University Southern California Trojans
Hackett, Bicknell Preview Season Finale
November 23, 1999 | Football
Nov. 23, 1999
LOS ANGELES - The following is the transcript of the weekly press conference hosted by USC Coach Paul Hackett for the L.A. media on Tuesday, and the teleconference with Louisiana Tech Coach Jack Bicknell III, as the two schools prepare for Friday's football game at the Coliseum:
USC COACH PAUL HACKETT
It's been a marvelous 2 1/2-3 days. It's certainly something that we haven't had a chance to savor all that much this year. I think we're still savoring it. I hope we don't savor it too long to have an effect on Friday's game against a very good football team. Going back, it was a great afternoon for all Trojans. The eight years, the streak, all those things we've had to live with, it was just marvelous to have that lifted. I'm sure there's been better teams or better games, but we've done something that hadn't been done for a long time. Not only the effect and the reward for the coaches and players, but it's for all Trojans. The opportunity to stick your chest out and feel like we're back as city champions. It used to be a clear-cut process in this city but since 1990 it's been a long time coming. I think it was a marvelous event. The rememberance of the field, the thousands of fans on the field and the way our fans have stuck with us this year. We lost two heartbreakers at home and the fans were with us to the end, like they were with us in this game, and it made a heck of a difference. The passion and energy level that existed after the game was wonderful for the team to see and it didn't hurt that we had 25 recruits there too. It was a real momentum-changer for us. I think you could feel that in the Coliseum.
The game itself, David Gibson played probably the finest game he's played in a long, wonderful career here. Chad Morton, what can you say? 36 carries. John Fox made the big play on the fake field goal and made plays all game. Our offensive line managed their defensive line. Our defense took over the game in the third quarter and just manhandled them. The negative thing was the penalties, which continue to totally frustrate me. But you've got to put that all on the backburner. Clearly it's been a disappointing season but this was a big step, and a wonderful win for us as a football team, in terms of where we're headed.
The team that we're about to play is a very dangerous team. I think that when you have a bye, you can become even more so. This quarterback is one of the premier players in the country. It's certainly the best quarterback we've faced this year and maybe that we've faced in a long time. When you lead the nation in passing and passing efficiency, you're doing something really well. There's two parts to the game. We have seen this style of offense against Purdue and Washington State, but what we haven't seen is this caliber of quarterback with a senior offensive line. There are four seniors on the offensive line and give him time. He's very good in the shotgun and very difficult to pressure. The receivers, there's so many of them. They have a controlled passing game but the receivers will make somebody miss and take off for a long run. So this is a huge test for our defense. On the other side of the ball, they're a pressure football team. They come after you and have really good athletes. The secondary is solid. After the first two games, they're on an eight-game winning streak and I can see why. That game against Alabama, winning by one point at Alabama is something in itself. They've got a lot of momentum right now and are playing with confidence. This is a great opportunity for them and their program.
What we've got to do is show maturity in being able to put the UCLA game behind us. That's going to be hard to do. This senior class will carry with them the UCLA game for the rest of their lives. I think the fact that this is the senior class that broke the streak is very significant. But I think what's at stake is the momentum that we started up in Pullman, that we can take into a new season with a new recruiting class and our injured players back healthy. There's an exciting feeling around this team right now. But it revolves around this ballgame. We've just got to be able to push UCLA and Thanksgiving aside and take care of business. It's going to be a battle for our football team.
(On Thanksgiving being a distraction) We'll practice early Thursday morning and get to the hotel late Thursday night. Most everyone is from Southern California and will be with their families. You always debate about this as a coach. Clearly, it's a distraction. It's not a distraction physically, but mentally you get away from the game plan, you get away from your teammates. You're with your family and everyone will be talking about the UCLA game. That's the problem. You've got to be able to refocus. This is about finding out where we are. It's a little like a bowl game, where you've got all these things going on but you've got to come play the football game.
(On if this game is USC's bowl game) It's more of a bowl game because of how disjointed the schedule is. But the last game of the year impacts you dramatically. Last year, as many good things as we did, we had to live a whole year with what happened at TCU. That was hard for our football team. This gives us a chance to finish three in a row, to start our own streak. In that sense, it's very important.
(On facing the Louisiana Tech offense without Antuan Simmons) Well, we've got a couple of salty veteran freshmen who have now played a season. They'll be playing in their 12th game and the burden is going to fall on them. The way that group played against UCLA, you've got to feel pretty good. It wasn't perfect by any means, but when you think that this freshman class will be around for four years, it's pretty exciting when you see the impact they've already made. It's another opportunity for them to play against the best quarterback that they'll play against in a long time. Antuan was kind of the glue in that secondary, but Kris Richard got the game ball after the game because he held the secondary together. He was the one guy there that had to do it with the young guys around him. We'll be playing 5-6-7 defensive backs so we'll be going deep into the depth chart.
(On Tim Rattay) He has a great release. He has real snap on the ball. It's not flaming, but in a very firm way. That's where his accuracy comes from. He doesn't try to throw it through you, he just puts it exactly where he wants to. He's very similar to Drew Brees, maybe a little more powerful. He has great rhythm. It's an excellent offense, it really features him. Him doesn't have to throw it hard, he just has to throw it in the right place. I would say release, accuracy, poise, his rhythm, his athletic ability, is all solid. He's a very strong NFL prospect. With the need in the NFL for quarterbacks, he's a premier candidate.
(On being the favorite in this game) We've been the favorite a lot this year, and you see what good that has done. It doesn't mean a thing once the ball is kicked off. We've got our hands full. If you let it concern you, then it does. Our football team can't worry about that stuff. We have to take it one play at a time.
