UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel and Pete Carroll fielded questions about the crosstown rivalry on Thursday, and Neuheisel is embracing the challenge of living next door to USC.
“I think you have to embrace it,” Neuheisel said. “They’re the elephant in the living room. They’ve earned it. They’ve done an unbelievable job. Pete is to be commended what’s taken place there the last six to seven years. The transformation from middle of the pack to not just leader of the pack but leader of the country. You can’t be a coach at UCLA and not find a way to compete and be successful with USC. That’s part of the deal. The good news is that when we catch them and I say when, we’ll not only have caught the leader of the pack but the program that can rightfully challenge for the big prizes.”