University Southern California Trojans
USC vs. California
June 21, 1999 | Football
October 10, 1998
USC HEAD COACH PAUL HACKETT:
"I'm very pleased with the play of our football team after they ran the kick-off back for a touchdown. That was a very tough pill to swallow and I felt we did an outstanding job of not letting that affect us. I thought our defense played very, very well. Once again, in the fourth quarter we played our best football.
On Chad Morton-
"He didn't practice all week. He had therapy this morning and then before the game he told me he was ready to go. He showed me a lot tonight. He's tough as nails. He ran inside well. And he ran outside well. That's a mark of leadership. Let's face it, he's the guy right now."
USC TAILBACK CHAD MORTON:
"That was an ugly win. We've got a lot of work to do. The defense saved us. I was able to stay in the game. I just want them to be able to count on me. I'm going to try and be consistent. I look forward to gettng the ball as much as possible.
On his touchdown run-
"It was great blocking. It looked good from the start. Marvin (Powell, his fullback) did a great job of opening the hole."
USC LINEBACKER CHRIS CLAIBOURNE:
"Penalties. There were too many penalties. In the second half, we took over. Our conditioning took over. We learned tonight that we've gotten better (as a defense).
On his Interception Return for a Touchdown-
"It was zone coverage. I caught the ball and saw the end zone. I haven't run the ball since high school. It's the fun part. I'm blessed to be in the position to perform."
