Sports
USC out to prove its revamped defense can win a 'fistfight' against LSU
Confidence was radiating from Will Campbell as Louisiana State’s towering left tackle and future first-round pick leaned back comfortably in his chair this week, declaring in a deep bayou drawl his intentions for Sunday’s season-opening meeting with USC’s defense in Las Vegas.
“We know what we’re there for. It’s not to go to Caesars Palace,” said Campbell, the All-Southeastern Conference lineman. “It’s to be in a fistfight.”
He wasn’t hiding how it would be fought either. “We’re gon’ run the ball,” Campbell said in another interview. “That’s not something we’re … trying to keep quiet.”
This wasn’t exactly bulletin board material in the traditional sense. Even if it was presented that way to USC defenders, who responded with shrugs or sideways glances. But Campbell’s confident declaration drove home the reality of USC’s situation.
There is no warmup week this season for a new staff to work out any kinks in its new scheme. After eight months of USC taking punch after punch for its flimsy performance on defense last season, here is a heavyweight bout against one of the most physical offensive fronts in college football, a group seemingly built to exploit the issues that USC set out to fix in the offseason.
D’Anton Lynn, the man tasked with making those fixes, called it a “great test” of the Trojans’ evolution up front, where USC set out to get bigger and stronger this summer ahead of its Big Ten leap. Asked what gave him confidence as USC squares up with a seasoned LSU line that returns four starters, including Campbell, the top tackle in college football, Lynn answered plainly.
“We’re prepared,” the new coordinator said. “We’ve known what the challenge is going to be since I got the job here.”
Players and coaches had been answering the same questions for months, repeating the same refrain about how a defense that dwelled near the bottom of every statistical category last season would be decidedly different. They’ve pointed to the depth in the secondary and the apparent 1,400 pounds of mass added in their offseason training program. They’ve assured anybody who will listen that the scheme is smoother and easier to understand.
But in spite of his own confidence in the Trojans’ defensive turnaround, Jamil Muhammad knows nobody is going to be convinced until they see it for themselves.
“You gotta realize,” the senior defensive end said, “until you have another real chance to show what you’re working on or how much better you’ve gotten, what you did and what everybody saw is going to be on their minds until you change it.”
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A strong first impression Sunday would go a long way in that regard. Especially if it includes USC holding its own at the line of scrimmage, where LSU is at its best. Last season the Tigers ranked first in the nation in yards per attempt (6.18) on the ground.
“Teams from the SEC, they’re going to run the ball,” USC linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold said. “That’s inevitable. We pride ourselves as being a run-stopping defense.”
That pride was noticeably absent last season as USC slid to 119th in run defense, second worst among power conference teams. But while the Trojans hit rock bottom against the run, Lynn was leading a UCLA defense that improved from 36th to second in rushing yards given up.
What progress looks like against LSU, a team replacing more than 75% of its rushing production from a year ago, is difficult to pin down. The Tigers relied heavily last season on Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels to pile up rushing yards as he scrambled from the pocket. Without him the expectation is LSU will divvy up carries among a deep, experienced rotation that’s yet to have one lead back emerge.
Though, behind an offensive line that could be dominant, it may not matter who’s carrying the ball for LSU.
“We don’t have trouble blocking anybody,” Campbell said. “You line them up, we’ll block them.”
It’ll be up to Lynn and his retooled defense to complicate that equation up front for LSU. But as USC’s potential redemption awaits, any concerns about confidence after last season’s collapse have faded.
Asked how USC’s new defense might match up with LSU’s ferocious front, Mascarenas-Arnold didn’t hesitate to offer his own declaration, one that’s sure to be tested.
“As a defense,” Mascarenas-Arnold said, “we fear nobody.”
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An Olympic medalist and 13-time X Games winner suffered serious head injuries after a stunt went wrong.
Nyjah Huston, who won bronze in Paris in 2024, said he suffered a fractured skull and eye socket.
“A harsh reminder how death-defying skating massive rails can be…” Huston wrote in an Instagram post which included a photo of himself in a hospital bed. “Taking it one day at a time. I hope yall had a better new years then me. We live to fight another day.”
Nyjah Huston of the United States competes in the men’s street prelims during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at La Concorde 3. (Jack Gruber/USA TODAY Sports)
The post also featured Huston being treated by first responders and friends, along with another photo showing a large black-and-blue mark on Huston’s eye.
Numerous skating legends showed their support for Huston, who is considered one of the best skateboarders in the United States today.
Nyjah Huston of Team USA reacts at the Skateboarding Men’s Street Prelims on day two of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Urban Sports Park on July 25, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
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“Been watching @nyjah grow up into one of the best skaters to ever do it and it amazes me the amount of grit this kid has,” Shaun White shared on his Instagram story, via Pro Football Network. “You got this brother. Heal quick!”
Even Tony Hawk shared well-wishes on Huston’s Instagram post.
