Dec. 30, 2008

Head Coach Pete Carroll

Opening Statement...


"As we get closer to the game. The excitement and the intensity of it grows. Here we are at press conference day for our players and the different aspects of the process come together. We know that we are really close to game time. This is exciting for us. [We are] thrilled to be here at the Rose Bowl, thrilled to be playing such an extraordinary match-up with Penn State. We see nothing but an incredibly balanced, well-rounded and gifted football team. It's going to take a tremendous effort from our guys, in all phases of the game, to play really well across the board. I don't know how you can look at it any other way than a great match-up. Both defenses, offenses, special teams, returners, the whole thing. It is going to be a battle and hopefully we can come out on top here on New Year's Day. I'm very much looking forward to this."

On playing against Penn State head coach Joe Paterno...


"I think I'm very fortunate to have this opportunity to play against Coach Paterno. I have too much respect for him and his program and all that he has stood for over the years. I don't know if it all comes together in one football game. I don't know if it's matching wits. I don't know if I have enough wits on my end to match. We're just going to play the game and hope it ends up the way we want it to. Hopefully not the way he wants it to."

On gauging Penn State based on it's success over the Big Ten Conference...


"We'll find out [how good Penn State is] on game day. I can see what they have done during the season and the success that they've had and the tremendous balance they've created for this team. You don't know until you get on the field and you start blocking the tackle and you see how you match up. I don't think the history of match-ups has much to say about what's going on. We see nothing but a well-equipped, wellschooled football team."

"I know we've had success against the conference but we've had success against the SEC teams as well. I don't know if it has to do with the conference or the area of the country they come from." On learning he was recruiting the same players as Coach Paterno...

"When I knew we were recruiting the same guy and I know [Coach Paterno] had visited. I was curious. I asked, `what was he like?' `Did he tell old stories?' I was curious just like anyone else. That's because you hold him in such high regard. I wanted to know about some of the background stuff and some of the behind the scenes stuff that you don't normally get to hear about. I was just as curious as anyone else. They loved him and he was engaging."

On Rey Maualuaga's background...


[Rey Maualuga] had humble surroundings, which is not uncommon. They are a very close-knit family unit and it rocked them when their dad became sick and eventually passed away. It rocked the family. Rey was the oldest and seemed to have to take responsibility for them and to do that from a distance was hard for him."

"He's highly emotional. He's tightly wound and a highly gifted competitor. He loves to battle. He loves to work hard. I don't know if that was part of the molding process. I know that the impact that his mom and dad had on him early on was well underway when he dad got sick. He had to learn, like we all have to learn, we when have the passing of a family member. You learn how to deal with it and put it some place and not let it affect you and all of your life and let it distract you. Rey made it through that. It was hard on him and it was challenging. Now he is a bigger man and a wiser man for it. We've seen tremendous progress the last couple years. He is engaging the opportunity to become a leader. He's embraced it with hard work and dedication and school work."

On imaging USC matched up against the national championship competitors...


"I would never back away from any opportunity to play [Florida or Oklahoma]. I think with our defense that we have I think we can beat anybody. I don't have any question in my mind that could happen. I think Penn State is just as worth as all of those teams. There are a half dozen teams that have had great seasons. What a remarkable experience it would be to go against them and battle it out to see who wins in the end of it. Unfortunately we don't get to do that. I think anytime you get into championship situations having a really good defense is something you like to go into battle with. We know we can play the run game well. We can make problems for our opponents regardless of their style of offense. Riding on the coat tails of those guys, we'd love to play anybody and we think we'd have a chance."

On a play-off system...


"I've advocated the play-off system, following coach [Paterno]. I don't think any competitor gets to this level would ever want to see it any other way. Its not saying the bowl system isn't great and I love the traditional match-ups, but I still want the issue settled on the playing field and I wish we could do that. I champion the cause whenever we can talk about it. I know coach [Paterno] has always felt that way too. I can't imagine people liking to get voted into the championship game. I think you'd like to win and earn your way through it."

On Penn State defensive end Aaron Maybin...


"He's a fantastic competitor, has a great motor. I think his competitiveness stands out the most. He is such a determined football player. He just doesn't give you a break. He is really tough in play action passing situations because he comes off the ball so fast that he can get up field and cause you problems. He is a great football player."

On Coach Paterno's age...


