TUCSON, Ariz — Arizona's J.J. Taylor remembers the Wildcats 49-35 loss at USC in 2017 when Wildcat quarterback Khalil Tate had to be consoled after the defeat.
"That's where he's from," said Taylor. "It's like a home game for him. It's a home game for most of us."
Tate is from Inglewood, California. Taylor, the wildcats leading rusher, is from Corona. Cedric Peterson, the team's leading receiver, is from Morneo Valley. Each location is not far from the Los Angeles Coliseum.
"Being from California, it's always a big thing playing at the Coliseum," said Peterson. "It's a big stage. Everyone knows where USC is at."
"As a young athlete watching college football, USC was always top dog, so it's great to play against them," said Taylor. "I wasn't recruited by them, or a lot of teams, but it really doesn't matter to me. This is the school I want to play for."
"They missed out," added Peterson. "I'm here at Arizona. "This is where I want to be, so event if they had offered me, it probably wouldn't have changed my mind anyway."
