USC Trojans

Our countdown of the top 25 players in the 2012 season continues.

You can see the preseason top 25 here.

No. 3: Marqise Lee, WR, USC

2012 numbers: Lee caught 118 passes for 1,721 yards with 14 touchdowns. He also rushed 13 times for 106 yards. And returned a kickoff 100 yards for a TD.

Preseason ranking: No. 9

Making the case for Lee: It's pretty simple: Lee, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound true sophomore, was a unanimous All-American because he was the best receiver in the nation this season. Some might argue he was the best overall player in the nation. He ranked second in the nation in both receptions per game (9.08) and receiving yards per game (132.38). His 345 yards receiving at Arizona set a Pac-12 record and also were the fifth-most in FBS history. Lee produced three of the top four receiving games in the conference this year -- the Arizona performance, 197 yards versus Hawaii and 192 yards at Utah. Five times he went over 150 yards receiving. It wasn't like teams didn't know he was coming. He was a 1,000-yard receiver as a true freshman. Further, the Trojans other top receiving target, Robert Woods, was a unanimous All-American the year before. You'd think Lee would have had to share the ball more. Yet Lee was so difficult to stop, so tempting to target, that it's possible -- probable perhaps -- that the Trojans strangely inconsistent offense this year looked to Lee too often. That, however, isn't Lee's fault. Lee posted a spectacular season that wasn't appreciated enough because his team was so massively disappointing overall.

No. 4: Matt Scott, QB, Arizona
No. 5: Ka'Deem Carey, RB, Arizona
No. 6: Kenjon Barner, RB, Oregon
No. 7: Johnathan Franklin, RB, UCLA
No. 8: Stepfan Taylor, RB, Stanford
No. 9: Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah
No. 10: Markus Wheaton, WR, Oregon State
No. 11: Anthony Barr, LB, UCLA
No. 12: Jordan Poyer, CB, Oregon State
No. 13: Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford
No. 14: Matt Barkley, QB, USC
No. 15: Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA
No. 16: Trent Murphy, OLB, Stanford
No. 17: Chase Thomas, OLB, Stanford
No. 18: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon
No. 19: David Yankey, OL, Stanford
No. 20: Dion Jordan, DE/OLB, Oregon
No. 21: Scott Crichton, DE, Oregon State
No. 22: Ed Reynolds, S, Stanford
No. 23: Michael Clay, LB, Oregon
No. 24: Taylor Kelly, QB, Arizona State
No. 25: Reggie Dunn, KR, Utah

Here are some keys and storylines to watch this spring in the South Division. Yesterday Ted looked at the North Division.

ARIZONA WILDCATS

Start date: March 3

Spring game: April 13

What to watch:

1. New battery: The Wildcats are looking to replace a top-notch quarterback-center combo in Matt Scott and Kyle Quinn. The rock-solid duo helped produce one of the top offenses in the league. Jesse Scroggins and B.J. Denker are among those in the mix to run the offense and several returning offensive linemen are versatile enough to move around. Chris Putton and redshirt freshman Beau Boyster could be in the mix at center.
2. Many happy return(er)s: Arizona returns a big chunk of its offensive production -- including running back Ka'Deem Carey and receiver Austin Hill. Both should be on all sorts of preseason teams and awards watch lists. But behind the big names, there's also David Richards, Johnny Jackson, Tyler Slavin and Garic Wharton back in the mix.
3. No learning curve: Last spring, the talk was about Rich Rodriguez calling out his team for its lack of physical conditioning. The fact that the majority of the team understands what is expected -- and they don't need to spend the whole spring learning new systems, should be a huge help. Consider that the Wildcats return their entire defense from a group that was, at times, shaky, but will certainly benefit from another full season of playing in the 3-3-5 scheme.

ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS

Start date: March 19

Spring game: April 13

What to watch:

1. Plugging the middle: One of the few losses to ASU's roster is middle linebacker Brandon Magee -- a leader on and off the field and an all-around heck of a player. Carlos Mendoza looks to be a good fit -- though he's likely to miss spring while continuing to recover from a shoulder injury suffered against Illinois. Folks might remember his two interceptions before going down for the year.
2. Catching on: Unlike last spring, the Sun Devils have their quarterback. And he's a good one. Now, they need to find folks he can throw to. JC transfers De'Marieya Nelson (H-back, 6-3, 230) and Jaelen Strong (WR, 6-4, 205) are both big bodies who could step in and contribute immediately.
3. Wait and see: The kicker here is a lot of these players who are expected to compete won't arrive until the fall. So in the meantime, a lot of the younger players and redshirts will get a ton of reps in the system. And speaking of kicker, don't underestimate how much of an impact Josh Hubner made at punter. Iowan Matt Haack, who arrives in the fall, is a rugby-style kicker who can kick with either foot. That's just cool.

