University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Postgame Quotes: UCLA 38, USC 20
November 23, 2014 | Football
November 22, 2014
Pasadena, Calif. – Rose Bowl
Postgame Quotes
UCLA head coach Jim Mora
opening statement
“That was a good win, and it just sets us up to keep chasing out dream. So, we have got to get off this one and we have to get on Stanford. Stanford is a team that has beaten us three times in a row. We can't sit here and gloat. We've got to move on, and that's what we will do.”
on what this win means for UCLA
“It just confirms what I have believed in all along, that we are building something special here. It's not done yet, it's not close to finished, but we are moving in the right direction.”
on how long UCLA will bathe in this moment
“No, we don't bathe in moments. We'll just move onto the next moment.”
on the improvement of UCLA's defense
“You've seen them progress through the year, and our pass rush started out slow. It has improved as the season has gone on. But, we have to keep getting better. We missed a lot of sacks. We have to correct that stuff before Friday.”
on Brett Hundley's response after throwing a pick-six early in the first quarter
“He was really unaffected by it. He came off the field, and he knew that he'd made a bad throw. He did not let it bother him. The game just re-started for him. He is one of many leaders on this team. It's just fun to be around these guys. That shows how much he has matured through this year, how he recovered after that throw.”
on UCLA's touchdown immediately before halftime being a turning point
“I don't feel like there is a turning point until that last second ticks of the clock. You can look at that as a turning point, but I'm ready for the next down.”
on what the rivalry means to him now (as opposed to when he arrived at UCLA)
“When I got here, I didn't think much of it. I just have a lot of respect for Sark, obviously. That guy gave me an opportunity, along with Dan [Guerrero] and Chancellor Block. I just have a lot of respect for Sark and what he is trying to do over there. I don't know about the rivalry. That is not how my mind works. I just work day to day.”
on UCLA's use of Myles Jack in the gameplan
“We only gave him, I think, he only had it three or four times. That is kind of about what he has been averaging per game. We like to give Paul [Perkins] a break now and then. And then we have Nate Starks and Jordon James. [Myles] He's big and physical. You saw the hit that he put on that kid on the sideline. I hope that kid is OK.”
on Erick Kendricks' second-quarter interception
“It was so close. Fortunately, they ruled it an interception. It has to be indisputable evidence. He kept his feet up. It was just a very athletic play for him.”
on UCLA's keys on defense
“To me, it is about stopping the run, first. Eliminating big plays, second, and getting after the quarterback, third. But you don't want to let things get down the field on us. Nelson Agholor is special. I said the same thing about [Marqise] Lee two years ago. [Nelson] He's a great football player. You have to tackle him and you can't let him get loose.”
on UCLA's wide receivers
“I think they did OK. I think Jordan Payton is a special player. Mossi Johnson has gotten better for us. Getting Thomas Duarte back in there in the middle paid dividends for us. Eldrige [Massington] has a touchdown. Devin Lucien had a touchdown. I think that is a product of the offensive line doing a great job. Brett was accurate. I looked up, and at one point I think he was something like 21 for 30.”
on UCLA's physicality in the rivalry game
“We are a physical football team. UCLA is a physical football team. I don't think there was anything extra. We felt like if we let it get to where it was extra, we thought that it could get away from us, emotionally. We held it together emotionally, and USC did the exact same thing. That is a credit to our staff and to their staff. That is a credit to their players and to our players. It was good, hard-fought football by two teams dying to get after each other.”
on UCLA's motivation to advance to the College Football Playoff (CFP)
“I talk about the Pac-12 Championship. We have to win Friday. If we can win Friday, we will have another shot to win the Pac-12 Championship. I don't talk about that other stuff. A chance to go compete for the Pac-12 Championship. Our world's got to end Friday, and it will.”
on the defensive line applying pressure and that being contagious on UCLA's defense
“I think it just all fits together. When you stop the run, and they had some success early rushing the ball, it just opens up a lot for you. Then you can rush the passer with a little bit more abandon. You can play a little more run. When we got the run under control, it just helps everything. It makes the game a little bit more one-dimensional. I think that our defensive line took it personally."
USC head coach Steve Sarkisian
"I'm going to start by saying UCLA played a very good football game. Some of the keys to the ballgame were pretty clear – their ability to extend drives, the third down efficiency, 9-for-16, and then their efficiency in the red zone, 5-for-6. I felt like they did a nice job on the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Over time that took a toll on us. We couldn't get off the field. Some of the plays [they] were getting one, two, or three yards and then started to get five, six, seven and eight yards. The perimeter screen game really hurt us. The ball got on the perimeter for them, and they really got yards and chunks in the screen game, which took its toll. It was a real swing in the game with the turnover there in the second quarter. They took advantage of it – the score right at the end of the half. Then they came right back out and got another seven to start the second half. Then we go three-and-out and they get seven more, [that] really was the entire ball game."
“I will say this, I am proud of our guys – their effort, their willingness to compete late in the game and battle. They were really good in the locker room. They were a team, which I commended them for, and I was proud of them. They came right together as a team, which is a hard thing to do through disappointment, through adversity, but again, I've been praising these guys for that all along. It's going to be a unique challenge for us. We have to get back up on the horse, and when there's this level of disappointment that's going to take great leadership. That starts with me getting these guys prepared to play Notre Dame next Saturday night.”
