As the No. 7-ranked Trojans (6-0, 4-0 Pac-12) prepare for one of their most anticipated games of the season, at No. 20 Utah (4-2, 2-1) this Saturday, Lincoln Riley talked to reporters after practice Tuesday about preparing for a loud road environment, his experience recruiting Utes QB Cam Rising and more.
Riley also talked about the Trojans' pass rushing success, RB Travis Dye's leadership, the situation at left tackle, the struggles in the passing game last week and how he wants the team to approach the second half of the schedule.
Watch the full interview here and scroll down for a complete transcript of his comments.
Has Kiel McDonald given you his scouting report on Utah from his experience there?
"We've had good talks about it. I've always been careful about overdoing something like that. People change and adapt from year to year. Somebody that maybe was with us at the previous spot last year wouldn't understand the differences now. I think more the focus for us, kind of like the question a few weeks ago with Eric Gentry when we played Arizona State, is trying to stay focused on us, trying to stay focused on executing what we do. That's way more important, especially with a really good football team."
What is the preparation for playing in a tough road environment this week?
"Yeah, it will be a fun atmosphere. We need to operate a little bit more clean, that will be important for us. We think we'll be ready to do that. Obviously, part of playing great road football there's different dynamics that you have to handle well and we need to handle them well this week."
What can Raleek Brown learn from watching Travis Dye?
"Consistency in the way ... you all see it on Saturday, we see it every single day. There's a reason why the guy plays like he does week in and week out. He prepares at an elite level, he's very consistent, he makes very few mental mistakes, he's very mature, he's a very consistent competitor. Because of that, it shows up all the time on Saturdays. For a guy that has talent like Raleek, it's important to learn those lessons. Travis Dye probably didn't know those as a freshman either. Sometimes those are things that you grow into, and Raleek is growing and it's a great thing for him to shoot for, a great role model. If he can develop his game the way Travis has, he'll have a chance to be a very good player."