“Heavy. Stay strong; we know you’ll be back,” the skateboarding legend wrote.
“Man.. prayers for healing brother!” added Ryan Sheckler.
It is unknown whether Huston was wearing a helmet at the time of the incident.
Nyjah Huston, of the United States, celebrates during the men’s skateboard street final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 29, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Huston has seven gold medals and five silvers in world championships. He has not competed since the 2024 Olympics, but the California native has his eyes set on the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
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JuJu Watkins is returning to Sierra Canyon High on Friday, the place where she was a high school basketball All-American.
The school will hold a ceremony retiring her jersey at halftime of the boys’ basketball game between Sierra Canyon and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.
She will be presented with a framed jersey.
Watkins is sitting out this season at USC while recovering from a knee injury.
Sierra Canyon girls’ basketball coach Alicia Komaki said, “She raised our standards, which was hard to do because we had won four state championships. She was an incredibly talented player.”
Watkins was also making a huge impact in the college game until her injury last season during the NCAA playoffs.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
Sports
Miami beats Ole Miss behind Carson Beck’s game-winning touchdown to reach CFP National Championship Game
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The Miami Hurricanes are heading to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, coming away with a narrow victory over Ole Miss, 31-27, in an all-time postseason contest.
The Hurricanes will now await the winner of the other semifinal between the Indiana Hoosiers and Oregon Ducks to see who they will play on Jan. 19. But Miami will do so on their home turf, with the National Championship Game being played at Hard Rock Stadium – the site of their home games.
The game began slowly for both teams, with only Miami getting on the scoreboard in the first quarter with a field goal on their 13-play opening drive. But the fireworks came out from there for the Rebels thanks to the speed of running back Kewan Lacy.
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Charmar Brown of the Miami (FL) Hurricanes celebrates a run in the first quarter of the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at State Farm Stadium on Jan. 8, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Steve Limentani/ISI Photos)
On just the second play of the second quarter, Lacy was off to the race, finding a seam and busting out a 73-yard touchdown run to go up 7-3 after the extra point.
But this game was back and forth for quite some time, including the ensuing Hurricanes drive as quarterback Carson Beck led the way on a 15-play touchdown series with a CharMar Brown rushing score from four yards out.
The game was deadlocked at 10 apiece when Beck decided to air it out to Keelan Marion, and it was worth the risk. Marion made the grab for a 52-yard touchdown to help Miami go up 17-13 at halftime.
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The third quarter was an odd one for both squads, as their opening drives resulted in a missed field goal apiece. Then, after Beck threw an interception, the Rebels were able to cut the lead to 17-16 in favor of the Hurricanes heading into the fourth quarter for the ages.
There was no absence of electric plays when it mattered most in the final 15 minutes, as Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss got his team downfield enough to take a 19-17 lead with a field goal.
But the speed of Malachi Toney changed the scoreboard for Miami in the best way possible, as he took a screen 36 yards to the house, capping a four-play, 75-yard answer drive for the Hurricanes right after Ole Miss took the lead.
Trinidad Chambliss of the Ole Miss Rebels celebrates a touchdown against the Miami Hurricanes in the second quarter during the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the VRBO Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on Jan. 8, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
With a 24-19 lead and five minutes left to play in the game, Chambliss and the Rebels’ offense had quite enough time to retake the lead. He did just that, finding trusty tight end Dae’Quan Wright for 24 yards to send the Rebels faithful ballistic.
Ole Miss wanted to go for two in hopes of making it a three-point lead, and Chambliss came through again, finding a wide open Caleb Odom for the key score.
It was up to Beck and the Miami offense to keep the game alive with at least tying the game at 27 apiece. On a crucial third-and-10 just inside field goal range, Beck was confident with his pass to Marion to get well within range. Another pass to Marion made it first-and-goal, and it was clear Miami wasn’t trying to force overtime. They wanted to win it all.
How fitting was it that Beck, scanning the field, found a seam to his left and just sprinted for the colored paint to score the game-winner with 18 seconds left.
But things got fascinating at the end, with Ole Miss going 40 yards in just a few seconds to set up a Hail Mary for the win. Chambliss had the space to loft a pass to the end zone, and though it hit off the hand of a teammate, it landed incomplete for the Miami victory.
Carson Beck of the Miami Hurricanes passes the ball against the Ole Miss Rebels in the first quarter during the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the VRBO Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on Jan. 8, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
In the box score, Beck was 23-of-37 for 268 yards with his two passing touchdowns and an interception. Marion was a key player in the victory with seven catches for 114 yards, while Mark Fletcher Jr. set the tone in the ground game with 133 yards rushing on 22 carries. Toney also tallied 81 receiving yards for Miami.
For Ole Miss, Chambliss also went 23-of-37 for 277 yards with his touchdown to Wright, who finished with 64 yards on three grabs. De’Zhaun Stribling was five for 77 through the air, while Lacy rushed for 103 yards on 11 carries.
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