Notes: UCLA stretches further than USC secondary
PASADENA - Leon McQuay III was on the ground, and he couldn't get up.
Not in time, anyway, to defend the Bruins' first touchdown Saturday in UCLA's 38-20 trouncing of the Trojans at the Rose Bowl, as Devin Lucien was wide open in the middle of the end zone.
'We fell down,' USC coach Steve Sarkisian said succinctly, when asked what happened to his secondary on the play. 'We were in man-to-man, and unfortunately our defensive back just fell down.'
It was a little more involved than that. USC's secondary struggled for much of the night, allowing Brett Hundley to connect on several deep passes - including a 57-yard touchdown to Thomas Duarte that featured another safety slip.
'We had a couple mistakes, especially on my end,' USC freshman cornerback Adoree' Jackson said. 'I give myself an average grade. Everybody else, I give a good grade.'
Duarte, a former Mater Dei High standout, had missed the last two games because of injury. He said there was a noticeable focus all week long among UCLA's receivers that led directly to the dismantling.
'I believe our week of preparation was probably one of the best we've ever had,' Duarte said. 'We were all dialed in, and we were telling each other 'Hey, watch for this and watch for that.' We've come to trust each other.
'I believe that's why we did what we did.'
Sarkisian said the Bruins also did it because of their superb screen game along the field's perimeter, slowly stretching the field.
'They spread you horizontally,' Sarkisian said. 'You get deployed all over the field, and that creates a lot of space.'
UCLA coach Jim Mora didn't rave about his receivers postgame, but he did say junior Jordan Payton, who had three catches, is a 'special player.'
'And getting Thomas Duarte back in there paid dividends for us - not only the catch down the middle, but the catch on the sidelines,' Mora said. 'Eldridge (Massington) had a touchdown. I think they played well.'
USC opted to use senior safety Gerald Bowman closer to the line of scrimmage and employ McQuay and freshman John Plattenburg as its starting safeties. Their play got a bit better as the game went on, but it was rough early.
'Short-term memory, man,' Bowman said. 'It's football. That's how the game is. You will make mistakes. Not everyone's perfect, but you have to make sure you can rebound and not be down on yourself.'
Did the Trojans' two young safeties rebound Saturday?
Post a Comment for "Notes: UCLA stretches further than USC secondary"