Lincoln Riley is going through his first UCLA rivalry week as USC head coach, but that goes for a large number of players on this team with all the transfer newcomers.

Riley talked about how the rivalry is being viewed within the team, the matchup with UCLA and QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, expectations for the running game without Travis Dye, updates on USC's injured players and more.

Watch the full interview here and scroll down for our complete transcript of Riley's comments:

Is there an important emphasis to make during rivalry weeks?

"In my experience with them, I would say typically the team that, there's a lot of emotion and excitement in these games, and that's what makes them fun -- makes them fun for the players, makes them fun for the fans, people across the country watch -- you've got to balance that with playing great football. That can get lost in it sometimes, the heat of the battle, that you have to really balance it. You have to have poise, but you also have to have the intensity too. You can't do it without that. You have to understand the intent of this game, the emotions of this game, that just the overall intensity will be a little bit different like they are in good rivalry games, so it should be a lot of fun. We've got a staff that's been in a couple of these. So we've got some good messaging for the guys and I think they'll take it and be ready to play."

And a lot of the players on both teams grew up around each other and know each other ...

"Yeah, definitely, the inner-city rivalry here is new for us. We've been a part of ones within the state, or neighboring states. This one obviously has a little bit different feel to it that way, so yeah, it just adds something even more fun to it."

A lot of the players on this team, as transfers, have not played in this game. How do you get them acquainted with the rivalry this week?

"We're not doing anything, honestly, too specific with this rivalry. I mean, and not to discount it in any way. We've acknowledged that this game in some ways is going to feel different. We've acknowledged it is a rivalry game, there's a lot of history behind it, it's going to be a great game to play in. But past that I think we're really zeroed in on what we believe is going to help us play well and that's where our focus is going to be. Other than both teams wearing home jerseys, I don't know there's a whole lot different, to be honest. And they're awesome -- one of the best parts of our job is getting to coach in these, but our focus is getting these guys ready to play."

What stood out to you about Dorian Thompson-Robinson in your first two games against him (while at Oklahoma)?

"He had to be like 15 at that time, it feels like. Good lord. It's just hard to believe that Kyler was playing, which to me just seems like age ago. I feel like he's been in the NFL forever. Dorian was just starting, and he was impressive from the jump. He really was. He's a really good player. You could tell he had some real ability at a young age, and I could tell -- we played him twice -- so the second year when we came out here to the Rose Bowl you could tell he had really improved, and it looks like he just continued to improve. Which, talented player like him and him being coached by the guys that are coaching him, it's not surprise that he has. When you watch him you see a guy that's played a lot of ball and played a lot of ball in that system, knows it extremely well, has got good confidence in it, they've got good playmakers around him. So he's obviously had a phenomenal year. It's fun to see -- I've seen kind of the beginning and I'll see a little bit of the end. I'm always a fan of guys that lead and play the game at a high level, so it's been fun to watch him. He's had a tremendous year, obviously a tremendous career for those guys."

Caleb Williams is new to this rivalry while DTR has been in it for a long time ...

"They've both played in pretty big games. Dorian, like I said, has been playing for a long time, Caleb has played in a lot of not only rivalry games but games with title implications. And those get different this time of year. Both guys are obviously very good players, but I like where our guy's been and some of the battles he's been in. I think that will help him play well."