- No new injuries to report. OL Khaliel Rodgers is still in concussion protocol.
- While the Trojans will report to the team hotel downtown next week, they will continue to practice at their home facility, which head coach Clay Helton sees as an advantage. He pointed out that USC went 7-0 in Los Angeles this season.
- The players are appreciative of the opportunity to stay home for the holidays and play in front of the local fans in the game that they grew up watching. "It's such an honor to play for a bowl that has so much history behind it. It is what we strive for every single year," said LB Cameron Smith. "It's good to give it back to the fans. We feel very proud as a team to be here."
- While the Penn State offense is led by Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year RB Saquon Barkley, the passing attack can devastate opponents with explosive plays. The wide receivers use "a lot of double moves" to get behind the secondary, CB Iman Marshall said. "If your eyes are not right, you can get caught in the trickery of their offense," he continued.
- To avoid the big plays, Helton also emphasized keeping Nittany Lions QB Trace McSorley in the pocket because he is "extremely dangerous with those big receivers once he gets out there."
- Marshall and the rest of the USC secondary has benefited from working against a talent like Sam Darnold in practice every day. "He's so accurate that you have to be technically sound. He can throw it in crazy windows, throw it off his back foot," Marshall said. "I have seen him make some crazy throws. He makes you be more of a technician."
- If Adoree' Jackson leaves for the NFL, Marshall will likely step into that role of top cover man. Helton explained that the sophomore has improved in coverage by learning to use his hands and physicality without drawing penalties. "Having the opportunity to learn from dudes like Adoree' Jackson, the Thorpe Award winner, just seeing how he composed and controlled himself through this whole process, I feel like I will take the torch really well," said Marshall about potentially facing the opponent's best next season.
- The Trojans are in the middle of week two in what will be three full weeks of preparation for the Rose Bowl. "We get to focus on the little things and some of the things that we have not touched on since camp," said Smith about the benefit of all the practice time. "It's been important for us take that next step as a team."
- Here is Helton's full press conference on the excitement of the Rose Bowl, USC's NFL-style pass rushers and more:
