No, the USC defensive players haven't forgotten what happened last season against UCLA. They didn't need any reminders of Joshua Kelley running up and down the field for 289 yards and 2 touchdowns to lead the Bruins to a 34-27 win.
It was the most rushing yards ever in the storied rivalry series by any player on either side.
So yes, that has been on the Trojans' minds this week leading into this next showdown with the Bruins on Saturday in the Coliseum.
"Yeah, definitely. He went crazy against us last year," defensive end Christian Rector said. "That's good for him and that's great and all -- we're trying not to let that happen this year."
The acknowledgement aside, the Trojans didn't really want to spend much time talking about the breakdowns from 2018.
"You look at that film, they've got new players, we've got new players and it is what it is," defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast said.
In terms of their defensive front, though, the Trojans actually have a lot of the same players, and Kelley hasn't gone anywhere for UCLA.
Now a redshirt senior, Kelley has rushed for 939 yards and 9 touchdowns on an average of 4.8 yards per carry this fall. He's rushed for at least 120 yards in four of the Bruins' last six games, including 176 yards vs. Stanford and 164 vs. Arizona State. He's second in the Pac-12 in rushing at 104.3 yards per game, just behind Utah's Zack Moss (106.1).
"It starts with reading the line and lining up first. We were misaligned so many times in that game, and I think we have a lot better game plan this year," Rector said. "We have guys that are more focused from the jump, the beginning of the week in film room and team meetings. It starts here in practice, so yeah, I think we have a good game plan to stop the run this year."
To Rector's point -- and perhaps Pendergast's as well -- this is a different USC team in regard to its approach to the final stretch of the season. The 2018 Trojans went off a cliff on their way to a 5-7 finish, including that loss to UCLA, while this group has won four of its last five games while seeming intent on maximizing its finish.
To continue that Saturday, the Trojans will need to slow down Kelley, among other factors.
USC defensive line coach Chad Kauha'aha'a wasn't on the staff last season, but he said he has looked at the film from that game.
"Well … we can't make those mistakes, I can tell you that," he said Wednesday after practice. "... You know, I wasn't here so I'm not going to say anything bad about it. All I know is I don't want to make the same mistake as a coach and not having the boys prepared for that situation. And I don't know what happened. I really don't know what happened last year, I didn't ask, I don't care. All I care about is what my guys do this year against the Bruins."
There are lessons to be learned, though. Rector mentioned USC being lined up incorrectly throughout the game, and Kauha'aha'a noted how UCLA can indeed be confusing with what it does pre-snap.
"It's been a point of emphasis with the D-line about getting lined up the correct way. I can see it is confusing when they do [what they do], but that's just part of the deal -- you've got to be able to get lined up," he said. "… Today we started off practice in our run fits with coach [Johnny] Nansen and sure enough our guys, there was a little bit of confusion on some of the shifts and motions, the unbalance. But after we walked through it we went live during practice and they got it. We got that formation last week against Cal, and I was proud of the guys because they ID'd it, they lined up to it and it was good to see."
As for DTR ...
The other driving force of UCLA's offense, of course, is dual-threat quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who has passed for 2,056 yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and rushed for 168 yards and 3 TDs.
He got just one rushing attempt last season (and no passing attempts) vs. USC as Wilton Speight was the Bruins' primary QB at the time.
"He's a dual-threat quarterback and he does a great job with all things they ask a quarterback to do, whether it be change plays at the line of scrimmage -- from run to pass or pass to run -- any form of designed quarterback run, he's very accurate throwing the ball and then he can break containment. So he's handful to try to prepare for," Pendergast said.
Greg Burns confirms movement in CB rotation
It has sure seemed in recent weeks that sophomore Olaijah Griffin and freshman Chris Steele have separated a bit from redshirt freshman Isaac Taylor-Stuart in the cornerback rotation, and DBs coach Greg Burns acknowledged that Wednesday.
"Yeah, I'm leaning towards that, honestly. But I still believe that ITS is still going to be in the rotation, and again I'd like to get to putting Dorian [Hewett] in because he's worked hard and has deserved some opportunities," Burns said.
Against Cal last week, Steele played 43 snaps and Griffin 41, while Taylor-Stuart played 26 and Hewett 12, according to PFF College.
Against Arizona State the previous week, Griffin played 69 snaps, Steele played 49 (and looked to maybe get dinged up at some point in that game) while Taylor-Stuart logged just 6 defensive snaps with Hewett getting more work with 16.
"Just coming down to making plays," Burns said of the difference. "We're getting into tight games, must-wins and guys are working hard and as long as they're staying healthy and able to do it that's fine. But at the same time, if somebody's down, a little nicked up, I have no problems rotating."
Griffin, Steele and Taylor-Stuart spent the first part of the season rotating fairly evenly with Steele usually coming off the bench in the games when all three were healthy -- though one or another was often sidelined by injury making the playing decisions easier.
As for what he wants Taylor-Stuart to work on, Burns was quick to note that he's already seen improvement from the second-year corner of late.
"For everyone, not just ITS, it's always going to be technique and fine-tuning it. Especially for corners and all the little details of press technique, and we're doing a lot more of it," Burns said. "It's just cleaning those things up. He got in a little funk, but he's got back into it from a standpoint of cleaning up the technique. Because of that the confidence comes back and so on and so on. I'm liking where we are now, last week I like what he did, so those are plusses. It's coming around. OK, now, he's going to get some chances this game and let's just see it all continue to get better."
