Clay Helton, USC have a lot on the line in rivalry game against UCLA

Clay Helton felt the intensity and importance of the USC-UCLA rivalry during his first five seasons as a Trojans assistant.

This week the stakes are higher.

USC’s interim coach will be charged with leading the team’s preparation and managing the game in the 85th meeting between the schools.

The pressure on the Trojans and Helton goes beyond the rivalry.

A victory would give USC the Pac-12 South Division title and earn the Trojans a spot in the conference title game.

It also would end USC’s three-game losing streak against the Bruins and keep alive Helton’s hopes for landing the permanent head-coaching position.

“Even though it’s for the championship game and we’ve got ourselves to this position,” Helton said Sunday night during a teleconference with reporters, “just focus on doing your job would be the biggest thing I could tell our guys.”

On Monday, Helton will meet the team and attempt to put behind the mistakes that plagued them in a 48-28 loss at Oregon.

“We’ve got to have a mind-set to come in Monday and be ready to go,” quarterback Cody Kessler said after the defeat. “We’re playing to win the South. Guys are going to be excited about that and it’s going to be a great week of preparation, but it definitely hurts with any loss.”

Oregon quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. shredded USC’s secondary, taking advantage of numerous busted coverages.

The Trojans committed 12 penalties for 124 yards, and they once again struggled with center-snap exchanges in the shotgun formation.

One fourth-quarter snap, in particular, cost the Trojans after they pulled to within 10 points.

Kessler fielded a low snap to his left and then was sacked and stripped of the ball from behind. The Ducks scored on the ensuing play.

Khaliel Rodgers is the third center USC has deployed this season, the second that moved from another position after Max Tuerk suffered a season-ending knee injury. Rodgers replaced Toa Lobendahn, who also suffered a season-ending knee injury.

“Any time you have a third-string center that’s learning the position, you’re going to have growing pains,” Helton said. “I’m proud of Khaliel for the job that he’s done…. He’s really transitioning into the position really nice but it’s something that we’re going through.”

Helton said he was satisfied with the snaps Tuerk delivered before he was injured in the fifth game against Washington. Lobendahn, like Rodgers, moved into the role with limited practice before he was injured against Utah.

“Since we lost Max, you see a lot more underneath-center snaps, to the point I would bet we’re sometimes almost 50-50 at times, especially on normal downs and distances,” Helton said, adding that in the Pac-12, “there are advantages to being in the gun from a pass-protection standpoint.

“It’s something you have to work on consistently because you can’t take it out of your game.”

Smith-Schuster update

Receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster appeared to suffer a serious injury when he fell to the ground without contact midway through the second quarter. But the sophomore returned and finished with five receptions for 57 yards.

Helton said Smith-Schuster “twisted” an ankle but was “bouncing around” the McKay Center on Sunday and would be fine.

Smith-Schuster suffered a fracture in his right hand on Oct. 31 against California and has been playing through a leg injury suffered around midseason.

“He’s not 100%,” Helton said. “When you get to Week 12 and you do the things he’s doing, you have pain. And he’s dealt with pain each and every week from Game 5 on.”

Quick hits

Saturday’s game will kickoff at 12:30 p.m. and will be televised on ABC or ESPN2…. Helton praised sophomore linebacker Olajuwon Tucker, who started for the first time against Oregon and made a team-best nine tackles, including for 2 ½ for loss. “For a young man in that environment for the first time out, I thought he handled himself extremely well,” Helton said. “He played with a level of a maturity for a guy who hasn’t had a ton of reps.”…. Linebacker Osa Masina “tweaked” a hamstring, Helton said, and he will be evaluated this week.

gary.klein@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimesklein