USC Star Su'a Cravens Ready to Cap Monster Season with Happy Holiday Bowl

SAN DIEGO — Forget falling snow: The 75 degrees welcoming USC to its first Holiday Bowl practice Wednesday at San Diego State made for Trojans sophomore safety/linebacker Su’a Cravens’ ideal winter wonderland.

“It’s good to be in California,” Cravens said. “Glad to not be in another state around Christmastime.”

A native Southern Californian, Cravens should feel right at home with conditions like these during the holiday season. He played his prep football at Vista Murrieta High School in the bedroom community of Murrieta, California.

That’s just a short trek from San Diego up Interstate 15, a roadway that passes near where Cravens and the Trojans conclude the 2014 season Saturday at 8 p.m. ET against Nebraska.

Cravens exudes California swagger, right down to the tattoo of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on his arm.

But had fate twisted another way, Saturday’s Holiday Bowl would have a much different feel for Cravens.

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“I was planning on taking an official visit to Nebraska my junior year [at Vista Murrietta],” he said. “But it didn’t quite work out.”

Nebraska worked to establish a recruiting pipeline into Southern California under its previous coaching regime.

“Bo Pelini’s gone now,” Cravens said of the Cornhuskers head coach who recruited him, fired last month. “But I’ve got a former teammate on Nebraska, [offensive lineman] Corey Whitaker, so it’s going to be fun to see him.”

Things may not have worked out for Nebraska, but they certainly are for both USC and Cravens, as his second season in the program comes to an end.

Cravens earned first-team All-Pac-12 recognition this season, racking up 62 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, five sacks and two interceptions—one of which went for a touchdown.

Of Cravens’ many contributions to the Trojans this season, the most significant may be one that stat sheets cannot fully quantify. He played in a variety of spots for defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox, primarily nickelback or strong-side linebacker, depending on the need on any given snap.

The transition to a utility role was smooth for Cravens, despite the initial hesitation that Scott Wolf details for the Los Angeles Daily News:

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It seems almost silly today, but when USC safety Su’a Cravens switched to linebacker, it was the most controversial move of training camp.

An unhappy Cravens cleaned out his locker and told teammates he was leaving training camp. Former USC linebacker Chris Claiborne, who won the Butkus Award in 1998, made a special trip to calm Cravens down.

But Cravens has adapted so well to the move he intends to play linebacker full time next year.

“The coaches saw something I didn’t,” Cravens said. “I thank them for the move. I was able to be first-team all-Pac-12.”

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And while his original head coach at USC—Lane Kiffin—is gone, the Trojans’ current staff obviously thinks highly of what Cravens brings to the team.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian said earlier this season that “[continuing] to recruit players like Su’a,” meaning versatile defenders who can seamlessly switch roles against hurry-up offenses, is imperative for competing in the Pac-12 Conference.

But in Nebraska, Cravens leads the USC defense against an opponent known for a much more traditional style, predicated on establishing All-American running back Ameer Abdullah on the ground.

“You said it: Run the ball,” Cravens said of Nebraska’s game plan. “They’ve got a big [offensive] line and they’ve got a very good running back [in Abdullah].

“We’ll do everything we can to shut down the run game,” he added. “And hopefully it will turn into a game where they’re playing catch-up and have to pass the ball.”

No matter if the Cornhuskers resort to the run or the pass, however, Cravens will be on the field. That’s a certainty regardless of where the Trojans are playing—though doing so in California makes this particular matchup a little sweeter.

Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise cited. Statistics compiled via CFBStats.com.