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Click here for the post-game press conference.
15 Catches 16
On national TV under the Coliseum lights, Nelson Agholor stole the show with 16 catches for 216 yards and 2 TDs. He is the first ever Trojan to post back-to-back 200-yard receiving days, and he finished the night one shy of Robert Woods single-game catch mark. "Regardless of the record or not, I wish I had caught that last one," said Agholor about the potential record-tying pass that slipped out of his grasp. "You never know. You just run hard every day and try to get open." QB Cody Kessler has a deep connection with his favorite target. "They were giving him a lot of single coverage," Kessler explained. "Obviously, when you have a playmaker like Nelson and you get the look you want, I am going to take advantage of it."6 Throws 4 More
Kessler had another excellent night himself recording back-to-back 300-yard passing games for the first time in his career. He finished 31/42 for 371 yards and 4 TDs, but gave away a rare interception and an even more rare personal foul. "That's uncharacteristic of me. I should have never done that," said Kessler, who smiled at the Cal bench after tossing his fourth TD. "I let the emotions get the best of me and I won't let it happen again." The players and coaches commented that it was a "chippy" game all night with a lot of trash talking.
2 Nice
Adoree' Jackson was up to his multi-purpose tricks again tonight with two catches plus a long touchdown called back to go along with kick returns and airtight coverage at cornerback. He was happy to be involved in the offensive game plan, and wants to get his hands on the ball on defense as well. "I feel like it's coming," said Jackson about his future first career interception. "I should've got one tonight. Hopefully, I will get one next weekend and the week after." He has become a standout in the secondary with 5 more tackles and 2 more pass breakups tonight. He credits going against Agholor and JuJu Smith every day in practice for his rapid maturation.
Rush Hour
USC was only the second team to hold Cal under 31 points this season. "I thought they played really well," head coach Steve Sarkisian said of his defense. "This offense had been lighting up everybody. All in all, it was really positive." The Trojans held the Bears to 384 total yards, which is 127 yards under their average, and kept Jared Goff to 279 yards passing, 68 yards shy of his typical night. The pass rush was key coming through with 4 sacks. "I thought we got after him early," Sarkisian said. But, "The pressure wasn't what I wanted late." Once again, Su'a Cravens led the way with a team-high 10 tackles, including a sack.
Fast Start
The Trojans are a dominant first quarter team coming into the game outscoring opponents 108-20 in the opening 15 minutes, and they only improved on that tonight starting the game on a 31-2 run (21-2 in the first quarter). Kessler said the team gets fired up coming out of the tunnel and the coaches' offensive script is on point. "When you start fast, it really helps you toward the end of the game cause you get a comfortable lead," he said. "We just need to play that way through all four quarters."
Slow End
On the other end of the spectrum, USC never found its rhythm in the second half on either side of the ball. Offensively, Sarkisian said he needs to "evaluate play calls" and the "execution was sloppy" due to an overwhelming number of penalties. The refs through a combined 25 accepted flags marking off 276 yards, which is "just not good football." Defensively, Sarkisian wants the Trojans "playing with confidence late in the ball game." He expanded, "We don't have to change. The way we were playing was plenty good enough. We don't have to play more conservatively. Let's stay aggressive."
Extra Point...
3 Words
Let's be honest. Once the clock hit triple zeroes, every USC fan started thinking, Beat the Bruins. "It's a big rivalry against UCLA like it has always been here at USC," said DE Leonard Williams. "I've never beaten them since I've been here, so it is definitely a big game for me personally." Kessler knows the Trojans will have to keep their emotions in check in the most heated rivalry. "We have great respect for them," he said. "This tradition between us is one of the best in the country, so obviously there will be a lot of emotion."
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