USC safety Bryson Shaw called the defensive performance in a 48-41 win over Colorado “embarrassing” and said the Trojan defense is letting down defensive coordinator Alex Grinch.

USC nearly blew a 27-point second-half lead on the road against the Buffs. Routine plays turned into huge gains because of sloppy tackling from USC. The Buffs ran the ball well for the first time all season. A week after mustering just six points, Colorado went for 564 yards and 41 points on the eighth-ranked Trojans.

After the game, Shaw said Grinch has the defense in the right spots, but the guys aren’t making plays.

“We’re letting him down,” Shaw said, per The LA Times’ Ryan Kartje. “He’s putting us in the right spots, we’re not making plays. We’re missing tackles. We’re not doing our job. I’m not doing my job. We’re letting him down.”

Colorado outscored USC 27-14 over the final 30 minutes — including 14-0 in the fourth quarter.

Wideout Omarion Miller was a particular issue for USC. He entered the game without a catch and finished with seven receptions for 196 yards and a touchdown, setting a CU freshman record in the process.

Head coach Lincoln Riley said after the game that USC’s two main issues were containment of CU quarterback Shedeur Sanders and tackling. But, asked about a defense that looked similar to last year’s, Riley pushed back on the notion that USC is suffering from the same kinds of issues.

“When something doesn’t go our way, it does not look like last year. Not to a trained eye. Not to a coach,” he said.

Grinch was a target of criticism before the game even finished, and some fans started to call for his job just as they did after the Cotton Bowl loss last season. Riley backed his coordinator, saying he still trusts Grinch.