USC football: Trojan scout team wears UCLA colors

USC plays its opener against Minnesota on Saturday.

The Trojans do not play rival UCLA until the final game of the season in late November.

But USC Coach Lane Kiffin and his staff got the Trojans in the mood for the Bruins on Thursday. During the final scrimmage portion of practice, scout team players donned powder blue jerseys with gold numbers.

 "I guess they put them in UCLA jerseys to make it a statement as an enemy,” tailback Curtis McNeal said. “It was pretty funny."

Kiffin said, "Hopefully they’ll be motivated to get off the service team so they won’t have to wear the powder blue jerseys."

Were the jerseys a symbolic message?

“Not really,” Kiffin said. "We were bored.”

More later at latimes.com/sports

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-- Gary Klein