Spaulding Report: UCLA Football Beat SC Week Media Interviews
We've gathered all the coach and player interviews for you in one place ahead of tonight's game against Southern Cal.
Let’s take a look at what’s been getting said at this week’s UCLA football media sessions. Like we have so far this season, I’m just going to share these here all in the same place to make it easy for you, our readers, to watch them if you haven’t already. All the videos in this article are courtesy of UCLA Athletics on YouTube.
In this week’s player interviews, almost all of the players did a good job of providing any bulletin board fodder for Southern Cal. Unfortunately, DTR did give them a little, even though when you hear his comment in context, it wasn’t intended to be a shot fired towards the Trojans. Jake Bobo, however, gets the award for the best comment about the rivalry from anyone this week.
But, first, we’ll start with Chip Kelly’s interview from Monday. Kelly discussed the uniqueness of the crosstown rivalry. He also spoke about the development of Dorian Thompson-Robinson over the course of his five years in the program.
As usual, Kelly also spoke on Wednesday before practice. Kelly mentioned that defensive coordinator Bill McGovern would be absent from practice again and explained how the defense is working in his absence. He wrapped up the interview by discussing the versatility of Southern Cal quarterback Caleb Williams.
Moving to the player interviews, DTR started his interview on Monday by giving Southern Cal some bulletin board fodder by saying that the Bruins want to score 60 points against the Trojans. The interesting thing watching the interview is that he said it in a matter of fact way and wasn’t actually trying to trash talk. Unfortunately, if I’m a Southern Cal football coach, that comment would definitely be going up in the locker room across town. Other than that, it was a lot of reflecting on the past five years as he heads into his final home game as a Bruin.
He was joined by offensive lineman Jon Gaines. Gaines spoke about a whole host of topics ranging from his family coming to see him play for the first time to his plans for Thanksgiving dinner to video game competitiveness amongst the Bruins.
Tuesday featured Bruin receivers Kam Brown and Jake Bobo. Both players spoke about the rivalry quite a bit, but the quote of the week really comes from Bobo, who’s entering his first rivalry game. Bobo said:
I have a general disdain for SC just for being here for a couple months just because that's what you're supposed to do.
You heard the man. “It’s what you’re supposed to do.” I couldn’t have said it any better than that.
Finally, we have Zach Charbonnet who met with the media on Wednesday. It sounds like Kazmeir Allen will be back. Charbonnet spoke about what Kaz means to the team.
Like his teammates, he spoke about the rivalry. He also mentioned how he played with some guys who play for Southern Cal and how he isn’t talking with them this week.
To his credit, Charbonnet excelled in this interview when it comes to refusing to give in to the constant baiting by the media who were lookin for a juicy soundbyte about the rivalry and the expectation that this game could become a shootout.
That wraps up this week’s media interviews. UCLA hosts Southern Cal tonight at the Rose Bowl starting at 5:00 pm PT.
Go Bruins!!! Beat SC!!!
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It might be true that DTR "provided some bulletin board material" with what he said... So? He didn't say anything that any of us wouldn't say or feel and as far as I'm concerned, in this era of increasingly mercenary athletes, and antiseptic analytical emotionless decision-making, what's wrong with showing some passion? The man just showed again that he's a True Bruin - and I, for one, salute him for it!
Now, let's go out and do it again just like last year!
..as a tangential observation on the history of this titanic struggle, I note this in Wiki which may offer some balm to the stinging memories at the hands of the Toe Jams..
"2005 season – USC had been ranked No. 1 all season and faced a one-loss eleventh ranked UCLA (9–1) team as its last obstacle to the dream 2006 Rose Bowl BCS Championship matchup with #2 Texas. USC featured Heisman trophy winner Matt Leinart and eventual winner Reggie Bush. USC defeated UCLA 66–19 in one of the most lopsided games of the series since the first matchup in 1929. The win was later vacated for NCAA infractions."
Would stay and chat, but I I gotta go work on the 50-0 trouncing of our heroes wearing the "surrender white jerseys".
With any sort of luck and a lot of hard luck, I way be able to get us even ion the entire history of UCLA-Toe Jams.