Everything Clay Helton and players said after USC's win over Utah

Opening comments ...

"What a great win for our football team. To come to Salt Lake, which is a really tough place to play, to go against a Kyle Whittingham team that is in my opinion one of the best coaches in the country and to come out of here with a win -- which was a big win for us and for our season, really proud of our kids. I thought the storyline tonight, one, was our defense. I thought they played amazing the entire game, really only giving up 10 points themself -- we gave up 7 points offensively -- but we had a goal in the second half coming out of the locker room that we didn't want to allow another point. And unbelievable, I thought the defense in the second half rallied and rallied and rallied, turnover after turnover, fourth-down stops, just did an amazing job. Kana'i coming in making the most of his opportunity, the play-makers in the back end with the interceptions that they got, multiple sacks by the defensive front, I thought we got the quarterback off his spot all night.

"The other thing that I thought needs to be said and noticed was the kicking game. I thought the two specialists did an amazing job tonight -- both Parker Lewis in kick coverage and also with field goals that he made, and then Ben just not allowing them the opportunity to get a return started. Our defense and our special teams, I thought was stellar. Not on all cylinders offensively tonight. We did enough to get it done and put enough points on the board to get the win."

What was the difference you saw tonight compared to the first two weeks?

CH: "I thought execution defensively was phenomenal. I thought they played with a swagger tonight and played with tremendous emotion. I think that we are growing as a football team. Coming to Salt Lake where I know with Kyle, they had not lost a home opener in the last 11 years, and I think it's 18 total, and to come in here with the mindset this team had that we're going to do whatever it took to come out here with the win and get 1-0 on the week, 3-0 on the season, I thought their mindset was an improvement from the last two weeks."

What was the defensive gameplan?

CH: "I thought the defensive front was stellar. We talked about that we had to stop the run. We knew they were going to come in, they had always been a 60-percent-run-plus team against us, and so that was the initial -- at all costs stop the run even if that means loaded boxes. They put a little pressure on the secondary, but they held their own and that allowed us to get to third down and then our pass rushers did an amazing job. They forced throws that caused interceptions, sacks, fumbles in the backfield. It just felt like we were playing in the backfield all night, and credit to TO, credit to Vic, Donte and Craig, they put an amazing game plan together, but more importantly the kids executed it."

What was the situation with Markese Stepp not playing and Stephen Carr barely playing?

CH: "Markese had a pectoral strain that we were hoping would get better throughout the week. He practiced through the week, but just wasn't himself there. Stephen was the same way. He didn't practice a lot during the week, and then got a little bit of a knee to the back and we went ahead and pulled him. We kind of knew it was going to be Vavae's game and Kenan's game, and I thought they did a nice job. Kenan came in and gave us an explosive run, and Vavae was that every-down back that we needed. I thought he did a good job running the ball, also in pass protection tonight. I was hoping both would get back to the game -- Stephen was really close, but 'Kese we just decided not to dress out tonight."