This post was updated Nov. 21 at 11:45 p.m.

To the victor goes the spoils.

And in the case of the crosstown cup, the Victory Bell is once again at stake.

However, the Battle for Los Angeles has lost its signature ring.

Neither squad boasts a winning record coming into the affair for the first time since 2018 – instead, both are scrapping for bowl eligibility.

In a duel between middling teams, UCLA football (4-6, 3-5 Big Ten) will take on USC (5-5, 3-5) at the Rose Bowl on Saturday night. A lackluster showing in the programs’ inaugural Big Ten campaigns has dimmed the national spotlight, but the rivalry between the schools runs much deeper than football and the teams’ records.

“A lot of families, the smarter one usually comes over here, and the other one goes to the other school,” said coach DeShaun Foster. “It’s proven, this is the No. 1 (public university).”

The rivalry is familiar territory for Foster. The UCLA Athletics Hall of Famer bulldozed across the field against USC in his freshman campaign – finding the end zone four times and tallying 127 total yards.

But the current squad has a new milestone in mind for the first-year head coach.

“This would mean a lot,” said redshirt senior linebacker Kain Medrano. “To send the seniors out and to get coach Fos’ first head coach win against ‘SC at home, that would be a special one for this entire program.”

While the Bruins will compete on home turf, the supposed advantage has not necessarily paid its dividends for the rival programs. Neither team has clinched a victory at home since USC’s 2019 win at the LA Memorial Coliseum.

Before its most recent contest against Nebraska, USC made a change at quarterback, benching Miller Moss in favor of Jayden Maiava.

In his first start, Maiava – a UNLV transfer – completed 71.4% percent of his passes for 259 yards and totaled four touchdowns.

“He’s a pretty athletic quarterback,” Foster said. “He can extend plays a little bit, but they still have the talent on the outside – still got a great running back.”

Running back Woody Marks churned out 146 yards on the ground in the win against Nebraska – his sixth time reaching or eclipsing the century mark on the ground this year.

The Bruins’ run game, however, returned to old habits in Seattle last week. After posting back-to-back games with over 100 rushing yards, UCLA trudged along for just 52 yards on 33 carries – a meager 1.6 yards per tote – against Washington.

UCLA’s rushing attack still remains in the nation’s cellar – 129th and 122nd in yards per game and yards per carry, respectively.

Taking into account the passing game, associate head coach and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s unit has not fared much better, slotting in at 124th in the country in points per game.

On the opposing sideline will be a familiar face to many Bruin fans – D’Anton Lynn.

The former UCLA defensive coordinator revitalized the defensive unit just one year ago. Before his hiring, the Bruins allowed 29 points per game – a mark that placed them 90th in the nation in 2022.

But in 2023, that number was slashed to just 18.4, skyrocketing the Bruin defense up to 14th in the country and second best in the Pac-12.

Lynn’s performance earned him a $1 million raise from crosstown rival USC – an offer he couldn’t turn down.

UCLA looked in-house for a replacement, tasking former defensive line coach Ikaika Malloe with maintaining a dominant defensive presence in a new conference, all while talented pieces departed for the professional ranks or defected to USC with Lynn after last season.

“He’s been able to maximize the whole defense’s potential, putting everybody in spots to make plays,” said junior linebacker Carson Schwesinger. “A lot of our success can be attributed to the work he’s put in.”

Despite starting 1-5, the Bruins constructed a three-game winning streak, hallmarked by consistent defensive play and improved offensive production.

But it all came crumbling down against the Huskies – Malloe’s alma mater. Turnovers, penalties and shaky special teams plagued the squad as Washington maintained a wire-to-wire victory in front of its home crowd at Husky Stadium – where it hasn’t lost since 2021.

“We have to do better at playing well, being smart, being disciplined, being detailed, and things will go our way,” Foster said. “We were able to figure it out for a three-game stretch. It was unfortunate that it wasn’t able to do that in Washington.”

As a team, UCLA lost two fumbles and amassed nine penalties, while the special teams missed a field goal and shanked two punts, yielding good field position to Washington.

Though the loss to the Huskies put the Bruins’ backs to the wall if they want to make a bowl game, Foster views Saturday’s challenge as just another stepping stone to that goal.

“I’m glad we have another opportunity to play,” Foster said. “This type of game is one that can get us back on track.”