Brett Hundley, defense lead UCLA to 35-14 victory over USC
Make it two in a row for UCLA Coach Jim Mora over USC.
The Bruins, behind playmaking quarterback Brett Hundley and a defense that thwarted USC’s passing game and forced two turnovers, defeated the Trojans, 35-14, Saturday night before a near-capacity crowd at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The victory was UCLA’s first on USC’s home field since 1997, and the Bruins had not posted back-to-back wins over the Trojans since 1997-98. UCLA defeated USC, 38-28, last season.
UCLA’s victory also probably means the end for USC’s Ed Orgeron, whose backers were hoping a win over the Bruins might help him shed the interim head coach tag he’s carried for the last nine weeks.
UCLA improved to 9-3 overall, 6-3 in Pac-12 Conference play. USC dropped to 9-4 overall, 6-3 in conference games. The Trojans are 6-2 since Orgeron replaced Lane Kiffin.
UCLA came into the game ranked No. 22 in both the Associated Press and USA Today coaches polls. USC was one spot back in each.
The Bruins had lost their previous four games against teams ranked in the AP top 25.
Hundley was the difference. He completed 18 of 27 passes for 208 yards and was UCLA’s leading rusher with 80 yards and two touchdowns in 13 carries.
His scrambling ability was a key reason UCLA converted eight of 15 third-down plays.
Javorius Allen ran for 123 yards and a touchdown in 23 carries for USC -- his fourth triple-digits rushing effort in the last five games -- but UCLA still held a 188-140 advantage in rushing yardage.
Jordon James carried 16 times for 54 yards for UCLA, and Paul Perkins added 34 yards in six carries.
Meantime, USC quarterback Cody Kessler, who was red hot of late, completed a tame 17 of 28 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown.
Operating behind an offensive line that lost center Marcus Martin early in the first quarter and guard Aundrey Walker early in the third quarter, Kessler was sacked six times for losses totaling 43 yards.
Kessler had completed 73% of his passes in the previous four games.
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UCLA 35, USC 14 (3:50 left in fourth quarter)
It’s all over but the partying in Westwood.
Paul Perkins ran in from eight yards out after Brett Hundley gained 24 yards on a run.
The Bruins took four plays to move 38 yards after Anthony Barr forced a USC fumble and Cassius Marsh recovered.
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It seems like Anthony Barr isn’t in on as many plays as he was last season, but he still contributes big plays.
Barr stripped USC quarterback Cody Kessler of the ball just as Kessler was about to pass, and Cassius Marsh recovered for UCLA.
That might be a dagger for the Bruins, who have the ball at the USC 38 with 5:53 left in the fourth quarter.
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The first turnover of the game has UCLA looking good.
USC was driving deep in UCLA territory when Javorius Allen dropped the ball after taking in a short pass from Cody Kessler.
UCLA linebacker Myles Jack beat USC tackle Chad Wheeler to the ball and the Bruins are in businss with a two-touchdown lead and the ball early in the fourth quarter.
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We’re in the fourth quarter with UCLA leading USC, 28-14, but the Trojans are driving.
USC converted on a third-and-14 play when Cody Kessler connected with Marqise Lee for exactly 14 yards.
USC has the ball on the UCLA 44, second down and eight yards to go.
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UCLA 28, USC 14 (3:18 left in third quarter)
What Ishmael Adams started, Brett Hundley finished.
Adams gave UCLA great field position with a 51-yard kickoff return, and Hundley was unstoppable the rest of the way.
Adams has returned three kickoffs for 130 yards.
Hundley accounted for all but six yards on the Bruins’ 54 yard scoring march.
On the touchdown, he ran around right end, beating USC linebacker Devon Kennard on a five-yard play.
UCLA 21, USC 14 (6:12 left in third quarter)
Xavier Grimble, because of injuries, has been quiet this season.
Cody Kessler, because of UCLA’s defense, had been quiet tonight.
Until Kessler hit a wide-open-over-the-middle Grimble with a 21-yard scoring pass.
USC drove 80 yardes in seven plays, the big gain a 33-yard run by Javorius Allen, who has 109 yards in 16 carries -- his fourth triple-digit rushing effort in five games.
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UCLA 21, USC 7 (9:50 left in third quarter)
Nine plays and 85 yards for UCLA on its first seconnd-half possession.
Oh, and a touchdown.
Brett Hundley had a 12-yard scoring pass to Devin Lucien called back when Lucien came down with his left foot on the sideline.
So UCLA called a quarterback draw on the next play, a third-down-and-five, and Hundley ran it for a touchdown.
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On its first possession of the second half, USC has lost a second starting offensive lineman to injury.
Right guard Aundrey Walker has been carted off the field with a left-leg injury. Center Marcus Martin was injured in the first quarter.
John Martinez is now playing right guard. Abe Markowitz is the center.
USC moved into UCLA territory on its first drive, but Javorius Allen was dropped for a yard loss by linebacker Anthony Barr on a third-and-one sweep to the left.
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UCLA, which leads 14-7 at halftime, is trying to snap a couple of streaks tonight.
USC has won five straight games to improve its record under interim coach Ed Orgeron to 6-1.
And UCLA has lost four consecutive games to opponents ranked in the Associated Press top 25.
USC is ranked No. 23. UCLA is No. 22.
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Along with bragging rights and bowl-game position, UCLA and USC are playing tonight for the Victory Bell, which is awarded to the winning team.
The bell weighs 295 pounds, so it isn’t easy to move.
