2004 Vs. 2007

Last weekend, Pete Carroll called this year’s defense the best he’s had at USC. A little later, he said he preferred the 2004 defense for its ability to create turnovers. Another way of looking at it is looking at a couple linebackers, Matt Grootegoed and Lofa Tatupu.
Grootegoed is not the physical specimen or NFL prospect that Keith Rivers is, but he is a more instinctive football player. Tatupu is flourishing in the NFL despite not being as physically imposing as Rey Maualuga, but he also has superior instincts.
So with that in mind, we’ll take the 2004 defense too.