Opening comments:
"Great game, obviously. Iconic type game, lived up to the billing. Both teams were really good. A lot of back and forths. We talked about that with the guys last night, trying to prepare our team for what a rivalry game looks and feels like. The fact that there's going to be tons of emotion in it, there's going to be a lot of momentum swings, and you've got to be able to ride the wave, you've got to be able to stay in there. Honestly, too many examples to list of that but found ways -- obviously, a lot of highlights on all sides. But I think really the different sides of the ball kind of battling back when we weren't at our best, there's a lot of examples, not scoring the first couple drives offensively when we were moving it pretty good, Denis coming back and making some of those kicks, defensively gave up some plays but then got the three turnovers or four, whatever it was. That's a lot of turnovers. Those were the difference in the game. So yeah, pretty cool to be sitting here, get the 10th win, obviously get the chance to go to the championship game. It's obviously very, very meaningful, and this is one of the toughest things to do in football is beat a good football team on senior night at their place. It's one of the hardest things to do in football, and with all that was riding on it on top of it, for us to find a way to get it done it was a clutch performance by our team and a big-time win."
For Korey Foreman to be the one to seal it with his interception, how special was that for him and what did you say to him on the field afterward?
"Yeah, it was really cool for him. You just never know when it's going to be your moment, and he was ready. Shane made sure he had the call, and then yeah, he dropped back and made a great play on the ball. It wasn't an easy play. So, yeah, excited for Korey. He's worked hard behind the scenes, a great example of don't worry about any outside expectations or what other people think, it doesn't matter. You just keep working, improving, good things happen and he's done a good job of that."
What was the biggest different in the second half both offensively and defensively?
"Getting the turnovers were big, and I think the little surge there at the end of half was really important. We got it down there, I think we missed one after a pick, and then we pick it off again and get down there and Denis bombs the field goal. So that was a real, I think, important stretch. We got turnovers defensively, offensively we did a much better job finishing drives after the first quarter. And that was the difference in the game."
How big was Austin Jones tonight with Travis Dye out?
"He was huge, but like exactly what we expected him to be, exactly what he has been. There's not one person in that locker room surprised about the way he plays. He's worked like ... another great example of the unselfishness of this team, he comes in, they're mixing time in the beginning, we started to ride Travis a little bit more, he could have gotten down, he could have quit practicing hard -- not for one second. And there was no doubt in that locker room that he was ready."
What kind of a Heisman moment is this for Caleb?
"I just don't, having coached some guys like that in the past, one of the things that guys that win individual awards, whether it's a Heisman or a Biletnikoff or a Mackey or whatever it is, you don't focus on that. Like, we never think about that. You're just trying to win each week for your team, and those are the guys that find a way to do it. He's been one of the best players in the country this year, he's played really well, and all those things, it's got to stay about the ball. That's the most important thing, I know that's the most important thing to him and all of us. So if any of those things come to fruition, that's great, but those are kind of byproducts, right? It's not why we're here. I know I can speak for him and say that's not why he's here."
What from today reflects the growth this team has made since August?
"Being down 14-0, I think it was, and not even flinching, not even thinking about flinching. Because you build these games up in your head, and the problem becomes when you try to decide like what's going to happen before it happens. You get so excited to play, you kind of dream of like, oh, we're going to play this unbelievable game and get off to this lead. You never sit there and think, oh well, we're going to be down 14-0. But I actually told the guys last night, I was referencing to one we were in last year at the other place that all of a sudden we down like 28-7 at half. And I kind of mentally told the guys, we are capable of being down 28-7 in the first quarter. We're capable of being down. We can make a lot of great plays, we can make some mistakes too. We can have some things go our way. The team we're playing is a good team. You can't write the script first -- you've just got to be ready to respond and respond with discipline. For us to just respond like that over and over. And the other thing I would say is how many guys stepped up that maybe haven't had like a statistically a huge year tonight. Obviously, Korey there at the end. Darwin Barlow. Austin. You can go down the list. We keep talking about kind of the closeness and culture and togetherness of this team, and I think it was on full display tonight."
Special teams became a factor, what was the thought process on some of the short kickoffs?
"No, it was a part of the outcome, it always is. We made a few, obviously. Again, that field goal right at the end of half was so clutch. We had a plan to sky kick a couple of them -- I think the last one that we did we just didn't hit a good ball. We hit it about 10-15 yards shorter than where we wanted to. We did a pretty good job covering kickoffs other than that. They're dangerous. They do a really nice job in that KOR all year, so we wanted to try to get the fewest points."
In the buildup throughout the week, UCLA's players were more brash with their talk while you guys kept it more measured. Was that by design?
"Yeah, we did, but not in any response, whether they had said anything or not. That's just kind of the way we handle business. This team, where we've gone, we've kind of gone together so we wanted to keep it that way.
"Before we end too, I just want to say too, like college football on the West Coast and here in LA is alive and well, all right? And the people that were in that stadium, whether you were a UCLA fan, whether you were a USC fan, they forget nights like that. What an unbelievable experience. That's how it's got to be week. And I'm not just talking about at our place or anything like that. If you're in this area and didn't come to this game and had a chance to, boy, you missed out. Don't miss out on too many more. Make sure our fans don't miss out next week. We'll see you there. Fight On."
