- Starting with the injury report, LB Osa Masina (hamstring) returned to practice. S Leon McQuay (knee) is participating on a limited basis. CB Jonathan Lockett is dealing with a knee injury.
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C Khaliel Rodgers (high ankle sprain) will be held out of practice this week. Nico Falah (pictured) is getting the first team reps at center, and Viane Talamaivao is backing him up. "[Nico] came in against UCLA and absolutely dominated," said QB Cody Kessler about Falah. "That's tough to do. He comes in and plays the way he did. He's always been a physical kid. There's no concern at all, no matter who we have in there, I'm going to trust my guys and know that they'll keep me safe." - While Saturday's game is a rematch, Stanford will be seeing a different USC than the one it played in September. "There's a confidence about them," head coach Clay Helton said about his team. "I don't think it's a cockiness. But it's a confidence that they belong as a championship football team, that they've progressed into a championship caliber football team. I get the feeling that they're confident not only that they can compete against a talented team, but that they have an awesome opportunity to go win a Pac-12 Championship."
- The Cardinal will recognize USC's winning blueprint under Helton because it's very similar to how Stanford likes to play the game. "It's pretty neat to see, it's the Championship Game and you see two really physical teams, not finesse teams, but physical teams," said Helton. "That's what we said seven weeks ago. If we were going to get here, we had to become a more physical team and that started with the offensive and defensive line. We aren't a finished product, but I'm proud of where these guys started at and where they are now. They are Pac-12 South Champions and a lot of that has to do with those guys in the trenches."
- Behind that offensive line, Justin Davis has taken over the role as lead dog. The junior was "in the zone" against UCLA. "When your body starts to do stuff without you even thinking, cause that's what's happening," Davis described the feeling. "Sometimes you're just running. You're just doing stuff like, 'Whoa, how I'd do that?' It's funny because with the o-line blocking like that, it just lets my instincts go to work and it feels great."
- In the passing game, the Trojans are not slinging it around like they did earlier in the season, so the receivers need to maximize their opportunities like Darreus Rogers did against UCLA. "I saw the ball go up and I wanted it," he described his touchdown. "I went up to get it, came down and saw I was at least like five yards away from the touchdown and said, 'I think I can stretch this one out.' The rest was history."
- Saturday's game is a reward for the Trojans' perseverance. "With everything going on, having to stick together to grind out this Pac-12 South Championship and get the chance to play Stanford, I know it's made me a better player and a better leader for this team," said Kessler.
- The Trojans are even more inspired for this game now that the interim tag has been removed from Helton's title. "It goes a mile because we all love Coach Helton," said Davis. "For Mr. Haden to make that decision, it just makes everybody more pumped up because we actually know we have a permanent head coach and it makes me want to play for him that much more harder. It feels great."
- Here is more from Helton:
