Steve Sarkisian, Jim Mora Reshaping USC-UCLA Rivalry

Jim Mora and Steve Sarkisian were neighbors in the Seattle area just a few years ago. The two head coaches are neighbors of a different kind now, sharing Los Angeles on opposite sides of the USC-UCLA rivalry.

The two were acquainted while living in the same neighborhood when Sarkisian was head coach of the Washington Huskies and Mora worked for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks.

In 2011, while he was out of coaching, Mora injured a knee skiing. Washington athletic director Scott Woodward invited Mora to rehabilitate at the university's facilities, where the longtime NFL coach gained exposure to college athletics.

On a November 2013 conference call, Mora said his rehab stint at Washington gave him "a hunger for this level."

Mora's presence at Washington was an opportunity for Sarkisian to bounce ideas off another head coach. "It was a chance for both of us to share ideas, thoughts schematically [and] philosophically," Sarkisian said.

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

Thus, indirectly, UCLA fans have USC's head coach to thank for the Bruins' successful head coach. If that sentence makes you recoil, you probably are already well-versed in the rivalry.

So, too, are Mora and Sarkisian, even if Saturday marks their first time meeting each other as a Bruin and Trojan.

Mora is leading No. 9-ranked UCLA into the Crosstown Showdown for the third time and looking to remain perfect. For Sarkisian, Saturday is his eighth installment since 2001 and first as the No. 19-ranked Trojans' head coach.

Neither needs a reminder of how much winning this game, and by extension the Victory Bell, means to the fanbase of both teams. After all, as Mora pointed out, it's tough to forget when sharing a city with a rival.

"It's different [from other rivalries] because the schools sit so close in proximity," he said. "You kind of live it every day."

Surely, the intermingling of Bruins and Trojans with the two campuses just 13 miles apart adds fuel to the competitive fire.

But with Mora and Sarkisian at the helm of each program, the USC-UCLA rivalry takes on less of a Hatfield-McCoy vibe and looks a bit friendlier.

"I've got a great deal of respect for Jim," Sarkisisan said. "I think there's a great deal of respect in both directions."

That mutual respect between coaches should be reflected among the players.

"They're another great team that has great athletes," UCLA wide receiver Jordan Payton said. "They recruit the best of them."

With both sides holding esteem for the other, it's unlikely that Saturday will produce a retread of the 2008 fight:

Or another instance of unnecessary timeouts and touchdowns in the closing seconds, similar to those that capped the 2009 matchup:

But that doesn't mean the two sides will be circled around the campfire signing folk tunes, either, because the rivalry game still weighs heavily on the long-term goals of both programs.

"Like anything, we're both really good competitors," Sarkisian said. "We'll want to win on the football field and in recruiting."

For Sarkisian's Trojans, two straight losses in the series represent added motivation to win this time around.

"You never want to lose to your rival, even if it's one game in a row," USC quarterback Cody Kessler said. "It's something we're going to take personal and everyone on this team will tell you that."

Meanwhile, Pac-12 Championship implications are on the line for both teams.

UCLA would book its ticket to the conference title game with wins in its final two contests, while USC needs to beat the Bruins and get help from either Washington State or Arizona against Arizona State.

What the rivalry may lack in pure vitriol emanating from the top is compensated for by the stakes involved.

Mora has UCLA positioned as a perennial Pac-12 contender in pursuit of its second title-game appearance in three seasons, and his staff's work on the recruiting trail should keep the Bruins in the hunt for years to come.

Sarkisian was tasked with restoring USC to its past glory, and while his debut season has had its disappointments, the Trojans have the pieces in place to again compete for championships.

The rivalry of Los Angeles neighbors will be no less intense because of the coaches' preexisting relationship. On the contrary, the championship element promises to take the series to another level.

Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise cited.