COLORADO BUFFALOES

Start date: March 7

Spring game: April 13

What to watch:

1. Meet your QB: Whomever it will be. There are five on the roster and a sixth coming in. Safe to say, quarterback play was extremely inconsistent last season for the Buffs. With an entirely new coaching staff coming in and installing the pistol, this could be one of the more interesting and wide-open position battles in the league.
2. Curious defense: One needs only to review Colorado's national rankings last year to realize they struggled. As one Buffs insider mentioned to me, they were ranked No. 1 in a lot of categories. Unfortunately, that "1" was followed by two more numbers. Only three defensive ends have playing experience. However a secondary that lacked experience in 2012 has a lot more looking into 2013.
3. Receiver options: The Buffs welcome back Paul Richardson, who missed all of last season with a knee injury. Colorado's premier offensive playmaker will be a nice veteran presence to whomever wins the quarterback job. Grayshirt Jeff Thomas also is back. An improved passing attack should help give the quarterback some confidence and open up the running game.

UCLA BRUINS

Start date: April 2

Spring game: April 27

What to watch:

1. Life after Franklin: The Bruins say goodbye to the best statistical back in school history -- leaving a huge void in the backfield. Johnathan Franklin was a great presence for young quarterback Brett Hundley, but now someone has to step up to fill that role, either solo or along with a committee. Look for Jordon James, Steven Manfro and Damien Thigpen to all get looks.
2. New No. 1: The Y-receiver, aka hybrid tight end, was filled wonderfully by Joseph Fauria -- Hundley's favorite red zone target. Darius Bell and Ian Taubler both had looks last year, but Fauria too will be tough to replace. Shaq Evans, Devin Fuller, Jordan Payton and Devin Lucien round out a pretty good receiving corps.
3. Secondary solutions: The Bruins must replace two corners and a safety -- Sheldon Price, Aaron Hester, Andrew Abbott -- and there isn't a ton of starting experience. Randall Goforth has five starts, but veterans such as Brandon Sermons and Anthony Jefferson have more special-teams experience than actual secondary play. Keep an eye on the secondary too when the Bruins start fall camp to see if any freshmen jump into the mix immediately.

USC TROJANS

Start date: TBD

Spring game: April 13

1. New defensive scheme: The Trojans will move to a 5-2 defensive scheme under Clancy Pendergast, and the spring drills will be the first opportunity to see the defense in action. The Trojans will have an experienced front seven, but four new starters are expected in the secondary.
2. Replacing Barkley: Max Wittek got the first extended audition in the battle to take over for Matt Barkley, but he didn’t do enough in two late-season starts to claim the job. Cody Kessler and freshman spring enrollee Max Browne also will be looking to take the reins at one of the glamour positions in college football.
3. Lane Kiffin on the hot seat: The Trojans are coming off a disappointing season, and the fans are howling in protest, but so far his boss Pat Haden has maintained full support for his coach. Now is the time for Kiffin to show why that support is warranted. -- Garry Paskwietz, WeAreSC

UTAH UTES

Start date: March 19

Spring game: April 20

What to watch:

1. Erickson impact: The biggest question was what sort of role Dennis Erickson would play in the offense once he arrived. We'll know sooner than later. He already has talked about putting an identity on the Utah offense. That starts in spring when routines are established and expectations are set. And with Erickson on board to give the offense a push, the expectations will be much higher.
2. Wilson maturing: That leads us to the presumptive starting quarterback -- Travis Wilson -- who jumped in midseason after Jordan Wynn got hurt and Jon Hays struggled to produce. Wilson went from OK to pretty good in just a few weeks. A nice jump considering his experience level. With an entire offseason knowing he'll be the starter -- and with Erickson and Brian Johnson molding him -- it will be interesting to see what progress he makes this spring.
3. D-line makeover: The Utes lose some talent on the defensive line -- specifically All-American defensive tackle Star Lotulelei. Look for DE/LB Trevor Reilly to spend more time with his hand down. Tenny Palepoi, LT Tuipulotu and JC transfer Sese Ianu could all see time in the mix at defensive tackle.

Our question this afternoon: "What's next for USC?"

Well, what's immediately next is the Trojans looking up at UCLA in the Pac-12 pecking order and Notre Dame in the national one. How 'ya like them apples, 'SC?

UCLA is the likely pick to repeat as Pac-12 South Division champions in 2013. They've got the QB in Brett Hundley and lots of talent coming back on both sides of the ball. And they have a decisively better coaching staff than USC, at least if we are allowed to extrapolate on the evidence we repeatedly saw on the football field this year.