It was the most rushing yards ever in the storied rivalry series by any player on either side.
So yes, that has been on the Trojans' minds this week leading into this next showdown with the Bruins on Saturday in the Coliseum.
"Yeah, definitely. He went crazy against us last year," defensive end Christian Rector said. "That's good for him and that's great and all -- we're trying not to let that happen this year."
The acknowledgement aside, the Trojans didn't really want to spend much time talking about the breakdowns from 2018.
"You look at that film, they've got new players, we've got new players and it is what it is," defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast said.
In terms of their defensive front, though, the Trojans actually have a lot of the same players, and Kelley hasn't gone anywhere for UCLA.
Now a redshirt senior, Kelley has rushed for 939 yards and 9 touchdowns on an average of 4.8 yards per carry this fall. He's rushed for at least 120 yards in four of the Bruins' last six games, including 176 yards vs. Stanford and 164 vs. Arizona State. He's second in the Pac-12 in rushing at 104.3 yards per game, just behind Utah's Zack Moss (106.1).
"It starts with reading the line and lining up first. We were misaligned so many times in that game, and I think we have a lot better game plan this year," Rector said. "We have guys that are more focused from the jump, the beginning of the week in film room and team meetings. It starts here in practice, so yeah, I think we have a good game plan to stop the run this year."
To Rector's point -- and perhaps Pendergast's as well -- this is a different USC team in regard to its approach to the final stretch of the season. The 2018 Trojans went off a cliff on their way to a 5-7 finish, including that loss to UCLA, while this group has won four of its last five games while seeming intent on maximizing its finish.
To continue that Saturday, the Trojans will need to slow down Kelley, among other factors.
USC defensive line coach Chad Kauha'aha'a wasn't on the staff last season, but he said he has looked at the film from that game.
"Well … we can't make those mistakes, I can tell you that," he said Wednesday after practice. "... You know, I wasn't here so I'm not going to say anything bad about it. All I know is I don't want to make the same mistake as a coach and not having the boys prepared for that situation. And I don't know what happened. I really don't know what happened last year, I didn't ask, I don't care. All I care about is what my guys do this year against the Bruins."
There are lessons to be learned, though. Rector mentioned USC being lined up incorrectly throughout the game, and Kauha'aha'a noted how UCLA can indeed be confusing with what it does pre-snap.
"It's been a point of emphasis with the D-line about getting lined up the correct way. I can see it is confusing when they do [what they do], but that's just part of the deal -- you've got to be able to get lined up," he said. "… Today we started off practice in our run fits with coach [Johnny] Nansen and sure enough our guys, there was a little bit of confusion on some of the shifts and motions, the unbalance. But after we walked through it we went live during practice and they got it. We got that formation last week against Cal, and I was proud of the guys because they ID'd it, they lined up to it and it was good to see."
As for DTR ...
The other driving force of UCLA's offense, of course, is dual-threat quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who has passed for 2,056 yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and rushed for 168 yards and 3 TDs.
He got just one rushing attempt last season (and no passing attempts) vs. USC as Wilton Speight was the Bruins' primary QB at the time.
"He's a dual-threat quarterback and he does a great job with all things they ask a quarterback to do, whether it be change plays at the line of scrimmage -- from run to pass or pass to run -- any form of designed quarterback run, he's very accurate throwing the ball and then he can break containment. So he's handful to try to prepare for," Pendergast said.
Greg Burns confirms movement in CB rotation
It has sure seemed in recent weeks that sophomore Olaijah Griffin and freshman Chris Steele have separated a bit from redshirt freshman Isaac Taylor-Stuart in the cornerback rotation, and DBs coach Greg Burns acknowledged that Wednesday.
"Yeah, I'm leaning towards that, honestly. But I still believe that ITS is still going to be in the rotation, and again I'd like to get to putting Dorian [Hewett] in because he's worked hard and has deserved some opportunities," Burns said.
Against Cal last week, Steele played 43 snaps and Griffin 41, while Taylor-Stuart played 26 and Hewett 12, according to PFF College.
Against Arizona State the previous week, Griffin played 69 snaps, Steele played 49 (and looked to maybe get dinged up at some point in that game) while Taylor-Stuart logged just 6 defensive snaps with Hewett getting more work with 16.
"Just coming down to making plays," Burns said of the difference. "We're getting into tight games, must-wins and guys are working hard and as long as they're staying healthy and able to do it that's fine. But at the same time, if somebody's down, a little nicked up, I have no problems rotating."
Griffin, Steele and Taylor-Stuart spent the first part of the season rotating fairly evenly with Steele usually coming off the bench in the games when all three were healthy -- though one or another was often sidelined by injury making the playing decisions easier.
As for what he wants Taylor-Stuart to work on, Burns was quick to note that he's already seen improvement from the second-year corner of late.
"For everyone, not just ITS, it's always going to be technique and fine-tuning it. Especially for corners and all the little details of press technique, and we're doing a lot more of it," Burns said. "It's just cleaning those things up. He got in a little funk, but he's got back into it from a standpoint of cleaning up the technique. Because of that the confidence comes back and so on and so on. I'm liking where we are now, last week I like what he did, so those are plusses. It's coming around. OK, now, he's going to get some chances this game and let's just see it all continue to get better."
