WATCH: USC interim co-DCs Shaun Nua, Brian Odom talk about taking on role
USC's interim co-defensive coordinators Shaun Nua and Brian Odom talked with media Tuesday after practice about former DC Alex Grinch's firing, how they're approaching the role and most importantly what impact they can make with just two games left in the regular season.
"That’s the million-dollar question right now. When we go in and visit, what can we change to help the guys execute at a high level and what can we not? We’ll find out Saturday," Nua said.
Said Odom: "It's a great question. ... Schematically, what can we digest, what do we need to change, what do we not need to change, can we keep the same? You know, you've obviously got to be respectful to the players in terms of allowing those guys to play fast and do what they know. And you don't want to veer too far off of that, because if you do that then they would be very confused and everybody else would be disappointed, so we're trying to keep as much same as, as we can, trying to be more efficient with it, play with a lot of energy and have a lot of fun while we're out here. Because we have a great opportunity."
The Trojans (7-3, 5-2 Pac-12) visit No. 6-ranked Oregon (8-1, 5-1) on Saturday in Eugene, facing the top-scoring offense in the country (USC is second).
Given how the defense has performed the last six weeks, that seems a daunting challenge, but the Trojans do indeed have a chance to play their way into the Pac-12 championship game if they can win their final two games.
Head coach Lincoln Riley had said Monday that because there are still such stakes to play for, he thought it was worth making the change at defensive coordinator now rather than at the end of the season.
"We can all be down about it and upset, but there's a great opportunity in front of this team, there's a great opportunity in front of this defense, and I'm excited about it," Odom said. "We've had a lot of fun, it's been a lot of work over the past couple days, but we've had some fun in the staff room just in terms of game-planning and really just diving in and seeing what we wanted to do. With that being said, I don't even really remember what day it is right now. We've been grinding away at it, and we'll go give it our best shot."
It has not been revealed who will be calling the defensive plays on Saturday.
Watch the full interviews here and scroll down for complete transcripts of Nua's and Odom's comments ...
RELATED: How much can defensive coordinator change help USC for final games? | Video interviews with USC defensive players reacting to the coaching change | Lincoln Riley talks Alex Grinch firing, pledges to build a 'great defense'
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Full Shaun Nua transcript
How can change at this point help defense?
“Well, we got to find a spark, got to get the guys to play as a unit and go execute at a high level. Obviously, a change was made so that we can look for that spark and look for a different outcome."
What was your reaction to the decision?
“You never wish this, or hope for anything like this, because we’re humans. And when you spend a lot of time in the eoffice, day in and day out, night in night out, with people, you get close to them and you get to know them, so it’s never easy. So the first thing coming to mind was Alex, and his family.”
What went wrong against Washington?
“We didn’t make plays. Just like you saw on film, we didn’t, we couldn’t get a stop, and we had a chance to get stops, we did, but we didn’t make ‘em.”
Anything different in practice?
“Just, continuing an increase of the energy in the guys’ minds, and having them buy in to what we’re trying to do, and just increase of the intensity in their minds, and just execute at a high level. That’s it. That’s both effort and assignment.”
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