Drake Jackson declared back in August that this was going to be his "money year," as in he was intent on declaring for the NFL draft after a big junior season.
So after going two games without getting to the quarterback, Jackson sure seemed to unleash any pent up frustration on the backside of Washington State's Victor Gabalis on Saturday while making his first sack of the season count.
Jackson pummeled Gabalis from the blindside in the third quarter and knocked the ball loose in the end zone, where teammate Tuli Tuipulotu recovered for a touchdown as part of USC's second-half domination in a 45-14 win in Pullman, Wash.
"Go get paid. Go get paid," Jackson shared Wednesday of what he was thinking after blowing past the left tackle. "It's been many times where I beat the tackle and the ball is out, so I just have to make sure I get there before the ball gets out."
That had been the company line through the first two games, as the USC defense went without a sack as a unit until Saturday when linebacker Kana'i Mauga, Jackson and nickel Jaylin Smith all delivered QB takedowns.
For Jackson in particular, though, defensive line coach Vic So'oto suggested that he thinks there were a couple more game-changing sacks on the table for the dynamic outside linebacker the first couple weeks -- and hopefully many more now over the rest of the season.
"I don't even think that was his best rush of the season. He had some really good rushes the first and second game. But this one just happened at a great time and we got the ball," So'oto said. "I think he could have had and he knows he should have two more sack fumbles in previous games, but he didn't do what we had planned. ...
"I think for him it's being consistent. That's everybody, is being consistent and understanding who the opponent is and instead of trying to do your own thing just stick to the plan and keep doing what the opponent's bad at and attack that."
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Jackson, speaking out of earshot at the same time as So'oto, offered a similar assessment as to what allowed the Trojans to get their first tallies in the sack column in that third game.
"Really just focusing on our rush plan that we had for the week and just staying on it. We have to trust our game plan because that's what's going to happen during the game, and once we finally trusted our rush plan we were winning all day," he said.
In this case, Jackson had a good sense that there was an opportunity for him on that play.
"I knew they had to get the ball out and I knew they were going to do a pass because the O-lineman was setting up for a pass, and I knew it was time to get money," he reiterated.
It may have been Jackson's first sack of the season but certainly not his first big play. He had an interception in Week 1 vs. San Jose State and a tackle for loss vs. Stanford.
Jackson said he actually wasn't frustrated on the lack of sacks before Saturday, nor would he describe the first one as a relief, but if this is going to be his "money year" those are the kind of plays that will ultimately define it.
"He's been really, really close the last two games and just the ball's been thrown before he could get there. And they finally covered them in the back end long enough for him to get to the QB and those turn out to be critical plays," defensive coordinator Todd Orlando said. "... The strip sack was critical just because for his own, I think, he expects to do a lot and he's so close to it but to finally finish one and it was a really good play that got turned into a great play. That's what I liked about it because a lot of guys would have just gone through the back of somebody and taken the safety but he went for the football. ...
"Those plays just help confidence because sometimes you get in a little bit of a rut, and it's not his fault. It's just the ball's been coming out faster than he can get to the QB. But now he's got an opportunity to continue on with that. And we expected that at the beginning of the year, but it's nice to see him get rewarded. He worked his tail off last week. His GPS numbers [in practice] were as high as we've seen and he was rewarded for it."
USC is now preparing for an Oregon State team that has only given up 3 sacks all season as it's led by a ground attack that averages 194 yards per game and takes pressure off of the quarterback.
But now that Jackson has gotten a taste of it, he is hoping for more this week.
"We're just in the film room getting it in and we're just trying to find the ins and outs that we need to find so we can attack them the right way," he said. "This is my first time playing them so I'm really just eager to see what them tackles are about and I want to go get them sacks."
