Bruins Senior Captain Previews Crosstown Showdown

The UCLA Bruins will have several guys playing in their final Crosstown Showdown against the USC Trojans. For fifth-year senior Kain Medrano, he has adopted this rivalry as his own and is looking to make another big impact on Saturday night.

Nov 8, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins linebacker Kain Medrano (20) strips the ball from Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Brendan Sullivan (1) giving the Bruins possession in the first half at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins (4-6) are gearing up for their arch-rival USC (5-5) this Saturday night in hopes of winning their third in the past four years. Fifth-year senior linebacker Kain Medrano spoke to the media on Tuesday regarding the final rivalry battle that he will be a part of in his collegiate career.

A native of Pueblo, Colorado, Medrano essentially had to learn the rivalry through his first few years of college. He has had to rely on his years of experience and California native teammates to understand the bitter taste each program has for each other and how deep the rivalry goes.

Medrano gave credit to his teammates that have been around this rivalry since they were kids.

"Yeah, it's the guys across town, it's that mindset obviously when it hits this week or last week, that as soon as that Sunday hits, after we watch the film, it's done and it's on to 'SC' week," Medrano said. "We got a coach that played here and has been in that game, so it's that rivalry, that bitterness is just that much more just because you get that true rivalry where everybody's kind of been through it. They know what it is, they know how gritty and how tough it is."

With a first-year head coach that had previously been a part of the staff, DeShaun Foster has been with Medrano since the beginning of his career and has lived and breathed this rivalry since the late 90's. Medrano was asked about how he has seen what this matchup means to his head coach.

"It means a lot," Medrano said. "You see him fired up in the team meetings on Monday. He's fired up just every day, coming out here and that just says a lot about who he is week in, week out. He comes fired up, and you can just see it a lot more this week, is just his energy is felt, it's more present."

The Bruins will stack up against one of the Big Ten's best running back in senior Woody Marks. He is one of just five backs in the conference that has gained over 1,000 yards on the ground this season (1,024). He is tied for fifth in the Big Ten with nine rushing touchdowns.

Funny enough, the Bruins have faced all five of those rushers with over 1,000 yards: Kaleb Johnson (Iowa), Kyle Monangai (Rutgers), Jordan James (Oregon) and Jonah Colemna (Washington). Marks is the fifth and final top rusher in the Big Ten that will see the Bruins defense.

Medrano is familiar with the senior running back but will face him for the first time as Marks transferred to the Trojans program this past offseason after four years with Mississippi State. Medrano also praised the offensive line for their role in Mark's success.

"He [Marks] runs hard, their linemen get good push up front," Medrano said. "They do a great job with when they get attached to blocks, finishing blocks. He does a great job of being patient, finding the hole when it's there, and then if it's there, he's downhill. You see that work across college football a lot."

Marks has also been utilized heavily in the pass game for both programs that he has played for. 55 straight games with a reception for Marks make him a dangerous threat on wheel and out routes from short yardage on necessary first down snaps.

As a linebacker, Medrano must key in on that part of Marks' game. He talked about what the preparation will entail for him and the rest of the position group.

"Just looking at film, we know he's [Marks] involved in the pass game very heavily," Medrano said. "Obviously, as a linebacker, we're going to have to keep our eyes peeled for that, and just as a defense overall, we'll have to keep our eyes peeled just for his concepts and where he's involved in the pass game."

The Bruins are seeking back-to-back rivalry game wins after a 28-20 win, upsetting the Trojans and No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams. They will look to replicate their performance from a season with Medrano and several other defenders playing a big role and shutting down this offense attack.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @UCLAInsideronSI and @tcav30 and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.