Stanford redshirt junior Casey Toohill has grabbed hold of the outside linebacker spot opposite of Joey Alfieri and has excelled in the first two games. He has 11 tackles, one TFL, one sack and is tied for the team lead with three quarterback hurries.

In terms of a full-game effort for the defense, where does Saturday rank in the games you've played in at Stanford?

"I think holding USC to three points was pretty good. I thought as a defense I was really excited by our passion, our preparation for the game -- I thought that was really stellar as well -- and as a full-game effort I thought ... there are always things we can improve. We watched the film and there are a lot aspects that I think we need to get better at, but I just think the passion and the effort we played with was really, really impressive."

In the past the defense has improved as the game has gone on. But there seemed to be a fast start Saturday. Was there anything special about the preparation or anything you saw from USC that led to the start you guys had?

"I think it was really our focus this year on ... doing all the little things, doing the extra work, the extra film study, that allows us to have the confidence to start fast. We know that the man next to us is equally prepared so we can go out, be confident in each other, confident in ourselves and just play."

What were your responsibilities defending USC's run game -- where your eyes were supposed to be and how you felt you guys did overall with that?

"I'm primarily an edge player so I was mostly focused on making sure their athletic running backs didn't get to the edge. USC really tried to run the ball up the middle a lot. They tried to stretch us out. They obviously have really athletic guys, so really me and all the other members of the defense were concerned with our gaps, doing our jobs. Stay in the right place, because when that happens defense isn't hard."

Defensive coordinator Lance Anderson said last week that it was a priority to fix missed tackles from week one to week two. How did it play out on film of the USC game?

"We did improve in terms of missed tackles and I think that does have to do with the first game jitters and getting used to tackling again. We did take a step forward with that. The coaches pointed out, and we all saw the film, we still gave up too many big plays. That's our focus going forward. Improve every week."

What have you seen from the young defensive line playing in front of you?"I think they've done incredible. I think there has been incredible effort and great execution. They've made a lot of plays -- Jovan (Swann), Dylan (Jackson) and Mike (Williams). Even the younger guys, Dalyn (Wade-Perry), they've all played really well. It has been very fun to watch."

How tough was it waiting your turn behind Peter Kalambayi and Joey Alfieri to play more of a role?

"It wasn't really that bad at all. Coach Anderson gave me a lot of opportunities when I was younger, even when I would make a lot of mistakes ... so I always had opportunities. That's really what I focused on, the opportunities that I did have. Not everyone gets to play their redshirt freshman year or sophomore year. I would focus on that and that was really where my focus was."

You, Jake (Bailey) and Frank (Buncom) are all San Diego guys. Was there much talk about getting these first two games against teams from Southern California who beat you last year?

"We never talked about it specifically but we're all from San Diego and we're all close friends. You don't want to go back home on a vacation or hear from friends back home -- a lot of us have friends who went to USC and SDSU. You don't want to hear that. It's a pride thing. You're from Southern California but we all went to school up here and want to be the best that we can be. There was nothing said explicitly but I think there was a common understanding of what we needed to do."

Coach has talked about how you guys are able to come together from different locations and perspectives and have conversations that are tough for other to have. How does that work with the team?

"At the end of the day we have a broader mission to accomplish ... so we have to be able to work with one other, execute with one another and trust one another. We can have these conversations and we do. There are so many intelligent individuals on the team and so many diverse backgrounds, which is helpful to get different opinions, but at the end of the day we still have to be teammates. I think we're able to have these conversations when time permits, but when we have to work we get down to it and we're ... still brothers."

How do you look at this UC Davis game?

"I think every game is the same to us. We prepare the same. I'm sure that's what the coaches have said, too, but that's how I approach it. I prepare the same, if not more, for every opponent. It's another opportunity to improve, which we need to do as a defense. We watched the film and there are plenty of opportunities to improve."

Davis has scored a lot of points (44 in win over SJSU and 54 in win over UC San Diego): "They do pass it a lot. They're up-tempo and we haven't really seen that as much. They go very fast. That's definitely an emphasis -- getting off the ball, pass rush. First and foremost is stopping the run. That's what we pride ourselves on. If we do that we can definitely get after the quarterback."