The USC source I spoke to Sunday night told me Monday they found out Clancy Pendergast did call the plays for UCLA’s defense vs. Arizona. This raises an interesting issue. Chip Kelly declined to hire Pendergast after last season as defensive coordinator even though Pendergast was already on the UCLA staff. He went outside and hired Bill McGovern instead. Now that McGovern is unable to … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: The Crosstown Rivalry Coaching Soap Opera

It’s hard to keep track of how many tarps there are at a UCLA game if you don’t go often, which rules most people out. The four sponsored banners (two UCLA Health and two Jordan logos) at the Rose Bowl will be removed Saturday for the USC game, which leaves eight tarps in the end zones that spell UCLA. Capacity will be 70,865. And people … Continue reading Some Tarps Coming Off At Rose Bowl

USC did better Friday night with its uniforms. Raleek Brown did not wear yellow socks. Denis Lynch did not wear white cleats. Baby steps. I got this email from a USC graduate over the weekend: “You know the uniform standard has gone completely to hell when even an obscure walk-on feels entitled and emboldened to wear the yellow tights.” CROSSTOWN RIVALRY QUOTE OF THE DAY … Continue reading USC Notes: Progress vs. Colorado

A member of the USC coaching staff said Sunday night after watching films of the UCLA-Arizona game there are subtle differences in the defense from a month ago. “There are some things different (on the film) from when (defensive coordinator) Bill McGovern was calling the games,” the coach said. “We obviously would like to know if he is returning. Is Clancy Pendergast or Ken Norton … Continue reading Morning Buzz: USC Sees Subtle Difference In UCLA

Did you watch that Vikings-Bills game? Whew! USC’s seven Pac-12 wins are against teams with a combined conference record of 14-36. If you really want a USC-Alabama comparison, those schedules are a good place to start. That said, USC has to be feeling good this week going into the UCLA game with the Bruins smarting after their loss to Arizona. Continue reading Here’s An Alabama-USC Comparison For You

We have our first overconfident quote of the Crosstown Rivalry week. UCLA safety Mo Osling III, asked late last night about replicating last season's 62-33 win over USC at the Rose Bowl: "We know we’re gonna replicate it next week, so we’re gonna have a little bit of a fire underneath our butts. Go out there and just put it on display." — Ben Bolch … Continue reading USC Notes: Crosstown Rivalry Boasts Begin Early