparing for the 2024 season and trying to show they have come a long way since the end of the failed 2023 campaign. It was the first game for defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, linebacker coach Matt Entz, defensive line coach (and co-coordinator) Eric Henderson, and secondary coach Doug Belk. This USC football spring game was the first true test drive for coach Lincoln Riley’s new philosophy centered around toughness, size, physicality, defense, and the running game. We will have weeks — months — to unpack this game and look back on it, but in the immediate aftermath of the proceedings on Saturday inside the Los Angeles Coliseum, we can say the event fundamentally delivered on its promise. Here’s how the game unfolded, as shown by some of the big plays and how fans and journalists reacted to it all:
