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It's the second time Clay Helton has come in, trailing a dark cloud.

But when the offensive coordinator was introduced as USC's interim head coach this weekend in the locker room, the team applauded.

"I'll never forget that," he said Tuesday, on a conference call.

Helton is hopeful, however, that he can help the Trojans forget their problems. His old boss, Steve Sarkisian, was fired on Monday after his second alcohol-related incident this season and with lurid stories cropping up from his previous tenure at Washington. USC, once picked to win the Pac-12, is reeling after two conference losses early in the season at the Coliseum.

Helton is serving as interim coach for the second time at USC, taking over in 2013 after then-interim coach Ed Orgeron quit before the bowl game once he learned he wouldn't get the permanent position. Helton is used to uncertainty— five different people have coached USC in a game the past three years — and he knows what to do.

"We put the players first [last time]," Helton said. "We had a genuine concern for their well-being that they felt."

Helton has already made some changes: He promoted members of the staff, most notably naming Marques Tuiasosopo as the new quarterbacks coach. He allowed parents to watch practice on Tuesday, rolling back a Sarkisian rule.

Still, Helton said, there's nothing but love for Sarkisian from the program.

"We dearly love him," he said. "He is a good man. He is a good coach. We can't wait to see him back on the football field doing what he loves."

In 2013, the team went 6-2 after Orgeron took over for Lane Kiffin, and Helton went 1-0. Oregeron's wins weren't enough to get him the job. Helton is mindful of that, but still hopes that he might have a successful audition.

"My goal is to be a head coach in college football," he said, "and there's no better place to do it than at USC."

Bears hold heads high

The Golden Bears are still smarting from their loss to Utah over the weekend, but the damage hasn't been felt all that much.

Cal didn't fall in the AP poll. Many observers were impressed that despite a rugged day on offense, the Bears still had a chance to win. Overall, Cal is still a contender in the North Division.

Even coming off that defeat, coach Sonny Dykes doesn't mind dwelling a little more on the positive.

"We played very poorly on offense, but the good thing is we still had an opportunity to win the game," Dykes said. "It's a real credit to our players. Utah is a very good football team; they have very few weaknesses."

Cal was a hard sell early in the season, even at 5-0. But close wins over Washington and Washington State look considerably better now than they once did. And Texas beating Oklahoma is some extra validation as well.

Dykes said the bye is well-timed: Coming off a late road game, the Bears could use the extra time to recover. There will also be emphasis on fundamentals — particularly blocking and tackling — that could use fine-tuning for the stretch run.

"Sometimes it messes with your rhythm, but sometimes it allows you to press the reset button," he said. "It gives you a couple extra days to prepare for UCLA." —

Tribune Power Rankings

The Pac-12

1. Utah • There might not be a better all-around secondary

2. Stanford • After week off, a gauntlet begins

3. UCLA • Will get a chance to show if offense has been fine-tuned

4. Cal • Goff was off, but defense has clearly taken a step forward

5. Arizona State • Harrassed Buffs with an aggressive front seven

6. Washington • Chris Petersen validated his hire in a single weekend

7. USC • Still talented, but questions of leadership could haunt the Trojans

8. Arizona • Uncharacteristically shut down Oregon State on defense

9. Washington State • Luke Falk earns props as a competitor for OT win

10. Oregon • Hard to imagine Ducks here

11. Colorado • No run support, and Liufau has looked shaky

12. Oregon State • Beavers are what Pac-12 thought they were