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Published Dec 13, 2020
The best quotes and reactions to USC's momentous win over UCLA
TrojanSports Staff  •  TrojanSports
Staff

Many USC fans are still processing the Trojans' dramatic 43-38 win over rival UCLA on Saturday night.

To help, we've rounded up the best postgame video and reaction from social media as well as the best quotes from the Trojans after the victory.

RELATED: First-and-10: The major reactions and reflections from USC's dramatic win over UCLA | USC does it again, erasing 18-point deficit to stun UCLA

Postgame videos

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They said it

QB Kedon Slovis on the Trojans' penchant for late-game comebacks:

"At this point, we've been through that situation so many times I feel like everyone kind of has their cool and just has that experience from those other games -- it really helps. This is probably the most difficult situation we've had time-wise, but none of the guys seemed fazed and that definitely helps when you're in that pressure situation."

Coach Clay Helton on the Trojans' resilience:

"The entire second half I never saw one kid let up, one kid quit fighting and just down the stretch just make play after play after play. "Great college football game. ... I have some special memories in this stadium, but this year in 2020, with this team, that's about as special as it gets."

Helton on UCLA taking the lead with 52 seconds left:

"I knew if we just had one more opportunity they would make something happen -- that's who this team is. And as soon as we called timeout after third down [before UCLA's field goal] and there was 52 seconds left, I said to myself it doesn't matter if they make this or not -- there's an opportunity there for our guys."

On Slovis audibling on the last two pass plays of the game:

Helton: "What an unbelievable check by Kedon on the play to TV (Tyler Vaughns) to send him deep. He made me nervous on the fade (to Amon-Ra St. Brown), but he's got the courage of a damn lion with the RPO. It was fun to watch."

Slovis: "Coach said on the sideline, 'If you see man, check it' so we checked a shot to Tyler first. I overthrew him earlier in the game so I just wanted to give him a chance to make a spectacular catch. And then on the goal line, we saw man again -- we had a run called, but I checked it over to Amon-Ra. That worked out for us. It probably gave Coach Helton a tough time, but sorry about that coach."

Helton: "That's OK."

Slovis: "It worked out for us."

Helton: "I know you'll do it again."

More from Helton on Slovis' late-game poise:

"Anytime that we feel like our back is up against the wall, playmakers, vets make plays. I'll never forget TV's catch -- that catch and throw. I'll be 80 years old and I'll remember that play. One, to have the courage to check it and make that throw at that time, and TV making that play. I've always thought great quarterbacks shine when the game's on the line, and I've watched No. 9 in three situations just do what championship quarterbacks do. He's done it against this league now his whole career -- I think he's 12-1 now as a starting quarterback in this league. He's done a phenomenal job."

Helton on Drake London's 65-yard TD, as he briefly bobbled the ball while making half the UCLA defense miss tackles:

"Drake's a special player. That play, gosh almighty, it gave you a heart attack when the ball went up in the air and then he caught it looked like a damn horse carrying people into the end zone. It really got the emotion up and allowed us just to relax for a second and take a deep breath. There were a bunch of big plays in that game, and that one really started us off."

Helton on defensive adjustments down the stretch:

"I thought we calmed down a little bit. One of the things I really admire about Coach Kelly is his creativity, and every game you're going to get some sort of unbalance, some sort of option, you just don't know what formation it's going to be out of and how he's going to run it. The first four or five series in the game he kind of had us on our heels. I credit TO (Todd Orlando), he came in very calmly at halftime, said 'Guys, this is what we've got to do, these are the adjustments and just play better -- make our plays.' We're in position and we missed some tackles against some talented players. In the second half there were some huge plays. I can't thank Talanoa enough for just a huge momentum play on the pick that allowed us to set up another score. We came in at halftime, said you know what, we just took their best shot, we're not playing great ball right now, let's flip the switch, let's play our brand of football and fight for 30 minutes and see what happens. And it took all 30 to get it done."

Slovis on the offense's slow start:

"I don't want the narrative to be that the offense didn't play well because I think the offense actually did a good job in the first half -- it was kind of my play held us back. If I played like I did in the second half in the first half it's kind of a different outcome."

Helton on not knowing for sure if USC will play Washington or Oregon (if Huskies can't overcome COVID issues) in Pac-12 championship game Friday:

"This was a short week for us, so the kids got a feel for what it is for it to pop on you pretty quick. The only difference here is we're going to have to prepare for two teams while Washington and Oregon are obviously preparing for us. We'll take a nap tonight, get up really early in the morning tomorrow and go to work. This was a short week going Sunday and a Saturday game. Now we have Saturday to a Friday game. What a great opportunity. This is where we wanted to be at the beginning of this is put ourselves in for a chance to win a championship. ...

"We said any time, any place, anywhere, and we're fortunate, we're glad that we're home, we're glad that we're in the great city of Los Angeles and we'll see who we get and we'll go put the ball down and play."

Players and coaches take to Twitter

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Former QB JT Daniels enjoys the win

Former USC quarterback JT Daniels, fresh off another big performance for Georgia, was live tweeting during the end of the Trojans game and rooting on his former teammates.

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More former players chime in ...

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Recruits react ...

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Hmm ...

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