A year ago, while UCLA and Notre Dame were seemingly floundering, it appeared the Trojan colossus was again rising under coach Lane Kiffin, whose bad reputation was undergoing a generous reevaluation. Yet the stratospheric expectations inspired by a 10-2 2011 season have yielded to desperation and recrimination just a year later.

The big 2013 story for USC? Kiffin's hotseat.

And yet.

While USC under Kiffin certainly no longer has a buy rating, it might be premature to sell all your shares.

For one, the team coming back in 2013 certainly won't be untalented, including 17 returning position player starters (though a few with remaining eligibility might opt to enter the NFL draft). QB Max Wittek hinted against Notre Dame that the transition to him from Matt Barkley might not be too bad. He has a wicked strong arm that could make beautiful music with receivers Marqise Lee and Robert Woods, if Woods opts to return for his senior season.

Further, you'd think the Trojans would be plenty motivated. They were the biggest punchline in college football this year. Yeah, bigger than woeful teams like Colorado. They were historically bad as a team that was ranked No. 1 in the preseason. They were beaten soundly by archrivals whom they whipped just a year ago.

This season was an unmitigated failure.

It might be easier for Kiffin to get his guys focused and motivated when everyone is taking shots at them instead of celebrating their potential awesomeness. The Trojans should be plenty angry heading into 2013. They chiefly should be angry at themselves, but here's a guess that the preseason talk -- regionally and nationally -- will give them plenty of names for an enemies list.

But before we look ahead to USC as angry underdog playing the "us against the world" card in 2013, there needs to be some rigorous backward looking evaluation of what went wrong this fall.

In this column , Steve Bisheff did an outstanding job of breaking down the difficult decisions ahead for Kiffin. We're about to second much of what he said.

First off, Kiffin needs to hire two new coordinators, which means he must dump two guys by the name of Kiffin: Himself on offense and his dad, Monte Kiffin, on defense.

Monte Kiffin is one of the all-time great defensive minds. His legacy is assured. But his work has been middling-to-poor at USC. He's gotten less from USC's talent than he should have.

If Lane Kiffin needs a role model for tough decisions, he could look to his buddy Steve Sarkisian at Washington, who dumped Nick Holt as defensive coordinator last year. Holt, Kiffin and Sarkisian go way back, but Holt was doing a lousy job. That was made even clearer this fall when new coordinator Justin Wilcox produced substantial improvement with arguable less to work with than Holt had in 2011.

Then, if Kiffin feels guilty about terminating his father, he can take out his ill will toward the responsible party by firing himself. It's not just that Kiffin didn't do a good job calling plays this year -- and he didn't -- it's that he neglected other aspects of his team that, as a head coach and CEO, he should have been on top of.

Oregon's Chip Kelly can micromanage his team and call an outstanding game. Kiffin can't. That's been made clear.

There's also this: USC has the resources to hire just about anyone Kiffin wants. He could pay both coordinators $1 million. If they are worried about job security due to Kiffin's hot seat, Kiffin could give them multiyear contracts. That alone would perk up the ears of just about anyone in the country, including top NFL guys.

Remember that list of candidates we made up for the head coaching vacancy at California? Kiffin probably could get a lot of those "hot" coordinators to come work for him.

With good coordinators, the Trojans are a nine- or 10-win team next year. With no changes, the good money would be on there being no Kiffins inside Heritage Hall in 2014.

Kiffin's survival also depends on more than Xs and Os, though.

As Bisheff covered at length, Kiffin often overthinks things, and this often leads to substanceless gestures, such as not allowing teams to do Friday night walkthroughs at the Coliseum, or trying to fool woeful Colorado with players switching jerseys.

Kiffin needs to learn that the USC head coach doesn't need to outsmart his opponents, much less use gamesmanship against them. He simply needs to put a disciplined, focused product on the field with a sound plan. Talent then takes over.

If there are competing simple and complicated ideas for something at USC, about 99.9 percent of the time, the simple one would work best.

What's next for USC? Well, if you are looking three-to-five-years down the road, I'd expect the program to again be in the Pac-12 and national title hunt on a consistent basis.

USC is not going to blow up and go all Paul Hackett Era again. Athletic director Pat Haden is too smart to let that happen.

The question is simply who will be fronting the program: Kiffin or someone else.

If Kiffin clings to the status quo, it will be someone else.

Pasadena, Calif. -- Notes, quotes and anecdotes from the Rose Bowl after the Trojans' (7-4, 5-4 Pac-12) 38-28 loss to UCLA (9-2, 6-2 Pac-12).

