Highlights from our interviews leading up to the UCLA game ...
Tee Martin
--On whether Deontay Burnett and Jalen Greene have played less because of a numbers game at receiver
"We’re doing what we have to do to win games."
--On whether USC needs more playmaking from its receivers
"We got to do whatever we got to do to win the game. That’s all we got to do. However that is, whoever that is, whatever it’s going to take to win the game."
--On what it’s going to take against UCLA to win the game
"Execute and play disciplined."
--On when he feels the last time USC executed well
"We did Saturday, at times. At the times where we didn’t we didn’t move the chains and we had to punt. It’s been the story pretty much all season. We’ve been our own enemies, whether it’s been penalties, a few dropped balls. But when we’re not doing those things, we’re going down the field on pretty much anybody."
--On whether Oregon was doing something different with JuJu Smith-Schuster or if he was just hurt
"I wouldn’t say he was hurt. He rolled his ankle but he came back a few plays later. He played through it. They did a good job of putting their players in position to make plays and executed. I think it all came down to that. They had a plan on both sides of the ball, they executed the plan. We didn’t do it so much."
--On attacking prevent defenses in third-and-long situations
"There’s not a whole lot you can do when they’re dropping eight and you have four. It's just a numbers game. You don’t want to turn the ball over and force it in holes that aren’t there. You check it down or try to get it to someone who you think can catch it in front of them and run for the first down. There’s not a lot a lot of plays you can call to defeat drop eight, or them having more guys back there than you. There’s not much really that you can do."
Cody Kessler
--On the keys to beating UCLA
"Protecting the football, making our plays. We know they have a very efficient offense. We’re going to have to keep up with them, unlike we did last week with Oregon. We have to help our defense out and put some points up. We had some penalties and didn’t finish drives. This week is important for us to finish in the end zone. It may sound so simple but three points can hurt you a lot more than getting six. We notice that, especially playing a team like UCLA. We got to finish."
--On what he took away from the Oregon game
"As an offense, I think we can move the ball a little better. We got stalled on some drives we could have been more efficient on. The penalties killed us. There were a few moments where we had some penalties we shouldn’t have had or don’t normally make. That’s something we got to clean up this week. But I think the peat part is this team always comes back and bounces back."
--On whether he feels like he was aggressive enough
"Yeah, we made some plays when they were there. We had a couple deep balls that I should have hit. We had a couple deep balls that were dropped. We had a couple deep balls that could have been there if we could have just held our protection a little longer. But I think we fix that this week and get everybody on the same page. We know UCLA’s a very good defense and it's going to take a lot of work for us."
JuJu Smith-Schuster
--On what the team’s biggest motivator is this week – beating UCLA in general, ending the streak or winning the Pac-12 South
"Just representing our school and the Trojan way. It’s a great opportunity to play against the team across town. It’s just going to be great."
--On missed opportunities in the Oregon game
"Yeah, we talked about that as a team. It's one person not doing their job. It takes 11 guys to win the game and the majority of those plays one person missed their assignment and it cost us the game."
--on being wide open on the play Kessler fumbled
"That’s probably one of the plays I want to take back. I ran a stutter go and No. 3 bit so bad that I was in the end zone sleeping. Somebody messed up and we missed a touchdown."
--On why he was so emotional after the Oregon loss
"Being in that environment, I always wanted to play at Autzen Stadium. It was crazy, the majority of the fans knew who I was. It was like, Yeah, go JuJu, go JuJu. They wanted me to go there. To lose against Oregon was tough. Just to be in that environment is hard. I didn’t want that for me or any of my other coaches."
Zach Banner
--On UCLA’s defensive line
"They’re good."
--On whether they’re one of the better ones USC has faced
"Yeah, they’re good."
On the team’s biggest motivator this week
"The Pac-12 South. Everyone know that’s on the line this weekend. They win it, they go, we win it, we go. Bottom line."
--On whether there is a hatred for UCLA
"It’s a rivalry. It’s always going to be a heated game. They’re a very good team, we’re a very good team. Its going to be a very good game."
--On having not beaten UCLA yet
"Yeah, I’m going to go now." (Banner walks away)
Viane Talamaivao
--On the team’s biggest motivation this week
"The biggest motivator for us is that it's the next game. UCLA is a good team and we’re working to be the best team we can be. It's another week. It’s a rivalry week and everyone’s going to put all this hype on it, but at the end of the day regardless of who we’re playing, it’s the biggest game because it’s the next game."