"He's endured a lot physically, coming off the hip surgery and all that. As much as I like running around and being active at practice, I don't know what it would be like. I can't picture what it would be like to not be able to do all that stuff. Maybe I can adapt but I'm pretty entrenched in the way I like to do it. It's hard to imagine. Not many of our grandfathers looked like they could have done that. He's remarkable and an extraordinary individual. I don't know he does it or gets it done. He's got a great spirit about him. He loves people and loves to have fun and a good time."

On finishing the season...


"To be successful over a season you have finish well. Fortunately for us we've had great fortune at the end of our season. It has become something that has separated us a little bit. Any athlete or coach would love to say that your team finishes well. You bring your best at the end when it is most meaningful. We take great pride in that and that has become a character of the program."

On Penn State's offense...


"This is a very well balanced offense. They do everything college offenses off now. Classic run style. Two back offense. They have the whole shotgun array now as well as getting the quarterback out of the backfield and getting Derrick [Williams] back there and running all the shotgun plays you can run. They give us all of the problems that any team can give you. They're not a spread team, flying around and throwing the ball over the perimeter. They do all the stuff offenses are doing in college football. We have to get ready for every bit of it. With the fact that they have Derrick as their back up quarterback, they've been practicing it more than ever."

On the difference between USC and Big Ten teams playing in the Rose Bowl Game...


"I think it is different [playing in the Rose Bowl from California]. We've had the great opportunity to come back a number of times and SC has been here a lot over the years. The exciting thing about it, for me, is when you aspire to make that your goal, you know when you get there, the opportunity is to play a great bowl match-up at a home setting. It's a great advantage to us. It's a classy bowl. Everything around is so much fun. Its still exciting for us in every way. I think its different for the Big Ten because they're leaving part of the country to come to Hollywood. So I think it's a big deal. I remember back then how excited people were to see LA for the first time. From a competitive stand point, this is an extraordinary opportunity for us. We always seize it and make the most of it for us. Our whole goal was go to the Rose Bowl."

On which team has the advantage...


"I think the edge will come to whoever takes care of the football. It's always the case, but I think in this game where we are so evenly matched, if we take care of the football better than them, we'll have the best opportunity to win."

On USC's defense...


"This is the best defense statistically we've had. I say that in respect to the guys who've played here before. This year statistically is by far the best. If you want to look it like that. We had teams that took the ball away from our opponents at alarming rates. I think this is a great group and I love coaching them and all that."

On the outcome of the game...


"I can't think of it any other way than low scoring. They're very good on defense. They're well-schooled and very strong at the line of scrimmage. Their linebackers are tough and their edge rushers are strong. They don't give you anything. This is really going to be a good chess match to see if we can find some ways to move the football."

Quarterback Mark Sanchez

On being able to keep focused on the Rose Bowl Game with so many distractions surrounding the team...

"It's not difficult at all. We have all these activities going on. We go to Disneyland. We go to Lawry's [Beef Bowl] and hang out with some of these seniors for the last time. When we are practicing, that [practice] is all I am thinking about. I'm more focused on this game than any game because we have so much time to prepare. It means a lot to me and obviously I want to win. We think if we play well enough, we will be just fine and it is going to be a great match-up."

On preparing for Penn State...

"All week it starts with film preparation. You start watching old games. You get little clips of the games. You watch their defense and try and pick up different keys. You can't just watch it all once. You have to watch it multiple times. We watch our practices that are filmed for us. I try to see my footwork and if it was accurate on this throw or is that the kind of play fake I want. We do these things throughout the week and then by Thursday we are pretty much ready to go."

On Penn State's defense...

"They are a stingy group. They're tough, physical guys. They fly around to the ball. [Aaron] Maybin has been wreaking havoc all year harassing quarterbacks. Their linebackers play downhill. They flow to the ball and they hit the running backs hard. They don't shy away from hits. Their secondary is all seniors. They are a veteran group. They are experienced and they have played together. They have seen a lot of football together, so they know their schemes well. They play well together and feed off each other's energy. It's an emotional group and I'm excited to play against them. They are going to be a great, formidable opponent."

On what the team took away from the loss to Oregon State earlier in the season...

"We just can't come out flat like that. I think everybody on the team admitted it. I think the best part about that game was that our team really grew up. We were mature about it. Nobody was pointing fingers. Everybody was pointing fingers at themselves and taking responsibility. I knew this team would bounce back. I knew that teams in the past had lost and had one loss early in the season. I knew it wouldn't affect how we finished the season. I think wefinished strong and put ourselves in a great position to play on January 1 in the Rose Bowl Game and that is what we are playing for. This is a big time bowl game against a tough team so it is going to be fun."

