The USC defense is one of the most aggressive in the Big Ten, with a conference-leading 16 sacks in addition to 38 tackles for loss. Recent trends in targeting calls, however, have players walking a tight rope in full pads.
“You still want to play full speed. You want to play full effort,” USC defensive end Braylan Shelby said after Saturday night’s 45-30 win over Michigan State. “Those penalties arise when we play at such a high speed and high level in a game of football. I wouldn’t say it makes this cautious at all. It’s a little iffy speaking on that. It’s just — you try to play as fast as you can in the best way you can.”
The coaching staff is preaching action on defense, and it’s gotten the now-No. 21-ranked Trojans off to a 4-0 start. Penalties aside, players are walking the line of aggression and discipline masterfully to avoid the most severe in-game penalty in college football.
Officials in Saturday’s late-night matchup were watchful of targeting and called two against the Spartans in the second quarter on back-to-back possessions. One penalty was overturned, but the other stood and ejected linebacker Jordan Hall from the game.
“I think Jordan’s play was bang-bang,” head coach Jonathan Smith told reporters after the game. “It’s college football. That was a tough one to take at first.”
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava threw a deep, 40-yard pass up the middle to Makai Lemon for a touchdown on the play after the ejection.
Hall was the team’s leading tackler and also wore the in-game helmet communication device that allows coaches to relay plays to the defense. Communication duties were handed to fellow linebacker Wayne Matthews III, who later left the game in an ambulance due to an undisclosed injury.
The sequence of events left the Spartans without their two starting linebackers.
“There’s obviously some unique scenarios even, like the ball that (tight end) Lake (McRee) caught that their really good linebacker got ejected on,” head coach Lincoln Riley told reporters after the game.
“They’re tough plays. And so we just try to educate our team as much as we can on it — obviously number one for their safety, and number two so that we can avoid those types of penalties because it’s the most extreme penalty in our game. I mean, a 15-yarder, missing a half of football, it’s a big deal.”
Michigan State’s second targeting penalty, which did not stand, came when the side of Trojans running back Waymond Jordan’s helmet hit the side of defensive back Joshua Eaton.
Elsewhere in college football on Saturday, South Carolina cornerback and punt returner Vicari Swain was given a targeting penalty when his helmet collided with the helmet of Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula, who was attempting to slide. The call was overturned.
Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton left Saturday’s game after an injury sustained when colliding with Utah linebacker Jonathan Hall. Hall was initially flagged for targeting, but the call did not stand.
Targeting is listed as a point of emphasis in the 2025 NCAA rule book. Players and coaches are advised to avoid “initiating contact against a defenseless opponent and/or with the crown of the helmet,” the rule book says.
Definitions are provided for the crown of the helmet, a defenseless player and indicators of targeting like a launch, crouch, leading with the helmet or lowering the head before contact are explained. Still, the targeting penalty is a subjective one, and one Riley is being mindful of.
“There’s a balance,” the coach said. “You have to play this game aggressive, and I’m not gonna put a team out there at USC that does not play this game aggressive.”
