Parting Shot: Lane Kiffin Stumbles into Rick Neuheisel Quote at Spring Practice

The rivalry between USC and UCLA is still strong, but it certainly has diminished because of just how incredibly one-sided is has become. The Bruins haven’t won since 2006, although Rick Neuheisel was supposed to change that.

Last November—just before USC took on UCLA—Neuheisel declared to the media that UCLA had indeed “closed the gap” on USC. His team then responded by losing 50-0 to the Trojans days later. The loss still somehow got them in the Pac-12 Championship Game, which is still incredible and likely always be, and they fell to Oregon, giving up a mere 49 points this time. Neuheisel was then fired before the team’s bowl loss to Illinois in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl.

Jim Mora, Jr. has since been tagged the man to actually close the gap and will be leading the Bruins and 2012 and beyond. Lane Kiffin, however, clearly still has his ol’ pal Rick on his mind.

After spring practice on Thursday, Kiffin was asked about how the offense and defense were coming along. His answer, perhaps one final unintentional jab at the Bruins’ former leader, put Neuheisel’s classic 2011 saying into play.

It’s difficult to completely understand Kiffin as he trails off like a junior high student that just got caught smoking a cigarette, but I believe he said the following: “I think the gap is closing. Wow, I just used that term. I've never used that before. The gap has closed."

As if Rick Neuheisel cares now that he’s moved on from his last job. He’s got a crucial putt for par on the sixth hole at a luxurious country club that you and I will never play, and the only “gap” he’s concerned with at the moment is the one between the trees on the right and the trees on the left.