Tee Martin
--On whether Deontay Burnett and Jalen Greene have played less because of a numbers game at receiver
"We’re doing what we have to do to win games."
--On whether USC needs more playmaking from its receivers
"We got to do whatever we got to do to win the game. That’s all we got to do. However that is, whoever that is, whatever it’s going to take to win the game."
--On what it’s going to take against UCLA to win the game
"Execute and play disciplined."
--On when he feels the last time USC executed well
"We did Saturday, at times. At the times where we didn’t we didn’t move the chains and we had to punt. It’s been the story pretty much all season. We’ve been our own enemies, whether it’s been penalties, a few dropped balls. But when we’re not doing those things, we’re going down the field on pretty much anybody."
--On whether Oregon was doing something different with JuJu Smith-Schuster or if he was just hurt
"I wouldn’t say he was hurt. He rolled his ankle but he came back a few plays later. He played through it. They did a good job of putting their players in position to make plays and executed. I think it all came down to that. They had a plan on both sides of the ball, they executed the plan. We didn’t do it so much."
--On attacking prevent defenses in third-and-long situations
"There’s not a whole lot you can do when they’re dropping eight and you have four. It's just a numbers game. You don’t want to turn the ball over and force it in holes that aren’t there. You check it down or try to get it to someone who you think can catch it in front of them and run for the first down. There’s not a lot a lot of plays you can call to defeat drop eight, or them having more guys back there than you. There’s not much really that you can do."
Cody Kessler
--On the keys to beating UCLA
"Protecting the football, making our plays. We know they have a very efficient offense. We’re going to have to keep up with them, unlike we did last week with Oregon. We have to help our defense out and put some points up. We had some penalties and didn’t finish drives. This week is important for us to finish in the end zone. It may sound so simple but three points can hurt you a lot more than getting six. We notice that, especially playing a team like UCLA. We got to finish."
--On what he took away from the Oregon game
"As an offense, I think we can move the ball a little better. We got stalled on some drives we could have been more efficient on. The penalties killed us. There were a few moments where we had some penalties we shouldn’t have had or don’t normally make. That’s something we got to clean up this week. But I think the peat part is this team always comes back and bounces back."
--On whether he feels like he was aggressive enough
"Yeah, we made some plays when they were there. We had a couple deep balls that I should have hit. We had a couple deep balls that were dropped. We had a couple deep balls that could have been there if we could have just held our protection a little longer. But I think we fix that this week and get everybody on the same page. We know UCLA’s a very good defense and it's going to take a lot of work for us."
JuJu Smith-Schuster
--On what the team’s biggest motivator is this week – beating UCLA in general, ending the streak or winning the Pac-12 South
"Just representing our school and the Trojan way. It’s a great opportunity to play against the team across town. It’s just going to be great."
--On missed opportunities in the Oregon game
"Yeah, we talked about that as a team. It's one person not doing their job. It takes 11 guys to win the game and the majority of those plays one person missed their assignment and it cost us the game."
--on being wide open on the play Kessler fumbled
"That’s probably one of the plays I want to take back. I ran a stutter go and No. 3 bit so bad that I was in the end zone sleeping. Somebody messed up and we missed a touchdown."
--On why he was so emotional after the Oregon loss
"Being in that environment, I always wanted to play at Autzen Stadium. It was crazy, the majority of the fans knew who I was. It was like, Yeah, go JuJu, go JuJu. They wanted me to go there. To lose against Oregon was tough. Just to be in that environment is hard. I didn’t want that for me or any of my other coaches."
Zach Banner
--On UCLA’s defensive line
"They’re good."
--On whether they’re one of the better ones USC has faced
"Yeah, they’re good."
On the team’s biggest motivator this week
"The Pac-12 South. Everyone know that’s on the line this weekend. They win it, they go, we win it, we go. Bottom line."
--On whether there is a hatred for UCLA
"It’s a rivalry. It’s always going to be a heated game. They’re a very good team, we’re a very good team. Its going to be a very good game."
--On having not beaten UCLA yet
"Yeah, I’m going to go now." (Banner walks away)
Viane Talamaivao
--On the team’s biggest motivation this week
"The biggest motivator for us is that it's the next game. UCLA is a good team and we’re working to be the best team we can be. It's another week. It’s a rivalry week and everyone’s going to put all this hype on it, but at the end of the day regardless of who we’re playing, it’s the biggest game because it’s the next game."