USC coach Lane Kiffin comments:

Respect the victors: "Obviously a lot of credit goes to Jim [Mora] and his staff. His players played great today and the quarterback [Brett Hundley] played awesome. He didn't make any mistakes and did a really job."

On the disappointing season: "I think the No. 1 glaring thing in our losses has been turnovers. We haven't gotten many and we've had way too many. I would point to, in the season in general, our losses, penalties and turnovers. Unfortunately we had too many turnovers today."

UCLA coach Jim Mora Jr. comments:

On Matt Barkley's first interception at the game's outset: "It was huge. When you kickoff to a team like USC on that first drive, you are hopeful you can get a three-and-out at least. You are hopeful they don't take the ball and run it right down your throat and ruin all that emotion you came out of the tunnel with. But to be able to get that interception and convert it into points was big."

On the Trojans staying in a zone on defensive for as long as they did: "Monte Kiffin is one of the great defensive minds to have coached this game. He knows how to mix it up. Our guys just made some plays. We protected well and made some tough catches."

More notes and anecdotes

Confirmation: Despite some initial media confusion after Saturday's Trojans loss, USC athletic director Pat Haden confirmed after the game that Lane Kiffin would return for the 2013 season. A source said that Haden told Kiffin the news prior to the UCLA game.

Key to victory: On the first play of the game, Barkley was intercepted by UCLA corner Aaron Hester at the USC 31-yard line. Moments later, Hundley scored from 1 yard out, and the Bruins never looked back.

The meat wagon: After the game, Barkley's right arm appeared to be in a sling underneath his jacket. His left arm was visible in his jacket's left sleeve, and when asked about his injury, he commented, "We don't talk about injuries." Barkley was injured late in the game on a vicious blindside hit by Bruins outside linebacker Anthony Barr.

The offensive scoring average: The Trojans scored 28 points against UCLA.
Prior to the game with the Bruins, the Trojans were averaging 36.9 points per game.

Momentum swing: Trojans defensive tackle George Uko recovered a fumble in the Bruins' end zone early in the third quarter. Regarding the score, the sophomore said, "I just saw it squish and said, 'Please don't fumble it. Just secure the ball.' I thought with the score we'd turn it around."

Rush to defend: Prior to the UCLA game, the Trojans' defense was allowing a net total of 148.3 yards rushing per game. Against the Bruins, the Trojans allowed 172 rushing yards.

Analysis: Trojans strong safety T.J. McDonald said, "We thought [Hundley] would be a little shaky as a freshman in this environment, but UCLA executed their plan on offense very well. It hurts and we have to learn from it. We just have to move on to the next game."

It's offensive: Prior to the UCLA game, the Trojans were averaging 462.9 yards per game on offense. Against the Bruins, the Trojans had 513 total yards on offense.

The future: Said Marqise Lee: "Our season comes down to spoiling Notre Dame's season."

Rush to judgment: Prior to the UCLA game, the Trojans were averaging 159.3 yards per game rushing. Against the Bruins, the Trojans rushed for 172 net yards.

Land grab: Trojans senior tailback Curtis McNeal, who had a team-high 161 yards rushing, said, "UCLA came out with a lot of juice and a lot of fire. What this [USC] team needs is a W. We didn't get the results we wanted, and next week against Notre Dame it's more about getting a win. Beating Notre Dame won’t change our season, but it will be about the W."

The defensive scoring average: The Trojans' defense allowed 38 points to UCLA. Prior to the Bruins game, the Trojans were allowing 23.5 points per game.

Attendance: The count was 83,277, short of Rose Bowl capacity (91,136).

Getting defensive: Prior to the UCLA game, the Trojans were allowing an average of 390.8 total yards on defense. Against the Bruins, the Men of Troy allowed 406 total yards.

Monte moments: Regarding the UCLA offense and Hundley, defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin said, "We had great blitzes dialed up, but we didn't get off on third down. We needed to win more third downs. [Hundley] is going to be really really good. He has a presence about him that he can feel the pressure and step away from it. We just have to cover better when we blitz."

Pass defense: Prior to the UCLA game, the Trojans were allowing 242.5 passing yards per game. Against the Bruins, the Trojans allowed 234 yards.

Tackling the issue: The Trojans' defense was led by linebacker Hayes Pullard with 11 tackles, followed by defensive tackle Leonard Williams with 10 tackles.

Weather report: The Trojans are now 0-3 when it rains during a significant portion of a USC/UCLA game.

Passing fancy: Prior to the UCLA game, the Trojans were averaging 303.6 passing yards per game. Against the Bruins, the Trojans passed for a total of 341 yards.

