This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Logan • D.J. Tialavea hasn't been shy about his feelings about going up against USC and other big-name programs.

As far as the senior tight end is concerned, recruiting classes and hype are overrated. When he looks across the line at the Trojans on Saturday, he won't be intimidated.

"In my mind, whether you're East Coast, West Coast, Pac-12 or SEC, you're a 20-, 21-year-old kid just like me," he said after practice on Wednesday. "I feel like we can compete with anybody in the country. Nothing special about them, nothing special about us. Just hard-working kids going at it."

To see more of what the USU senior had to say about preparing for the Trojans, playing the USC theme during practice and protecting his quarterback, check out the video above.

— Kyle Goon

Twitter: @kylegoon