The No. 19 USC Trojans finished Week 6 with a statement win at Beaver Stadium when they beat Penn State 31-23. The victory marked the defense’s second consecutive closeout. Instead of a sack by Kameryn Crawford, it was redshirt sophomore corner Chasen Johnson with a fumble recovery for the win.
Following practice on Oct. 14, the young cornerback opened up about his big play, how the White Out crowd did not affect the defense, how the linebacker group has helped the secondary, Gary Patterson’s move to the booth and his Friday night tests, as well as how he’ll spend his free Saturday.
Chasen Johnson’s Fumble Recovery for the Win
“To be honest, I’ll say my teammates’ reaction and Coach [Trovon Reed] jumping 42 inches in the air,” Johnson said about what stood out to him during that moment. “I’ll say [Christian Pierce’s] punch-out. That was textbook. I mean, we work on that in practice so just seeing it translate in the game was great.”
Secondary’s Performance vs. Penn State
“I didn't really see the grade, but I just know we did our best on the field and we just attacked it,” Johnson said about the secondary’s performance in Week 6.
Besides the forced fumble, the secondary had a total of three pass breakups. Nittany Lions’ transfer quarterback Rocco Becht completed 21-of-32 passes for 289 yards and a touchdown – explosive plays of 35-plus yards or chain-moving, 10-plus yard plays proved to be a problem.
The White Out Crowd Being a Non-Factor
“The environment didn’t really affect us, just because Coach [Lincoln Riley] did great preparing us all throughout the week. I mean, the crowd noise, we joked about it being louder in practice than it was in the game. I appreciate Coach for having it on and on and on throughout the whole week. It was great.”
“100 percent. It's both, to be honest. I mean, the preparation comes with emphasizing it in the team meeting and holding our brother accountable on it. Yeah, the crowd noise really just comes from the preparation in practice.”
Victory Sunday
“It was nice. We started off on the wall. We got a new tradition where we place the score on the wall. It felt great.”
“It really just helps us appreciate the wins. Cause you know, there’s a lot of outside noise, so the only people that’s there on Victory Sundays is us and our team celebrating the win. Helps focus on the positive in place of the negative.”
How the Linebackers Have Helped the Secondary
“I mean, great. Them boys flying around, sideline to sideline, making plays. They take the coaching, and they translate it fast. We got an experienced group, and I’m really proud of them boys and how they’ve been playing.”
Gary Patterson’ Friday Night Film Sessions
Early in the week, defensive coordinator Gary Patterson pulled back the curtain on the defense’s preparation for the Penn State game. One of the most impactful coaching techniques Patterson has implemented is the Friday night film room tests.
“I mean, it affected me mentally and physically. Just being able to go out there and just execute, just mentally translate from the film room into the field, it helped a lot,” Johnson said about the film room tests.
“At first, with his intensity, he makes us uncomfortable. So we have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. That’s something that he emphasizes. So just being in that little room and having to depend on your teammates to make the right call, and let them know you’ll make the right call, is a good feeling.”
Gary Patterson’s Move to the Booth
Following the Oregon loss, Patterson has spent the past two games in the booth. According to the TCU legend, the move has allowed the rest of the defensive staff to do their jobs fully and has helped with faster communication.
“It really doesn't matter. I prefer anywhere. As long as we out there and we executing our job 100 percent, you know, what gets the job done,” Johnson said about the move.
“Not really. Cause at the end of the day, we got to execute our job and get our call in. Do what we gotta do on the field,” Johnson said about the difference from Patterson on the field from in the booth.
How Chasen Johnson will Spend his Bye Week
“No, I love football, so imma be watching football. I want to stay in it as much as possible,” Johnson said about staying plugged in with football during the bye. “But Coach Riley did challenge us to get with family. In the team meeting, he addressed a few things – just off the field, hold the door for somebody, little things like that. Just becoming a better person off the field, that’s something I focus on too.”
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