Linebacker Rey Maualuga

On being a physical defense...

"It [being physical] helps a lot. Coach Carroll's philosophy is practice is everything. Just go out there and let loose. We get our offense prepared [to face other physical defenses]. It makes the games a lot easier. This defense is made up of [several] seniors. Everyone is a veteran and knows what to expect from each other. Everyone knows what to do, so we are not worried about what the other person is going to do because you know he is going to do his job."

On wanting to start the Rose Bowl Game on defense...

"We can get the defense out there and hopefully get a three-and-out to give our offense some momentum. We want to get them fired up to go out there and move the ball down the field."

On playing for head coach Pete Carroll...

"He knows what he expects from his players. We know what we want from a coach and that is what he gives us. Some coaches don't have open practices. Some coaches don't do the things that he does as far as trying to play with you or try to run down [field] on kick-offs. At times when I am practicing my linebacker position, he will be in front of me and say `I will read this play faster than you will'. When it is all said and done, fun aside, it's time to get down and work."

On Penn State's offense...

"As far as athleticism and the way they pick up their offense and run the ball and throw the ball, this is probably one of the best spread offenses I've seen and probably the best offense I've seen this year. We just need to continue to dominate and play like we've been playing [to shut them down]. We just have to make them a one-dimensional team. Hopefully stop the run and force them to pass the ball all day. I think if we do that it will be a close game for us."

Linebacker Brian Cushing

On being part of one of the best Trojan defenses while attending USC...

"Since I've been here I would say it is one of the best. I can't say anything about previously, but since I've been here this has been the fastest, most aggressive defense. I think they have a little bit more attitude than any other defense I've played with. It's a confidence level when they go out there. They know what they are doing and are really getting the job done."

On Penn State's defense...

"They are a very stingy team on defense. They play smartly. They have very few penalties. They are a very disciplined team. They are the all-around package."

Safety Kevin Ellison

On this year's defense and its seniors...

"Hopefully we finish out strong as possible. You guys [media] decide how you rate us with the great defenses [in college football]. Hopefully we are at the top."

"I think the defense is ready [for the Rose Bowl Game]. The coaches are getting everyone ready. The players want to be a great defense, so I think they are ready."

On not having to travel to play in the Rose Bowl Game...

"It's nice. We have been here the last four years. We enjoy the week [before the game] and it is kind of like a home game for us."

Defensive End/Linebacker Clay Matthews

On his family's history keeping him motivated to succeed...

"Obviously when you have a dad, an uncle and also a grandfather who has played in the NFL, you think you are going to be the same way. Unfortunately that wasn't the case for me as far as college was concerned. I think every athlete believes they can make it to the next level. Obviously, I had a lot of skeptics at the beginning, but I always thought I could make it with these guys and make it to the next level."

Offensive Guard Jeff Byers

On being motivated to play in the Rose Bowl Game for the fourth consecutive year...

"It is still fun. If you want to have fun, you will have fun regardless of where you are. We have never played Penn State in the Rose Bowl Game. I don't think we are going to be asleep at the wheel playing against Penn State. They are a very good football team, very well rounded. People forget that these guys are one win away from playing for the national championship."

On playing against Penn State's defense...

"We have to go out there and we can't make mistakes [against them]. If you want to beat a good defense you have to be very disciplined. You have to execute. You can't jump off side. You have to have everyone on the same page blocking. That's how you beat a good defense and move the ball. If you execute right, you should be alright."

On Penn State's team as a whole...

"This is not your typical Big Ten team. They are quick. They are mobile. They are fast on offense. On defense, they run just a couple defenses, but they are very good at it. They play very disciplined. Their linebackers are solid. Their line is extremely good. Their secondary plays really well in their schemes. We have a lot of work to do to execute against these guys."

Head Coach Joe Paterno

Opening Statement... "It's good to be here. It has been a great week. I think we're ready to play. We'll find out in a couple days. It's a great challenge to play a team as well coached as Southern California is and as talented they are. It's fun to watch them because they play with such enthusiasm. They are so aware of where they are. We're looking forward to it. Up to a point, we'll find out."