Flag time improvement: Prior to the UCLA game, the Trojans were averaging 73.2 penalty yards per game. Against the Bruins, the Trojans were penalized six times for 51 yards.

Up next: The Trojans return home next Saturday for their final regular-season game against undefeated Notre Dame at the Coliseum. Kickoff time is 5 p.m. PST.

PASADENA, Calif. -- A wild game in Southern California ended with the crowning of a Pac-12 South champion and clear power shift in Los Angeles. Here’s how it all went down at the Rose Bowl.

It was over when: Johnathan Franklin dashed for a 29-yard touchdown run with 4:02 left in the game -- extending UCLA’s lead to 38-28.

It was really over when: Sheldon Price blocked a 38-yard USC field goal attempt with 1:31 left in the game.

Game ball goes to: For as poised and impressive as redshirt freshman Brett Hundley was, it’s got to be Franklin, who blew up in a big way by rushing for 171 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries.

Unsung hero: UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks had a monster game, notching eight tackles, a forced fumble and an interception.

Stat of the game -- 14: The number of UCLA points off of turnovers.

What it means for UCLA: The Bruins claim the Pac-12 South. Depending on what happens in tonight’s Stanford-Oregon game, UCLA might control the outcome of who wins the North. If Stanford wins tonight, the Cardinal could wrap up the North next week when they travel to UCLA. It’s a bizarre scenario. Or, UCLA could get a crack at the Ducks if Oregon wins tonight. Either way, there are no asterisks this year for the Bruins.

What it means for USC: For starters, a lot of looking in the mirror. The turnovers were killers, and now they have to close out a disappointing year -- against an undefeated Notre Dame team -- knowing they have no shot at playing in a BCS bowl game. This was the cherry on USC’s bummer sundae.

PASADENA, Calif. -- Just when it looked like the UCLA Bruins were going to pull away, Matt Barkley and the USC Trojans brushed off a horrific start and trail 24-14 at halftime.

The Bruins jumped out to a 24-0 lead, capitalizing on a Barkley interception on the first offensive play of the game and a Marqise Lee fumble.

A very efficient first half from quarterback Brett Hundley (16-of-19, 141 yards, one passing touchdown, one rushing) and the powerful running of Johnathan Franklin had the Bruins in the driver’s seat.

But after UCLA scored on its fourth straight possession, Barkley finally got USC on the board with 5:58 left in the half on a 33-yard touchdown to Nelson Agholor. The Trojans defense finally got a stop and Barkley hit Randall Telfer on a 2-yard touchdown pass.

Barkley is 9-of-15 for 135 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. UCLA gets the ball to start the second half.

The USC Trojans (No. 18 BCS, No. 21 AP) and UCLA Bruins (No. 17 BCS, No. 17 AP) haven't matched up in a game that meant this much in a long time.

The winner of Saturday's 12 p.m. PT game at the Rose Bowl will secure the Pac-12 South title and earn a trip to the conference championship to compete for a bid to another game at the Rose Bowl.

Here are 10 things to watch in the winner-take-all matchup:

1. Mora vs. Kiffin. Long-term, the most important takeaway from this game will be who takes the upper hand between the two coaches who seem destined for a nice rivalry. Jim Mora and Lane Kiffin have the perfect mix of similarities and differences to make things interesting -- coaching bloodlines, NFL failures and recruiting successes, plus their opposite personalities. Mora is engaging and exciting as a speaker; Kiffin is, at his best, mildly entertaining. But who's a better coach? Perhaps we'll find out on Saturday.

2. More Marqise Lee. Lee hasn't lost any of his luster over the past couple of weeks, as he continues to be probably the second-hottest player in the country, behind only Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M. The whole defense thing from last week didn't work out, and Lee said he won't be playing there this week, but even so, he should be able to exploit a weak UCLA secondary. Lee is just 14 catches, 86 yards and four touchdowns away from breaking the Pac-12 single-season marks in all three categories.

3. Strength vs. weakness. If this isn't a recipe for abject disaster, what is? UCLA's biggest weakness is its secondary, and specifically, at corner. USC's biggest strength is its receivers, the top pass-catching duo in the nation. If the Bruins single-cover Lee with Sheldon Price or Aaron Hester at any point, they'll essentially be inviting the Trojans to score a touchdown. If they double- or triple-cover him, they'll be inviting Kiffin to re-explore throwing the ball to Robert Woods, which has never worked out too poorly for USC.

