WATCH: Raiqwon O'Neal on UCLA-USC Rivalry, Protecting the Quarterback
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UCLA football left tackle Raiqwon O'Neal spoke with reporters following Monday morning's practice session at the Wasserman Football Center. O'Neal talked about his first impressions of the atmosphere at the Bruins' game against the Trojans on Saturday, the responsibility of the offensive line in keeping quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson level-headed, his thoughts on West Coast football, how he is working to improve every day, what he has learned about Cal in the film room and what his plans are for Thanksgiving.
How easy was it for you to buy into the UCLA-USC rivalry?
Well, for me, it was my guys around me that just told me about the rivalry, how it was for them the last four to five years. Whoever was here, they just told me how much energy, how much time they put in. Even the coaches around me told me how much this game to them and like, it just like, grew on me so I felt the rivalry like I was here for the last four to five years.
Your take on West Coast football since you're an East Coast guy?
Yes ma'am, yes ma'am. So I say it's very fast, very fast in a way. Like, everyone's fast – faster, I should say. It's like – how should I saw this? It's more a fast up-tempo, that's what I'm trying to say, just faster, up-tempo, no huddles, there's no huddles, signals – I had to get used to getting signals on the sideline instead of looking for a play call from the quarterback. I have to actually read the signals that the coach is giving us.
Do you like that?
Yes sir, I do. I do so much, I feel faster going.
UCLA-USC game live up to your expectations?
Yes sir, it did, absolutely. I loved the energy, especially from our fans. Our fans showed out and they put on a show for us and we put on a show for them. We didn't like the way it turned out – give credit to USC, they came out and balled too, they came out with the upper component, but we didn't play – it wasn't enough. We played hard, but it just wasn't enough.
Another game that you've played in that equaled that kind of intensity
Um, let's see. From fans and that type of environment, it'd be when I was at Rutgers, whether it'd be at home or away at Penn State, Maryland, some would be Indiana, Illinois.
What is the offensive line's role in making sure Dorian stays level headed when he puts so much of the blame on himself?
Well we gotta look at ourselves first. We have to protect him better as a unit, be one with him, we can't put it all on him. That started up with us up front – one team, one heartbeat, we have to have to chemistry to protect him and make sure he's comfortable back there and make sure he's not touched. Two, we have to be there for him as a brother, whether or not – like, whatever outcome it is, we've got his back no matter what. I told him that on Saturday after the game, I was like, 'I got your back no matter what, we've got your back as a team no matter what. We love you to death and this is brothers for life.'
What do you see yourself doing after football?
I'm not thinking about that right now, I'm just thinking about this season right now. We've still got games ahead. Right now, our focus is on Cal, but right now, my focus is on today, our practice today and working on this film today. We gotta get 1% better each day to reach our day at the end of the week, which is 1-0 each week. So whenever that time comes, I will start thinking about that when that time comes.
What did you get 1% better at today?
1% better I got better at today was working on my feet. Working on my feet, getting my second step into the ground faster, cause I was seeing on film it was a little slow, which made me mess up the guard cause I couldn't read out faster on the D-end when he slammed in the side. So I had to get better at that today.
Would you say you really bought into Chip Kelly's philosophy?
Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely. I gotta buy in, no matter what, I gotta buy in cause it's like I said, it's one team, one heartbeat. We all gotta be on the same page, you know? We're all in this together. Our goal at the end of the week is 1-0, we all know that objective, so we all buy into what we were saying and we're gonna execute it out there.
Usually you have a 24 hour rule after a game...
Yes sir.
You didn't really get that...
No sir.
Is it difficult for the team to get back?
No sir, that's our hunger. We wanted to come out here and get that bad taste out of our mouths. We lost two games in a row, we wanted to get out here and get better and perform for our fans and perform for our team, perform for our brothers. We wanted to get better, fix what we messed up on in the game on Saturday, correct it early, fix it on film and get ready – we're gonna play Cal, which is a hard, competitive team and they're coming off of a win as well.
What did you see that you have to fix?
From me? Perspective?
Yeah, you and the offensive line?
For the offensive line, communicating. We gotta be on one page. Like, for the O-line, we all have to be as one. One person messes up, the whole play goes, the whole play's disrupted. We have to play as one together, so our communication, I would say, has to be better as an O-line, especially myself. I have to communicate with my guard and let him know 'Hey, this is coming inside' or let the center know 'Hey, I got someone on the edge. Just the communication part, that's so we all could be on one page.
What have you see from Cal?
Yeah, like I said, they play hard, they're well disciplined and they're gonna come after us cause they're hungry. They're hungry, they just came off of a win, we just came off of a loss, so they're hungry.
What are you doing for Thanksgiving?
I'm going to my coach's house. Going to my coach's house, yes ma'am. Coach Miller, he's from South Carolina as well, so I'm gonna go to his house with his family. So I'm gonna be with him on Thanksgiving.
Some food from South Carolina?
He's gonna whip something up, he's gonna whip something up, yeah.
Something that you're familiar with?
Yes sir, that's my childhood type of thing, yes sir.
So you're going for the food?
And to chill with his family, yeah! I mean, of course I'm going for the food, yeah. But don't tell him that, don't tell my coach though.
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