On the break between the Rose Bowl Game and the end of the Big Ten Conference season... "I don't particularly like the arrangement where the Big Ten doesn't play any games. We were through before Thanksgiving. Everybody is playing. It's as if the Big Ten goes into hibernation and these other teams are competing and competing against good teams. I think we're at a little bit of a disadvantage but I don't think that will really have an effect where it will have an impact on the outcome of the game. I think Southern California, the more you watch them, the more you are impressed with them. I think Southern California is one of the four-five best teams in the country, without a doubt. They may be the best team in the country. Certainly the best coached or better coached than anybody. I think the six weeks off bothers me a little bit. I think Southern California, playing a home game, hasn't had quite the logistics problems we have had, as far as getting back and forth to practice. We spend almost two hours a day sitting in a bus going back and forth to practice, which has bothered me more than anything. I'd like to give these kids a chance to have fun. We're ready to play. If we get licked, it's because Southern Cal is a better team."

On the variability of one play in a football game... "Football games are a funny thing. There will be 140 to 150 plays per game, any one of which, if someone gets a little careless with the football or has a foolish penalty in the clutch, if it's a close ball game, will have a bearing on it. I watched a little bit of the Missouri vs. Northwestern game last night and Northwestern was pretty much in control of things. They kicked the ball off before the half and [Jeremy Maclin] run the ball back 80 yards. After half time it was a different ball game. So I think that any one play have something to do with the eventual outcome [of the game]. What that play is going to be? You'd have to be Nostradamus to know."

On critics of the Big Ten's bowl performances... "Some years you have teams who maybe play a little better in bowl games. We've won three straight bowl games as a Big Ten member. We were in a BCS bowl game [Orange Bowl] three years ago and we won that one. Whether you have to carry the whole conference on your back, I haven't thought of it that way. I think its Penn State playing against Southern California. It's a real challenge for us regardless of whether we are a Big Ten school or not a Big Ten school. I hope we can play well and our kids can walk away from the game saying we gave it our best shot."

On the ability of USC to go on a scoring run... "You watch so much football on television these days, one [team] blends into another. Quarterback gets hot and all of a sudden they're on a streak. I think the observation of Southern California is absolutely right. If they get you on the ropes and they get a couple things going. Hang on. What Pete [Carroll] does so well, you never know if they are going to be in a single back [formation] or double back, [because] they do it with the same personnel. Once they get you a little of place they know exactly what to do with it. You don't know if a tight end is a tight end or if he is really a slot back. If they get you on a run, they smell blood. Another team like it, off the top of my head, we probably played a couple. I'd be making it up if I told you now I really knew."

On signing a three-year contract extension... "I think the university was very gracious. They wanted to put something in writing. We prolong the thing until it became a recruiting [hindrance]. Kids wanted to know. We needed a contract. Penn State is a little different. This thing called loyalty permeates almost everything I've done at the University. Loyalty to coaches, loyalty to faculty, loyalty to my assistant coaches. It never really was a factor for me. Finally I had a little bit of time. I thought maybe we should put something down so we can tell the media I've signed a contract. They put something in writing and they did it. It was nothing we really needed. It has helped in the sense that some kids know when I tell them that I'll be around three, four or five more years that it is probably a reality."

On USC's defense... "[USC's defense] is right up there at the top. We've played a great defensive game in 1978 when we played Alabama in the Sugar Bowl for the National Championship. John Majors, the old coach at Pitt and then at Tennessee, said it was the best defensive football game he has even seen. It was pretty close. Southern California hustles. They get good position. They take advantage of any mistake you make. They are very impressive. They have big kids who can run. [Brian] Cushing, a kid we tried hard to get. The outside linebacker, the middle linebacker, two safeties, you are looking at kids big enough to play linebacker. That can do some things that they can do in the secondary, rush the passer well. They're smart. They come off blocks well. They're one of the better defensive teams I've ever seen. They've been consistent. Every time you give up 11 touchdowns in a year against some of the teams they have played. You have played darn good defense. They do everything well. If you make a mistake they hurt you . Tie that in with the kicking game. That kid kicks off the ball and you start from your 20. It's a formidable combination of their great kicking game and their defense. Smart tough kids who come after you after every down. They don't let up. They come after you after every blow."

Wide Receiver Deon Butler

On the success he has had at Penn State...
"I never questioned my ability once I got here. Penn State was the right place for me. I knew I could succeed. I never really thought I would have a record-breaking season. I knew I could contribute to a Division I team, but maybe not to this extent."

On choosing to attend Penn State...
"I fell in love with it. The crowd and the fans are great. My teammates, I've loved them all since I've been here. Coach Paterno is a legend. All of those little factors are what made me come to Penn State."