"Great game, obviously. Iconic type game, lived up to the billing. Both teams were really good. A lot of back and forths. We talked about that with the guys last night, trying to prepare our team for what a rivalry game looks and feels like. The fact that there's going to be tons of emotion in it, there's going to be a lot of momentum swings, and you've got to be able to ride the wave, you've got to be able to stay in there. Honestly, too many examples to list of that but found ways -- obviously, a lot of highlights on all sides. But I think really the different sides of the ball kind of battling back when we weren't at our best, there's a lot of examples, not scoring the first couple drives offensively when we were moving it pretty good, Denis coming back and making some of those kicks, defensively gave up some plays but then got the three turnovers or four, whatever it was. That's a lot of turnovers. Those were the difference in the game. So yeah, pretty cool to be sitting here, get the 10th win, obviously get the chance to go to the championship game. It's obviously very, very meaningful, and this is one of the toughest things to do in football is beat a good football team on senior night at their place. It's one of the hardest things to do in football, and with all that was riding on it on top of it, for us to find a way to get it done it was a clutch performance by our team and a big-time win."
For Korey Foreman to be the one to seal it with his interception, how special was that for him and what did you say to him on the field afterward?
"Yeah, it was really cool for him. You just never know when it's going to be your moment, and he was ready. Shane made sure he had the call, and then yeah, he dropped back and made a great play on the ball. It wasn't an easy play. So, yeah, excited for Korey. He's worked hard behind the scenes, a great example of don't worry about any outside expectations or what other people think, it doesn't matter. You just keep working, improving, good things happen and he's done a good job of that."
What was the biggest different in the second half both offensively and defensively?
"Getting the turnovers were big, and I think the little surge there at the end of half was really important. We got it down there, I think we missed one after a pick, and then we pick it off again and get down there and Denis bombs the field goal. So that was a real, I think, important stretch. We got turnovers defensively, offensively we did a much better job finishing drives after the first quarter. And that was the difference in the game."
How big was Austin Jones tonight with Travis Dye out?
"He was huge, but like exactly what we expected him to be, exactly what he has been. There's not one person in that locker room surprised about the way he plays. He's worked like ... another great example of the unselfishness of this team, he comes in, they're mixing time in the beginning, we started to ride Travis a little bit more, he could have gotten down, he could have quit practicing hard -- not for one second. And there was no doubt in that locker room that he was ready."
What kind of a Heisman moment is this for Caleb?
"I just don't, having coached some guys like that in the past, one of the things that guys that win individual awards, whether it's a Heisman or a Biletnikoff or a Mackey or whatever it is, you don't focus on that. Like, we never think about that. You're just trying to win each week for your team, and those are the guys that find a way to do it. He's been one of the best players in the country this year, he's played really well, and all those things, it's got to stay about the ball. That's the most important thing, I know that's the most important thing to him and all of us. So if any of those things come to fruition, that's great, but those are kind of byproducts, right? It's not why we're here. I know I can speak for him and say that's not why he's here."
What from today reflects the growth this team has made since August?
"Being down 14-0, I think it was, and not even flinching, not even thinking about flinching. Because you build these games up in your head, and the problem becomes when you try to decide like what's going to happen before it happens. You get so excited to play, you kind of dream of like, oh, we're going to play this unbelievable game and get off to this lead. You never sit there and think, oh well, we're going to be down 14-0. But I actually told the guys last night, I was referencing to one we were in last year at the other place that all of a sudden we down like 28-7 at half. And I kind of mentally told the guys, we are capable of being down 28-7 in the first quarter. We're capable of being down. We can make a lot of great plays, we can make some mistakes too. We can have some things go our way. The team we're playing is a good team. You can't write the script first -- you've just got to be ready to respond and respond with discipline. For us to just respond like that over and over. And the other thing I would say is how many guys stepped up that maybe haven't had like a statistically a huge year tonight. Obviously, Korey there at the end. Darwin Barlow. Austin. You can go down the list. We keep talking about kind of the closeness and culture and togetherness of this team, and I think it was on full display tonight."
Special teams became a factor, what was the thought process on some of the short kickoffs?
"No, it was a part of the outcome, it always is. We made a few, obviously. Again, that field goal right at the end of half was so clutch. We had a plan to sky kick a couple of them -- I think the last one that we did we just didn't hit a good ball. We hit it about 10-15 yards shorter than where we wanted to. We did a pretty good job covering kickoffs other than that. They're dangerous. They do a really nice job in that KOR all year, so we wanted to try to get the fewest points."
In the buildup throughout the week, UCLA's players were more brash with their talk while you guys kept it more measured. Was that by design?
"Yeah, we did, but not in any response, whether they had said anything or not. That's just kind of the way we handle business. This team, where we've gone, we've kind of gone together so we wanted to keep it that way.
"Before we end too, I just want to say too, like college football on the West Coast and here in LA is alive and well, all right? And the people that were in that stadium, whether you were a UCLA fan, whether you were a USC fan, they forget nights like that. What an unbelievable experience. That's how it's got to be week. And I'm not just talking about at our place or anything like that. If you're in this area and didn't come to this game and had a chance to, boy, you missed out. Don't miss out on too many more. Make sure our fans don't miss out next week. We'll see you there. Fight On."