4. Hundley and Franklin. USC has Lee and Matt Barkley. UCLA has Brett Hundley and Johnathan Franklin, and the Bruins' duo isn't far off in terms of overall excitement and ability to explode for dynamic plays. It'll be particularly interesting to see how the Trojans try to stop Franklin, who has reinvented himself this season as an outside runner after running mostly between the tackles in the old Bruins scheme. As for Hundley, he's a dual-threat quarterback who has been more effective as a passer than a runner, and he makes his living passing short to backs and tight ends. In fact, only one of the Bruins' top four receivers is an actual wide receiver, and only four of Hundley's 24 touchdown passes have gone to an actual receiver, not counting newly healthy running back/receiver Damien Thigpen.

5. The offensive lines. No, they won't be battling directly against one another, but the Trojans' and Bruins' lines will collectively determine a lot of what happens at the Rose Bowl. UCLA's offensive line is particularly young and hasn't kept Hundley off the ground, but the Trojans' linemen probably would've been on the hook for more sacks if Kiffin didn't call so many three-step drops because of them. Who will step up to the occasion? If there's an indicator, maybe it's that USC starts a fifth-year senior at center in Khaled Holmes, and UCLA starts a redshirt freshman, Jake Brendel.

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LOS ANGELES -- USC Trojans coach Lane Kiffin has found he keeps asking himself one question when watching UCLA's freshman quarterback, Brett Hundley, on film to prepare for the Bruins this week.

"How can that happen with a freshman?' " Kiffin asks himself.

Hundley is, indeed, a redshirt freshman starring for surprising UCLA this season. He has led the upstart Bruins to an 8-2 start with consistently solid and sometimes spectacular performances.

He has completed at least 64 percent of his passes in every one of his starts. In his worst game of the season, he still threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns on 31-of-47 passing (just with four interceptions.)

Hundley has gone five games without throwing a pick. USC's Matt Barkley, by contrast, has only gone three -- and has five multi-interception games. Hundley only has two.

"He's put together unbelievable numbers the whole season," Kiffin said of Hundley. "It's very unusual."

Kiffin has specifically credited three people with playing a role in Hundley's early success: UCLA head coach Jim Mora, offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone and, in a bit of a different way, running back Johnathan Franklin.

"They've done a great job with him," Kiffin said, speaking of Mora and Mazzone. "It's a great system. They've somehow managed him to be a freshman and not make a ton of mistakes and not turn the ball over a lot.

"A lot of credit to them and him. He's played really well."

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LOS ANGELES -- The Trojans continued to gear up for Saturday’s matchup with UCLA with another full-pads practice on Wednesday under beautiful sunny conditions on the USC campus. With the added storyline of a berth in the Pac-12 championship game on the line, coach Lane Kiffin continues to stress the importance of focusing on the task at hand.

“I think there’s a lot of excitement around it,” Kiffin said of this weekend’s crosstown clash at the Rose Bowl. “We’ve got to make sure that we’re preparing for the game and for the opponent, and not worry about the hype around it.”

But for players like senior safety T.J. McDonald, this is a game that always holds at least some extra significance that’s hard to ignore.

“It means a lot,” McDonald said. “It’s a rivalry game. You come here … you watch this rivalry, you know what it means, so you’ve just got to live up to those expectations. The great players that came before you played in this game, showed out and you want to be able to carry that tradition on. It means a lot, not just for us, but for the entire Trojan Family.”

More Hundley talk
Kiffin continued to praise the play of UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley on Wednesday. Having completed 76.9 percent of his passes for 823 yards and 10 touchdowns with just two interceptions over his last three games, he’s been incredibly efficient as a redshirt freshman.

“Especially the way he’s played the last three games, he’s put together unbelievable numbers,” Kiffin said. “So I think you start watching [and ask], ‘How can that happen with a freshman?’ It’s very unusual. And they’ve done a great job with him. It’s a great system. They’ve somehow managed him -- to be a freshman, but not make a ton of mistakes and not turn the ball over a lot, which is unusual in a first-year system and a first-year quarterback. So, a lot of credit to them and to him.”

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Heading into Week 12 of Matt Barkley's first season as a true freshman starting quarterback for USC, the reviews -- and the performances -- ran hot and cold.

He was 7-2 as a starter (missing the loss to Washington with a sore shoulder), was 3-2 against teams in the top 25 and was completing 57 percent of his throws with 11 passing touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Heading into Week 12 of Brett Hundley's first season as a redshirt freshman starting quarterback for UCLA, the reviews are glowing. He's 8-2 as a starter, 2-0 against teams in the top 25 and is completing 69 percent of his throws with 24 passing touchdowns to nine interceptions. (Hundley has also rushed for six touchdowns.)