(On what this win meant for John Fox) This game will be remembered, he and Chad Morton and the defense. It's hard to describe the feeling that this football team has for John. We all lived through his frustrations the last two years, leaving the quarterback position, then to come back and leave it a second time is incredible. He never wavered in his belief for USC and in his wanting to be a Trojan. Being a Trojan for life was the most important thing for John whenever you talked about how his football career was going. It never wavered. In this day and age, when it's easy to go somewhere else, John never wavered. He just wanted to know how he could help the football team. He believed this year his destiny was on special teams. That's why he moved over to work with Coach Slocum. At Oregon, I told him he was No. 2, and he turned to me and asked if he could still play special teams too. He's a competitor. He is exactly what you're looking for. What's remarkable is that after a summer of lifting weights and gaining weight to be a linebacker, that he could come back in a month and have enough skill at quarterback to win the biggest game of the last two years. This was a monster. He was able to go out and lead our team and do the things he had to do to win the game. Our team has a lot of confidence in John Fox. That's a tribute to the man himself. He's going to be successful at whatever he does because his heart is in the right place.
LOUISIANA TECH COACH JACK BICKNELL III
We started out with two tough games against Florida State and Texas A&M and started out 0-2. It certainly isn't the way we wanted to start out, but we beat Alabama and we've won eight in a row and it's been a great experience. The players have been doing a good job and we're looking forward to a great game out there.
(On the high-powered offense) It starts with our quarterback. We have an offense that basically features the quarterback and Tim Rattay will, in my opinion, go down as one of the great quarterbacks in the history of the game, as far as statistically. He's No. 2 all-time right now in yardage, No. 2 in total offense and No. 3 in touchdowns. It starts with Tim Rattay. He's done a great job for us the past three years. We're definitely a spread offense. We try to set up the run with the pass. We'll spread the ball around. We've got four receivers in the top 40 in the country so Tim's been doing a good job getting the ball to different people.
(On the wide receivers) All of them have really come on. Last year we had Troy Edwards and it was more of a game of trying to figure out how to get the ball to Troy. This year we have four different receivers that have been doing a great job. All are pretty much up around 70 catches. It's been more of an offense where we've tried to take what the defense will give us, instead of trying to get it into one person's hands. Each can catch the ball and are really good athletes. It's worked out well.
(More on Rattay's skills) The big thing is he's very, very accurate. He puts the ball where it needs to be put. He throws a real catchable ball. There's very few times where it's the quarterback's fault that there was an incompletion. So if you get some receivers that can catch, you can be effective. To me, his best attributes are his accuracy and then he's an extremely tough individual. He doesn't see the pass rush and he's got a quick release and he knows where to go with the ball.
(On the defense) The defense has been much-improved over last year. I'm very proud of our coaches and players, they've done a great job. We've gotten some good play out of our secondary this year, where we struggled last year. The secondary's been playing well. We're experienced up front and in the linebacker position. The secondary has been the biggest place where we've improved this year and they've done a good job.
(On their bowl chances) It's something I haven't really thought about, to be honest with you. That's the one thing that's completely out of my control. I can't figure it out anyway. I told our team let's not worry about that, let's play one game at a time, and we've done that all year, and now we've got to go out and play a huge challenge against USC. It's tough to worry about anything else when I'm trying to get everyone to focus on USC, a great program with great tradition. We'll play that game hard and see what happens.
(On USC facing his father's teams in the past and his relationship with his father) I can remember one game was at Boston College and I was an assistant at New Hampshire at the time and I came down and watched it and we got beat pretty good. And I was out there, I'll never forget we were going to throw a throw-back screen on 4th-and-2, and the guy was wide open but the quarterback threw it in the dirt or else we would have had a chance to maybe win the game. He's 0-2 so I've got to try to break the string for the family. My relationship with my dad is a very special one. Taking over as head coach here, I've relied on him a great deal. He's coaching in NFL Europe right now with the Barcelona Dragons. He's been through this a lot so he's been a great help trying to tackle the day-by-day things.
(On this week's game) I see a very, very good football team in USC. I hate these teams that lose all the close games because that tells me they're an excellent football team that has just come up a little short. I see probably as good of skill as we'll see all year. Their receivers are an excellent bunch. Everyone seems like they can run on that team. They're going to be a huge challenge. The running back looks excellent, it's a huge offensive line, the quarterback seems to be playing very well, he's 2-0 the last two games. Defensively, they look excellent also. It's a real good secondary, excellent line and some good linebackers.
(On trying to earn national respect) It's something that we think about. Our plan was to schedule people like USC, Florida State, Texas A&M and Alabama, go play them and try to beat them. That's the way that we've tried to elevate our program. In the past three years we've played Alabama twice, Auburn twice, Nebraska, Tulane, Wyoming. We've played some good football teams. That's been our thing, that we'll play anybody, anywhere. Hopefully if we can be competitive then we'll get some national respect. We got into the AP poll at No. 25 for the first time and that's a big thing for the program. We're excited about the opportunity to come out there and play on FOX TV.
(On coming in as the underdog) I don't worry about who's the underdog or who's favored. I just know that USC is an excellent football team that hasn't lost by more than 10. They beat Hawaii 62-7 and Hawaii won the WAC. Obviously, they're coming off an emotional win against UCLA. There's no question it's an excellent team and it's going to be a big challenge.
(On if the scheduling helps recruiting) I don't think there's any question that it helps us. When you can say you're going to play USC in the Coliseum and Florida State on national TV and you're going to play at Alabama, if you're a competitor, that's going to really excite you. We opened up with Nebraska last year on national TV and Florida State this year on national TV so that got us a lot of exposure. Inevitably, you talk to recruits and say, hey, did you see us against Florida State and everybody has. There's no question it helps our recruiting a great deal and it's elevated our program.
