USC vs. Western Michigan: How the Broncos’ defense matches up

The season opener between USC vs. Western Michigan will feature a veteran-laden Bronco defense looking to create some chaos.

The first test of the season for USC’s partly-rebuilt offense will come from the Western Michigan Broncos, whose defense is designed to be an absolute nuisance.

At least, that’s what new WMU head coach Tim Lester set out to bring to the Broncos when he completed his search for a defensive coordinator.

“When you’re designing what you want your defense to look like as a head coach, you pretty much pick the defense you hated to go against the most and you say ‘that’s what I want to run,'” Lester told Cory Olsen of MLive.com.

The defense Lester hated to face, and the one he wants to run, is the attack 4-3. It is aggressive and puts the focus on penetrating into the backfield. It forces quarterbacks to rely on post-snap reads with the intention of keeping them uncomfortable.

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Lester turned to a couple familiar faces to run that defense—Tim Daoust, formerly the defensive coordinator for Ball State, and Lou Esposito, who was most recently the head coach at Davenport University.

Both Daoust and Esposito have previous ties to Western Michigan. Daoust was an assistant from 2006-09 while Esposite coached the defensive line from 2010-12.

A loaded linebacker corps

The new defensive coordinators have some veteran players to lean on as they install their system, including three senior starters at linebacker.

Critically, leading tackler and All-MAC second teamer Robert Spillane will be back for the Broncos after flirting with the possibility of transferring this spring.

Spillane has a knack for making big plays in big moments, which is exactly what Western Michigan could use from the weakside linebacker position. He forced a goal-line fumble to secure a season-opening win against Northwestern last year and grabbed the game-clinching interception in the MAC Championship game to hand the Broncos their 13th win of the year.

An all-around force in the middle, Spillane’s stat line from 2016 couldn’t be more balanced. On top of 111 tackles, he logged 10.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and three interceptions.

“I think he does a great job of playing tackle-to-tackle as well as playing good out in space,” USC head coach Clay Helton said.

SEE MORE: Clay Helton Previews USC vs. Western Michigan

Two other seniors bolster the Western Michigan defense, with strongside backer Asantay Brown and middle linebacker Caleb Bailey returning for their final campaigns.

As a converted safety, Brown took to his new position like a fish to water last year, finishing with 95 tackles. Meanwhile, Bailey has spent three years as a steady contributor.

Being able to rely on three experienced figures at linebacker could be essential for the Broncos as they don’t have the same luxury elsewhere in the front seven.

All MAC-leading 18 tackles-for-loss from seventh-round draft pick Keion Adams are gone at defensive end. So is the size and veteran presence of graduated nose tackle David Curle.

Darreus Phillips and the DBs

Last year’s Western Michigan defense excelled at generating turnovers and the Broncos welcome back three of four starters in the secondary hoping to repeat that performance in 2017.

It all starts with cornerback Darius Phillips, who Helton called “an NFL prospect.” Phillips was an All-MAC first team selection in 2016 after setting the single-season and career MAC records for interception return touchdowns.

The 5-foot-10 senior also returned a fumble, hit opponents in the backfield on four tackles-for-loss and broke up nine passes.

His mindset is simple:

“When the ball is in the air it’s mine before it’s the receiver’s,” Phillips told Olsen back in December.

With USC still figuring out their wide receiver hierarchy, facing a corner of Phillips caliber will not be an easy first outing for any of the Trojan pass catchers.

CHECK OUT: USC vs. Western Michigan, By the Numbers

Opposite Phillips, the Broncos bring some size to the table with Sam Beal, a 6-foot-1 junior who started 13 games last year. The top job is no longer his, however, as redshirt sophomore Obbie Jackson was named the starter head of the season opener.

At safety, Justin Tranquill returns but his partner in crime, Justin Ferguson, will be replaced by sophomore Davontae Ginwright, who had the advantage of filling in for Ferguson while he was injured last year.

Western Michigan can take heart in an experienced secondary with reasonable depth, but those players as a collective will have to show some marked improvement having finished last season ranked 74th in passing S&P+.

How does Tee Martin beat them?

The Broncos were not exceptional on defense in 2016, but they were better than the year before and they should be better again in 2017 with a solid group of returning starters are key positions.

The challenge for USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin is getting the Trojans into a rhythm with a slew of replacements at receiver and on the offensive line, without falling victim to WMU’s aggressive, chaos-inducing defense.

USC has some advantages though.

The first is quarterback Sam Darnold’s, whose ability to negate a pass rush is built in. Facing a turnover-seeking defense, the redshirt sophomore must find a balance by improvising when possible, but limiting risks.

Martin can help take some of the pressure off with aspects of the Trojan offense already in place.

RELATED: How the Bronco’s Offense Matches Up vs. USC

USC’s running game should be an asset. First, allowing the new-look offensive line to settle in from the start. Second, by taking advantage of a defense that ranked 94th in rushing S&P+ last year, especially while it is still sorting out the nose tackle position.

There are other ways to turn an aggressive defense against itself. The Trojans already rely on wide receiver screens and the short passing game to keep the offense ticking forward. USC also has an improved receiving option at running back in Ronald Jones II, a truly dynamic pass catcher out of the backfield like Stephen Carr, and a number of capable tight ends to add diversity to the attack.

A strong rushing component, timely screens and quick passing will be exactly what USC needs to keep control.

Projected WMU Defense

LE Antonio Balabani #58

DT Andre Turner #5

NT Nick Matich #55

RE Eric Assoua #33

WLB Robert Spillane #10

MLB Caleb Bailey #8

SLB Asantay Brown #6

CB Darius Phillips #4

FS Davontae Ginwright #9

SS Justin Tranquill #2

CB Obbie Jackson #24