Simon and Garfunkel’s 1968 classic “Old Friends,” from their Bookends album, captures something that time inevitably brings to every relationship: memories of where people have been, what they have experienced together and how their paths eventually diverge.
There is something fitting about that sentiment as USC head coach Lincoln Riley and Penn State defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn prepare to reunite Saturday night at Beaver Stadium.
They won’t be sharing a park bench, reminiscing about their time together in Los Angeles.
Instead, they will stand on opposite sidelines before more than 100,000 fans, each trying to outmaneuver someone who once helped shape his football team.
For two seasons, Riley and Lynn worked together at USC, attempting to solve one of college football’s most glaring defensive problems.
Now, their shared history becomes another fascinating chapter in Penn State’s White Out.
A Partnership Born From Defensive Frustration
When Riley hired Lynn following the 2023 season, USC desperately needed defensive credibility.
Under former coordinator Alex Grinch, the Trojans had become synonymous with defensive breakdowns.
USC surrendered 34.4 points and approximately 432 yards per game in 2023, finishing among the nation’s worst Power Four defenses despite possessing an offense led by 2022 Heisman Trophy winner and eventual No. 1 NFL Draft pick in quarterback Caleb Williams.
The problem wasn’t merely statistical. USC struggled with tackling, communication and preventing explosive plays.
Riley needed someone capable of restoring discipline.
He turned to Lynn, whose defense at UCLA had demonstrated considerable improvement during the 2023 season.
The transformation at USC was immediate.
In 2024, Lynn’s first season coordinating the Trojans’ defense, USC’s scoring defense improved to 24 points per game, an improvement of more than 10 points.
The Trojans also allowed roughly 377 yards per contest, significantly reducing the explosive defensive failures that had plagued the program.
It wasn’t a finished product, but Lynn had accomplished something Riley desperately needed.
Familiarity Doesn’t Erase Respect
Asked this week about Lynn’s defense, Riley offered an assessment that reflected their shared experience.
“D’Anton is a really good coach,” Riley said. “I think he’s always done a really good job with the secondary.”
Riley specifically praised Penn State’s defensive backs, describing them as “sticky in coverage” while acknowledging Lynn’s ability to incorporate multiple defensive looks.
“He’s always been very multiple,” Riley said. “So they’re doing a good job.”
That familiarity creates an intriguing chess match.
Riley understands Lynn’s defensive philosophy, including his coverage disguises and willingness to adjust personnel.
Lynn, meanwhile, spent two seasons observing how Riley constructs offenses and attacks defensive weaknesses.
The respect is mutual, but neither coach can afford to let familiarity become predictability.
Lynn Knows the Challenge Better Than Most
Lynn understands that defending Riley requires more than identifying formations or memorizing tendencies.
“He’s tough because he doesn’t really have a playbook,” Lynn said. “He just has plays, and he’s going to do what his guys do best.”
Lynn believes Riley possesses some of the country’s most effective answers to opposing defensive schemes.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“There are times when he’ll present things, and it’s like, man, you just don’t have an answer for it,” Lynn said.
That presents a particularly difficult assignment for Penn State.
USC enters Saturday averaging 37.3 points and 467.8 yards per game, including 311.7 passing yards.
Quarterback Jayden Maiava has thrown for 1,744 yards and 15 touchdowns through six games.
Penn State counters with the Big Ten’s leading passing defense, allowing just 119.6 yards per game.
However, those impressive passing numbers disguise another troubling reality.
Northwestern rushed for 413 yards in last Friday’s 34-13 victory, exposing serious problems with Penn State’s tackling and defensive gap integrity.
Lynn didn’t attempt to minimize the performance.
“I don’t know if we won the line of scrimmage once,” Lynn admitted.
He also acknowledged reducing tackling drills during the shortened preparation week, accepting responsibility for decisions that may have contributed to the breakdown.
Now, the coach who helped rebuild USC’s defensive identity must restore confidence in his own unit.
The Memories Remain, but Saturday Belongs to the Present
There is another layer to this reunion.
Lynn was on USC’s sideline when Penn State rallied from a 20-6 halftime deficit to defeat the Trojans 33-30 in overtime during the 2024 season.
Saturday offers a different setting, different personnel and considerably different circumstances.
USC arrives 5-1, fresh off a 25-21 comeback victory over Washington.
Penn State stands 3-2, desperately searching for answers after consecutive conference defeats.
Riley sees his team’s comeback as evidence of growing resilience.
Lynn is attempting to establish that same consistency and toughness in Happy Valley.
Simon and Garfunkel’s Bookends reflect on how shared experiences become memories, even as life carries people in different directions.
For Riley and Lynn, those memories include countless meetings, defensive adjustments, difficult losses and the satisfaction of rebuilding something together.
They know each other’s tendencies. They understand each other’s philosophies.
But Saturday night, under Beaver Stadium’s White Out lights, friendship and familiarity will offer little protection.
For a few hours, two old colleagues become adversaries.
And when the final whistle sounds, another memory will join the collection they already share.
Perhaps that is the beauty of old friends.
The past connects them, with the present reminds them how far they’ve traveled.
