Something had been gnawing at Chris Hawkins for weeks, and Thursday he finally walked into USC coach Clay Helton’s office to address it.
USC was wrapping up a particularly tense week, coming off a blowout loss to Notre Dame. Coaches were frustrated. Players were on edge. Even Hawkins, a safety and team captain and a reliably mature and sober voice, was a little sensitive and short in interviews.
Hawkins felt the tension had been mounting for some time. USC doesn’t have a bye week — "it's been a long season,” linebacker Cameron Smith said — and the grind and the constant churn of injuries were exhausting.