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- CALIFORNIA HEAD COACH JEFF TEDFORD

General Statement
"Coming in, we had a good week. I didn't think emotion or anything was an issue. Give SC credit. We were backed up early a lot and they got after us pretty well. They did some good things and had some new things [on defense] and got after our quarterback. We couldn't slow them down on offense. They went up and down the field. In both phases of the game they dominated us."

On keeping QB Kevin Riley in the game
"We needed to do what we needed to do and that was to move the ball and put points on the board. We needed guys to compete hard. They didn't want to end at the half. They wanted to get out and keep fighting."

On missed opportunities on offense against the Trojans
"We had a chance to make plays but we have to catch the ball. Someone has to make a play. It's not all the quarterback's fault. It's easy to point fingers at the quarterback but everyone has to make plays."

CALIFORNIA PLAYERS

KEENAN ALLEN, WR/KR

On Cal's mentality at the half
"We tried to come out and compete and keep fighting and not have our heads down. We just came out flat. I felt we could have made more plays with the play calls we were given."

KEVIN RILEY, QB

On being unable to rebound from the difficult start
"There were some things that caught us off guard up front. But they made a couple plays and we didn't. They got off to the start that we wanted. We had one drive going but the pick ruined the drive and they scored off that. A lot of what we did was on us."

On the second interception
"It was a screen that got covered. I was thinking about throwing it in the dirt, which I should have done. I saw Shane peak and tried to get it into him."

USC HEAD COACH LANE KIFFIN

General Statement
"I'm very pleased by the way our players came out today. For the first time, we played in exactly the style we wanted to play in. I was very pleased with the response of our players with the two losses we went through and people rightfully questioning us. I wish we played better in the second half. Again, the backups weren't able to finish it off."

On comparing this game to his previous two losses
"I think if you really study the last couple weeks down here versus Washington and Stanford up there, and this game, I think all three are exact the same except for one thing. We played good defense in one of those games and we played terrible defense in the other two games. The offense moved the ball like they have been, and we finally played our style of defense."

On Jeff Tedford
"We were able to play very well today. He's won a lot more games than I have. I appreciate him and what he's done. He's one of the best coaches in the country."

On the USC performance today
"To win was huge. To win in this style was really, really big. Against a good team. Look seven days ago what they did. Until today their defense was leading the Pac-10 in defense. I'm very proud of our players."

MATT BARKLEY, QB

On whether USC played a complete game
"I was pretty mad about the last red zone opportunity we missed, but points-wise and effort-wise, we played our most complete game. And that's what we needed."

On the USC receivers
"I like how we've progressed. The timing is getting better and better. The line was giving me time. All the work we put in in the offseason is paying off."

On the Trojans' effort
"We need to realize on both offense and defense, it's a team effort, but every individual has to do what they're supposed to do. When we focus on our own jobs, that turns into 11 guys doing the right thing. That's what the offense has down the last two weeks, and the defense did that today."

JURELL CASEY, DL

On responding to criticism of USC's defense
"It's really frustrating to be talked down. Every week we've tried to brush it off and play the game we know we can play. Today I think we played that game. The key things were to wrap up and tackle, and I think everyone was on the same page today. Everyone was hyped up. We just gotta come out and perform every week. Everybody was on the same page. Today was a good feeling."

On stopping Cal
"We knew what a great running back they had. We had to keep him contained and keep him from running all over. The linebackers did a good job filling the holes."