On what it means to be the all-time leading receiver in Penn State history...
"It means a lot when I step back and look at the list and see my name up there with the other great players that have had successful careers in the NFL. When the season ends I will be able to reflect on it a little more."

Quarterback Daryll Clark

On USC's defense...
"The thing that stands out about them is their speed and how big they are and how intense they play. All around, they are a real solid defense."

"This is a different team than [other teams Penn State has faced]. They're a little bigger, a little stronger. It is a real intense football team. You can't beat these guys by being tricky. You just have to line-up and play."

"The entire defensive unit [stands out]. You have 11 guys get after the ball as soon as it's thrown or handed off. They're really intense. They have speed. The stats don't lie."

On watching film to prepare...
"You watched games to see how other quarterbacks play against this team. You evaluate them and see how you will play against them. Those teams are different teams. That is where it stops."

On keeping focused...
"Once the game is around the corner, you stop paying attention to the stats that are shown on TV and whatever is said outside the locker room and the team meetings. You just put everything together and play your game. You can't worry about what they've done in past years or throughout the season. They're playing one more game and you are playing one more game. You'll have to wait and see what happens."

On USC safety Taylor Mays...
"He's a beast. He can really run fast. He can cover a lot of ground. I am going to have to work my eyes a little bit and see if he is looking off."

Defensive Tackle Abe Koroma

On the advice the coaches have given the team...
"The coaches told us to step back and focus on the things we needed to do [to be successful]. There's not a straight path to it. We just try to come out here and do the right things in the right way."

On more media attention being given to USC's defense...
"I'm not surprised they are not talking about us. We know what we have to do. We see what is going on in the media and on TV, but we don't pay attention to that. When the ball kicks off [in the Rose Bowl Game], we've got a job to do."

Linebacker Sean Lee

On coming to the Rose Bowl injured...
"It's a dream to play in the Rose Bowl. We were at the Lawry's Beef Bowl and they played a big highlight film and right then, [I was] jealous because I wanted to be on the field. At the same time these are the kids I came in with and they've worked extremely hard. To see all their hard work pay off has been really rewarding."

On wanting to play...
"It's tough and I'll be at practice, pacing back and forth, wanting to be on the field. Especially now, physically, I feel a lot better. That's really tough."

On coaching this season...
"If you go through the process of game planning against a team, you watch them during the game and how they try to attack you. You just get used to the looks they throw at you. I feel like, now, I can go into a film session and watch a certain team we've played three years in a row and know exactly what they're going to try to do and what they've done in the past."

Aaron Maybin

On the NFL draft...
"I'm not thinking about the [NFL] draft right now. Everything is focused on USC. I'm not thinking about next year at this point. Everything I'm focused on has to do with the Rose Bowl [game]. I don't want the focus to be on me at this point. The team has worked very hard to get to the point where we are at right now and to be in the position to play such a great game. I'll be doing my teammates a disservice if I brought the attention to myself. I just want to get this game out of the way and then think about it."

On the assessment of the season...
"Aside from the [Iowa] game, we played very well. We lived up to our expectations. Obviously there is still room for improvement and there is a lot we could do differently. We're hoping this game could take us to the next level."

Safety Anthony Scirrotto

On looking back at his career at Penn State...
"It has been great. There has been a lot of learning. There have been good times and bad times, but that is what this whole college experience is all about. To end it [his career] playing in the Rose Bowl Game is awesome."

On the talk and distractions that the Rose Bowl Game brings to a team...
"We are going to hear it, we know it is going to be there, but we just channel it out. We know what we are here for and that is to play a game. We aren't doing anything but studying film and practicing. We put all of that other stuff to the side and let everyone else worry about it. We are just here to play."

On the chemistry of the Penn State defensive backs...
"We just have great chemistry back there. We have been playing together for a while and we are all on the same page. We all work together as one unit. We all rely on each other to pick each other's slack up when need be."

Wide Receiver Derrick Williams

On the Rose Bowl Game match-up between Penn State and USC being just another college football game...
"We are playing just another college football team, but they have a good one. They've been here four years straight. They've won their [Pac-10] conference to get here [Rose Bowl Game]."

On Penn State's being the underdog...
"I think people have been underrating us all year. What can we say? What can we do, but go out there and play. We are one win away from being in the national championship [game]. People have been saying we are the underdogs, but all we can do is go out and prove that we are a great team."

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