Stakes of UCLA-USC rivalry escalate with Pac-12 South title on the line
(Kelly Brennan/Daily Bruin senior staff)
By Claire Fahy
Nov. 24, 2015 2:11 a.m.
The UCLA-USC football rivalry is often seen as a battle for bragging rights within Los Angeles, with both schools calling the city home. This year, Saturday’s game nears a height of historical consequence, with far more than glory serving as the prize.
The Trojans have not made an appearance in the conference championship since 2009 and the Bruins haven’t done so since 2012. Whichever team comes out on top following this weekend’s 60-minute matchup will make its return to the title game, with a chance to play in Levi’s Stadium on Dec. 5.
Both teams enter their final regular season game far from where they imagined being at this point in the year. USC was projected to win the Pac-12 title, while UCLA received College Football Playoff hype to start the season. Multiple injuries, scandalous headlines and various upsets later, the two programs both have a lot to prove.
“This is everything we want,” said junior linebacker Jayon Brown. “At the beginning of the year, this was our goal to make it to a Pac-12 championship, and we’ve got just one more game left. It’s always a big rivalry, but now that there’s more on it, that just makes it that much better.”
When asked whether the Bruins would be able to take down the Trojans, freshman Josh Rosen needed only a one-word answer: “Absolutely.”
Rosen enters Saturday’s game looking to go head to head with another quarterback who received early-season Heisman hype: Cody Kessler. USC’s signal caller is completing 69.2 percent of passes on the year with 25 touchdowns.
In comparison, Rosen is throwing 60.2 percent for 19 touchdowns, with a streak that has now reached 210 consecutive passes without an interception. In recent games against Washington State and Utah, the freshman has showed an increasing maturity and poise in the pocket.
“(Rosen) grew up in California, I’m sure he knows a lot about the rivalry,” said redshirt junior running back Paul Perkins. “This kid is very poised, this is not gonna be any big phase for him, I’m sure he’s gonna be fine.”
The Bruins and the Trojans are as well-matched a pair that has existed on UCLA’s schedule. Both suffered significant, high-profile injuries to their defense and feature a balanced pass-oriented offense supported by top-notch playmakers.
What the Bruins have in Rosen the Trojans have in Kessler, while senior receiver Jordan Payton is mirrored by JuJu Smith-Schuster, although the Trojan sophomore is questionable after sustaining an injury against Oregon last weekend.
With the pranks, puns and pontifications aside, what remains of this weekend’s rivalry game is a winner-take-all showdown. Should UCLA emerge victorious, this season could go down as one of the best of the Jim Mora era, whereas a loss would give the Bruins their worst season record in recent history.
