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USC Safety Bishop Fitzgerald Named Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week
October 14, 2025 | Football
LOS ANGELES—USC S Bishop Fitzgerald earned Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance in USC's decisive 31-13 victory over No. 15 Michigan in front of a sold out crowd in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday (Oct. 11).
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is annually presented to the best defensive player in college football. USC has not yet had a Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner, but two former players have been finalists, most recently DE Tuli Tuipulotu in 2022. LB Rey Maualuga was a finalist in 2008.
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Fitzgerald's performance against Michigan places him as the country's interception leader, and he is tied for second on USC's defense with 30 total tackles, 24 of them solo stops.Â
Fitzgerald recorded 5.0 tackles against Michigan and a key sack. With Michigan on the USC 32-yard-line in the second quarter, Fitzgerald registered a third-down sack – the first of his career – for a loss of 11 yards that took Michigan out of field goal range and forced a punt at a crucial point in the game. His 2 INTs ended two other Michigan drives.
Fitzgerald has quickly become a defensive leader for the Trojans. His 5 INTs are tied for the national lead, already the most by a Trojan since Calen Bullock in 2022, with 3 of them occurring within USC's red zone. He had a 39-yard pick-six in USC's opening 73-13 win over Missouri State.
His leadership in the secondary against Michigan helped post USC's fewest points allowed against a ranked opponent since 2016 at No. 4 Washington (13). Due in part by Fitzgerald stopping three Michigan drives, the Trojans gave up the fewest total yards against a ranked opponent since their 2023 game against Notre Dame and marked USC's largest margin of victory against a ranked opponent since 2019 when the Trojans toppled No. 23 Stanford by 25 points.
The Trojans travel to South Bend, Ind.  this weekend to challenge Notre Dame on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 4:30 p.m. PT.
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The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is annually presented to the best defensive player in college football. USC has not yet had a Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner, but two former players have been finalists, most recently DE Tuli Tuipulotu in 2022. LB Rey Maualuga was a finalist in 2008.
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Fitzgerald's performance against Michigan places him as the country's interception leader, and he is tied for second on USC's defense with 30 total tackles, 24 of them solo stops.Â
Fitzgerald recorded 5.0 tackles against Michigan and a key sack. With Michigan on the USC 32-yard-line in the second quarter, Fitzgerald registered a third-down sack – the first of his career – for a loss of 11 yards that took Michigan out of field goal range and forced a punt at a crucial point in the game. His 2 INTs ended two other Michigan drives.
Fitzgerald has quickly become a defensive leader for the Trojans. His 5 INTs are tied for the national lead, already the most by a Trojan since Calen Bullock in 2022, with 3 of them occurring within USC's red zone. He had a 39-yard pick-six in USC's opening 73-13 win over Missouri State.
His leadership in the secondary against Michigan helped post USC's fewest points allowed against a ranked opponent since 2016 at No. 4 Washington (13). Due in part by Fitzgerald stopping three Michigan drives, the Trojans gave up the fewest total yards against a ranked opponent since their 2023 game against Notre Dame and marked USC's largest margin of victory against a ranked opponent since 2019 when the Trojans toppled No. 23 Stanford by 25 points.
The Trojans travel to South Bend, Ind.  this weekend to challenge Notre Dame on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 4:30 p.m. PT.
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