Barkley would go on to have one of the finest careers in Pac-12 history. Hundley appears to be well on his way.

"Hundley is a raw talent," said Arizona State head coach Todd Graham, who has seen Hundley and Barkley in the past three weeks. "He's a guy that's tough to bring down in the pocket. He's just strong. He's young, but he's getting better with every rep. Barkley, obviously, is seasoned. Great deep ball. Total command of the offense."

When the Trojans travel across town Saturday to face the Bruins in a game that will decide the Pac-12 South Division, it will also represent a changing of the guard, of sorts. Not only are the Bruins looking to supplant the Trojans as the team to beat in Los Angeles, but Hundley could see his Heisman star on the rise in coming years -- much as it has been for his cross-town counterpart.

"I always knew he was a big-time quarterback doing big-time things," said Hundley, who regularly watched Barkley on TV when he was in high school. "I wanted to start as a true freshman, so I would research other quarterbacks who started as freshmen and his name kept popping up. He's a great quarterback and I have a ton of respect for him."

To Barkley's credit, his freshmen numbers came as a true freshman. Hundley has had the benefit of a redshirt year, during which he grew physically and had a season to learn the speed of the game. Barkley wasn't as fortunate.

"It was rough, but I came in with the intention of starting and it kind of worked out pretty well with Mark [Sanchez] leaving that I got a chance to compete for the spot," Barkley said of his freshman season. "I had some seniors who helped me get used to the speed of the game. But it was challenging. I think I was a little oblivious to the whole thing at the time, to tell you the truth, and the magnitude of what was going on. I don't think I realized how big of a game it was going to Ohio State to play in the Horseshoe. Looking back, it was hard. Harder than Division I high school football, that's for sure."

Another big difference is that Hundley is in an offense that is a little more forgiving on quarterbacks. UCLA's spread attack moves the pocket and allows Hundley to rely on his athleticism, whereas Barkley was thrown into a pro-style system in which he dropped back and had to take his lumps within the pocket.

Still, the fact that Hundley is doing what he has able to do at such a young age bodes well for the future of the Bruins.

"He's playing great," USC head coach Lane Kiffin said. "It's very unusual for a freshman to have so few mistakes. He doesn't get rattled. It's almost like if you keep watching, you're expecting to see more mistakes, but you just don't see it."

In retrospect, Hundley is thankful for his redshirt season. Naturally, he believes he also could have started as a true freshman. But the extra year has been extremely beneficial. But he'll need to keep progressing and gaining experience if he hopes to catapult himself from phenom to top-end NFL prospect, which is where Barkley currently sits.

"Brett is going through a lot of the growing pains that freshmen go through, as I'm sure Matt went through them as well when he was a freshman," UCLA offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone said. "Brett is still learning how to play the game and handle all kinds of new experiences that you have to play through; running a two-minute drill to win a game, getting a crucial third down to win a game, being down 14 points and leading your team back. These are all things Brett is doing for the first time. Matt has done all of those things a bunch of times."

And as one college career is budding, another is about to come to a close. Maybe not the way Barkley had intended it, but nevertheless, he's not one for regrets.

"I can't even imagine it going the other way," Barkley said of his decision to return for his senior year. "I haven't looked back once. I haven't doubted myself and I couldn't be happier with where I am. … Honestly, I haven't had much time to reflect on the entirety of everything. I'll do that at the end of the season."

One of the key areas for USC in its upcoming game with UCLA is the ability of the Trojans to stop the Bruins’ run game.

UCLA runs a no-huddle, spread offense featuring senior tailback Johnathan Franklin, who is among the nation’s leading rushers, and redshirt freshman quarterback Brett Hundley, who has been very efficient this season. The ability to successfully run the football has been a big part of why the Bruins are 8-2 in the first year under coach Jim Mora. UCLA offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone is a familiar name for USC fans -- he was at the controls of the Arizona State offense in 2011 when the Sun Devils beat the Trojans in Tempe.

So far in 2012, the Trojans are giving up 3.9 yards per rush, while the Bruins are averaging 4.7 yards per rush with 45 attempts per game. USC has seen varying results against the run in recent weeks against teams who use a spread offense. The Trojans held Arizona State to just 71 rushing yards last week but gave up 321 yards on the ground two weeks ago to Oregon running back Kenjon Barner.

Here are three important ways the USC defense is built to perform in this game:

Stopping Franklin: The all-time leading rusher in UCLA history is also the nation’s No. 6 leading rusher with 1,270 yards. It will be critical for the USC defense to be aggressive and make early contact. The Trojans are No. 4 in the nation in tackles for loss, and that stat will be important to watch as USC hopes to limit the number of open-field runs for Franklin.

