USC vs. UCLA: Rivalry quotables

— Defensive end Datone Jones’ first offer came from USC, but he waited out for UCLA. He had always been more of a basketball fan growing up in Compton, and didn’t notice the intensity of the football rivalry until later in high school.

“When it really hit for me was when Reggie Bush was there,” Jones said. “I was around 10th or 11th grade. That’s when I was like ‘OK, cool.’ That’s when I really started noticing how big it was. I started watching from then on there and I was like, ‘I wanna be a Trojan.’ Then I was like, ‘Nah, I don’t wanna be a Trojan, I wanna be a Bruin. I wanna help their program win championships. I don’t wanna be a bandwagoner.'”

— Johnathan Franklin wasn’t recruited by USC, and was even thought by most to be a better fit at safety than, y’know, eventual UCLA career rushing leader. As a recruit, he was present at UCLA’s 2006 win, one that convinced him the Bruins were headed “to the top.”

“It means everything,” Franklin said. “It’s my last shot at it. I haven’t beaten them since I’ve been here. It’s a big rivalry. One of the biggest in college football.”

— Tevin McDonald will play his brother T.J. in the rivalry game for the last time, but he said they have remained cordial this week. The two spoke on Monday to before giving each other space to work on their own preparation. “We just don’t have time,” he said. T.J. apparently hasn’t talked too much trash since last year’s loss.

— Jim Mora has tried to downplay the rivalry as best he could, saying that the week of prep has been identical to the past 10 — even “down to the second.” Still, he acknowledged how unfamiliar the experience has been.

“It’s really unlike anything I’ve ever seen whether it be pro sports or college sports,” he said. “(Thinking back to the pros), I don’t know that there was ever one of the significance of what we have vs. USC. I thought back to when I was with the University of Washington, our main rivals were Washington State and Oregon, but they were hundreds of miles away. It’s so unique to have such a division in a city like we have here. It’s pretty special.”

UCLA vs. USC: HC & QB edition

Try Jim Mora and Lane Kiffin

They own big personalities, perfect for staying relevant in Los Angeles. They like to talk, which adds to the drama of this rivalry. Or any old regular week in the season.

Or Brett Hundley and Matt Barkley, freshman edition …

“Brett plays with a lot of poise,” Mora said. “He’s able to put a good play or bad play behind him and move on. I don’t know Matt Barkley personally, but when I watch him play and watch him on TV, he’s probably a similar type of guy. I have a lot of respect for him. I think he’s a great quarterback who’s got a tremendous future in the NFL.”

Or if you’d rather stick with just UCLA, John Barnes’ unbelievable heroics from two decades back.

No more swords

USC won’t be stabbing the UCLA logo at midfield this year, but Jim Mora said he was more focused on the game.

“I have nothing to do with that,” Mora said Wednesday. “All that stuff, that’s periphery stuff.”

Mora had said earlier this week that he wasn’t concerned with stopping the USC tradition: “We’re going to be in the locker room. I don’t think I’ll be out there laying down on the UCLA logo or anything like that.”

Bruins escape Pullman, stay steady at No. 17

UCLA held off a two-win team to stay on top of the Pac-12 South, but Saturday night’s 44-36 victory (game story here) was one of the ugliest games the Bruins had played all season. The team — which held on to the No. 17 spot in the AP poll — generally stuck to the line of “We’re just enjoying this win for the next 24 hours.” Few players looked particularly overjoyed while saying it.

Some thoughts: Continue reading “Bruins escape Pullman, stay steady at No. 17” »

Bruins back in Top 25

UCLA’s thrilling comeback win over ASU yesterday afternoon bumped the Bruins back into the AP poll. Now ranked at No. 25, Jim Mora’s squad has ranked teams slated for three of its remaining four games. As of now, it looks unlikely that Brett Hundley and company will sweep the rest of the way, but it’s not completely impossible either.

Here’s a quick look at the remainder of the schedule: Continue reading “Bruins back in Top 25” »