No. 6 USC prepares for Saturday’s game against Arizona State one step at a time

After the 4-0 Trojans secured a comeback win 17-14 Saturday night at Oregon State, the team had high energy and a “let’s go” mindset at Tuesday’s practice.

After practice, senior inside linebacker Ralen Goforth set the record straight on maintaining a concrete mentality for practice this week.

“We can’t really switch our mindset. The mindset of this team is that it’s another week that we have to prepare and not take lightly,” Goforth said. “It doesn’t matter who the opponent is. We have to control what we can control and come in to do what we do.”

Head coach Lincoln Riley had a similar opinion on the mindset that the team needs to have following tough games. Riley reflected on the team’s tough win in Corvallis.

“When the protections are out of sync, routes are a little bit out of sync, footwork, bad preparation, bad coaching — anything can make it look a little bit off,” Riley said. “We had instances of all of those.”

Senior linebacker Shane Lee spoke about defensive coordinator Alex Grinch’s message to the defense that had a solid outing against the Beavers.

“The biggest thing is that it’s hard to win,” Lee said. “A lot of times you take it for granted and football is a last minute standing kind of game.”

Riley expressed what the team needs to refocus on in preparation for its home game against Arizona State. Arizona State’s redshirt junior quarterback Emory Jones is a threat in both the pass and run game. The challenge to get him to the ground will be a steep one for the Trojans.

“We need to coach better, prep our guys better, play better and play more precise,” Riley said. “I think we will this Saturday.”

The team has confidence that sophomore quarterback Caleb Williams will play as Riley hopes for the team in future games. Williams threw a 21-yard strike to junior wide receiver Jordan Addison with 1:13 on the clock to lift the Trojans to the victory. Williams’ connection with Addison is undeniable — and not just on the field.

“He’s a great quarterback. He’s accurate and has a strong arm,” Addison said. “I can learn from him in not just football but just life.”

The Trojans also forced Oregon State’s redshirt junior quarterback Chance Nolan to throw four interceptions. USC sits at No. 1 in the nation in interceptions, recording 11 in the first four weeks. Redshirt senior defensive back Mekhi Blackmon was one of four players to secure an interception during Saturday’s game.

“I have dropped interceptions in the past, so I was surprised about that one because it fell right into my arm,” Blackmon said.

Redshirt freshman defensive back Ceyair Wright also caught his first career interception against the Beavers, and Blackmon had nothing but praise to say of the young player.

“I was just so happy to see him finally get his first pick under his belt,” Blackmon said.

Being No. 1 in the nation in interceptions isn’t the Trojans’ only accolade. USC is also tied at No. 1 for the most takeaways with 14. Lee spoke about the defense’s strong mentality that has allowed the defense to flourish.

“Taking it day by day and really just putting your best foot forward in everything that you are doing,” Lee said.

While the Trojans are showing no signs of slowing down, Blackmon highlighted the reality of Saturday’s win over Oregon State.

“Last week’s win doesn’t do anything for us this week,” Blackmon said. “We have to continue to fight.”

The Trojans look to go 5-0 this weekend against the Sun Devils. The game starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Coliseum and will be aired on ESPN.