The Hundley factor: USC senior safety T.J. McDonald could play a major role here to help contain the young Bruins signal-caller. Hundley isn’t afraid to run the football -- he has 111 rush attempts -- and he has six touchdowns on the ground this year. He is a very steady player and hasn’t been rattled a lot this season but this game will be a step up on every level. Look for Monte Kiffin to use McDonald in different ways to confuse Hundley as much as possible.

Inexperience on the line: The Bruins start three freshmen on the offensive line, and you can be sure the Trojans’ defensive line will be looking to take advantage of that. USC is coming off one of its best D-line performances of the year, and Ed Orgeron’s group is getting production from multiple players right now. Senior end Wes Horton has battled back from an early-season injury to be playing at a high level, while Morgan Breslin and Leonard Williams have been very effective as well.

LOS ANGELES -- The Trojans took the field on Tuesday morning for another full-pads practice as the team began working on crosstown rival UCLA. Always a highly anticipated and emotional affair, this year’s clash features some added stakes, most notably a berth in the Pac-12 championship game.

“This game is a big game no matter what,” USC coach Lane Kiffin said following practice. “It’s USC-UCLA, regardless of what records are. It’s good that it’s a relevant game for two years in a row, and that’s the way it should be.”

Added junior wide receiver Robert Woods, “We’re playing for a win, playing for a Rose [Bowl], playing for L.A., pretty much. It’s one of those games where there’s a lot on the line. We’ve just got to play our game, play well and there’s going to be a big reward at the end.”

UCLA turnaround
Sporting an 8-2 record, the Bruins have shown improvement in just about every phase of the game, looking dramatically different from the squad USC defeated 50-0 in the Coliseum last season. On Tuesday, Kiffin didn’t hold back in his praise of what UCLA coach Jim Mora has done in his first season.

“Obviously, the record speaks for itself, but as you watch them, they’re just doing a really good job of managing situations -- going on the road last week in a tough place to play -- they haven’t had a lot of ups and downs,” Kiffin said. “I think it has to do with the fact that Jim has come in there and done a great job. [He] came in with a lot of discipline, and you can see that they’re coached really well. The offense and defense everybody knows about, but when you look at their special teams too, they’re doing a great job.”

Another high-powered offense
Nowhere has the Bruins’ turnaround been more apparent than in their offense. After finishing 2011 averaging 376.6 yards of offense per game, this year’s squad averages 496.8 yards per game, due in large part to the offense installed by coordinator Noel Mazzone, who ran virtually the same up-tempo, spread look at Arizona State.

“Very similar, running the same offense basically,” Kiffin said. “Noel does a great job, he’s done a great job for years wherever he’s been, of moving the ball and spreading people out. We’re going to have our hands full and we’ll have to play really well.”

This weekend’s contest will mark the fourth consecutive game where the Trojans will have faced a fast-paced, spread offense, and it’s a trend that Kiffin doesn’t see changing any time soon.

“This is the direction of college football, and how it’s changed, especially in our conference,” Kiffin said. “When you start looking at plays per game in our conference and how high they are compared to other conferences, it’s because of these offenses and these tempos in our conference.”

Handling Hundley
The USC defense will have to prepare for yet another dual-threat quarterback in UCLA's Brett Hundley. He’s thrown for more than 2,700 yards while rushing for almost 300 more yards, and he currently ranks No. 19 in the nation amassing an average of 301.1 yards of offense per game.

“[He] really can make things happen when [plays] break down, whether he’s running it or whether he’s throwing it on third downs,” Kiffin said. “So we’re going to have our hands full. We’re going to have to rush really well.”

Prep, not hype
While there’s definitely added meaning that comes with the USC-UCLA matchup -- evidenced by a dramatically larger media presence at Tuesday's practice -- Kiffin has made a concerted effort to make sure the team keeps its emotions in check.

“We addressed it this morning,” Kiffin said. “Our focus is all on ourselves and making sure that we’re improving. We have a lot of things to work on, and not getting caught up in that. It’s the next game, and it’s never going to be about the hype around it, it’s going to be about which team prepares better, and which team plays better and executes on game day, and doesn’t let the other stuff in.”

Woods moving forward
Despite looking noticeably frustrated on the sidelines on Saturday during his two-catch, minus-3-yard performance against Arizona State, Woods was upbeat on Tuesday.

“As a receiver you never want to have low yards, especially not negative yards,” Woods said. “Just stay positive. It’s just something where you’ve got to let it go. See the film, see my role – blocking downfield getting some key blocks. But I mean, you let it go and just move on to the next week.”