Notes and takeaways from the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥â€™ post-practice media availability Wednesday morning as USC week continues:
* ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ cracked the College Football Playoff rankings Tuesday night, a cool achievement but not the team’s ultimate goal. “We were definitely excited about that,†freshman DE-LB Kylan Wilborn said. “It’s been a turnaround from last year. It shows improvement. But you gotta put that aside. It’s rankings at the end of the day. It’s just a number on a board. It doesn’t mean much. You’ve gotta keep going, keep grinding, keep doing what we’ve been doing to get there.â€
*ÌýUA coach Rich Rodriguez doesn't think his team is satisfied with its achievements to date. I get same sense from the players: They're still out to prove something.
*ÌýDoes ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ believe it can beat USC on Saturday night? I get the sense the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ do. Khalil Tate’s emergence and the team’s four-game win streak have boosted everyone’s confidence. Whether it actually happens remains to be seen.
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*ÌýRodriguez said the common thread among his top quarterbacks – from Pat White to Denard Robinson and now Khalil Tate - is that they all had a "game competitiveness and game speed."
*ÌýRodriguez on Tate today vs. the Tate who made his first career start as 17-year-old vs. USC last October: "He’s a completely different player now."
*ÌýTate on his growth since then: “I’m a year older. I’m 19. I just know more. I’m more aware of certain things, situations, and more evolved as a leader.â€
*ÌýTight end Jamie Nunley on Tate: “We’re playing with a ‘Madden’ character."
*ÌýHow does ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ go about attacking USC's big, athletic defense? Rodriguez: "We’ve just gotta do what we do."
*ÌýBrian Knorr, who coaches the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥â€™ edge rushers, is looking for DeAndre' Miller to step up. "Now’s the time,†Knorr said. “He’s had a good week of practice. We need him."
*ÌýKnorr, also ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥'s special-teams coach, wasn't surprised that freshman kicker Lucas Havrisik drilled a 57-yard field goal against Washington State. "When he hits that ball,†Knorr said, “it’s a different sound.â€
*ÌýI’m hearing good things about several ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ scout-team defenders. That group includes freshmen My-King Johnson, Jose Ramirez, Malik Hausman, Xavier Bell and Rhedi Short, as well as transfer Sione Taufahema. Those players will benefit greatly from the extra bowl practices the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ will have in December. “That’s huge,†Knorr said. “That’s an extra spring football.â€
*ÌýA handful of ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ coaches will go out to Los Angeles-area high schools to recruit Friday night, taking advantage of the SoCal trip and the late Saturday start (7:45 p.m.).