It was originally given to UCLA in 1939 as a gift from the UCLA Alumni Assn. However, USC students took the bell in 1941 and hid it for more than a year.
It surfaced a year later and, by agreement between the schools, became the trophy given to the football game’s winner.
So there’s your history lesson.
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UCLA leads USC, 14-7, at halftime before a near-capacity crowd at the Coliseum, and you know what that means:
The perfect record of UCLA Coach Jim Mora is on the line.
Bruins are 15-0 when leading at halftime during Mora’s two seasons as coach.
UCLA has an edge in total offense, 185 yards to 118. And the Bruins also have the special teams advantage, having received 84 yards in two kickoff returns by Ishmael Adams, while USC could not survive a 15-yard punt by Kris Albarado.
The Bruins converted that short punt into a 48-yard touchdown drive.
UCLA’s Brett Hundley has completed nine of 14 passes for 111 yards, and he’s also run for 34 yards.
USC’s Cody Kessler has been quiet, with 34 yards passing. He completed five of 10 passes and has been sacked three times.
The leading rusher is USC’s Javorius Allen, who has 66 yards in 11 carries.
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UCLA had a fourth-and-one at the USC 12, and instead of kicking a field goal, Coach Jim Mora brought in his short yardage running team and went for it.
And was turned away.
Myles Jack took the handoff but was met by the center of the USC defense and actually lost a yard.
USC takes over at its own 13 with 2:41 left in the half.
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UCLA 14, USC 7 (6:55 left in second quarter)
USC puts together a 11-play, 80-yard drive, punctuated by an 11-yard touchdown run by Javorius Allen.
Allen has 11 touchdowns in USC’s last five games, and he has 66 yards in 11 carries tonight.
USC picked up first downs on a pair of key third-down plays to keep the march going.
On third-and-two, Silas Redd ran for three yards. On third-and-six, Cody Kessler found Marqise Lee for a 10-yard gain.
The Trojans also benefited from a pass interference call on UCLA’s Brandon Sermons.
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UCLA 14, USC 0 (12:36 left in second quarter)
Another touchdown for a UCLA defensive player.
This time it was defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes, playing fullback, scoring from one yard to cap an eight-play, 80-yard march.
Quarterback Brett Hundley hurt USC with his legs on UCLA’s first scoring drive, and he hurt the Trojans with his arm this time.
He completed all four of his passes for 64 yards.
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UCLA 7, USC 0 (4:09 left in first quarter)
First carry for Myles Jack, first touchdown of the game -- from three yards out on a run.
The touchdown was set up by a 15-yard punt off the side of the foot of USC’s Kris Albarado that gave UCLA the ball at the Trojans’ 48.
UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley ran three times for 25 yards on the drive. He also connected with Paul Perkins for an 11-yard gain on a pass.
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UCLA takes over at the USC 48 with 7:29 left in the first quarter after a 15-yard punt by USC’s Kris Albarado.
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Abe Markowitz replaces Marcus Martin as USC’s center. He’s a fifth-year senior and former walk-on.
And his father played football for UCLA in the ‘70s.
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Things are getting physical. Caleb Benenoch, UCLA’s starting right tackle, has been ejected from the game after he threw a punch at USC linebacker J.R. Tavai.
Ben Wysocki, normally a guard, is expected to play in Benenoch’s spot.
The punch was thrown away from the play after a short run by Jordon James.
Two plays later, both teams were called for unsportsmanlike conduct and the penalties offset each other.
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Myles Jack started for UCLA at linebacker, not at running back.
Jack and Randall Goforth got into it with USC receiver Marqise Lee, after a third-down pass from Cody Kessler to Lee fell incomplete.
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UCLA goes nowhere in its first possession, with Jordon James getting stuffed for a yard loss on a run, and then Devon Kennard sacking quarterback Brett Hundley.
USC’s first possession ends worse for the Trojans: Marqise Lee couldn’t hold on to a third-down pass from Cody Kessler, and center Marcus Martin is injured on the play.
Martin is a big loss. It looks like trainers are checking out his left knee or leg.
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USC wins the toss but defers possession to the second half.
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USC led out onto the field by former All-American linebacker Willie McGinest, who was wearing a uniform and helmet -- but no pads.
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Best smart-alec comment of the night so far:
L.A. Times USC beat reporter Gary Klein on Auburn upsetting Alabama: “Nick Saban just lost the USC job.”
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UCLA is going for its first back-to-back wins in this series since 1997-98. The Bruins are also going for back-to-back nine-win seasons for first time since 1997-98.
A win tonight would be UCLA’s fourth in November, which the Bruins have not accomplished since 1959.
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Things got a little chippy -- not Ohio State-Michigan brawl chippy, but chippy -- earlier tonight after USC formed a circle at midfield for a pre-game prayer.
Afterward, words were exchanged between USC and UCLA players, and members of the Coliseum security team had to intervene.
There was no physical contact between players.
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Cornerback Fabian Moreau has a pulled hamstring, and his absence will put just a little more pressure on the UCLA defense, which will be facing a hot quarterback and a hot running back.
USC quarterback Cody Kessler has completed 73% of his passes in the last four games. Trojans tailback Javorius Allen has 10 touchdowns and three 100-yard rushing performances in the last four games.
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As expected, Fabian Moreau, one of UCLA’s starting cornerbacks, will not play.
He is in street clothes as his teammates are warming up.
One of UCLA’s starting safeties, Anthony Jefferson or Randall Goforth will probably start in Moreau’s place, with freshman Tahaan Goodman stepping into a more prominent role at safety.
UCLA running back Damien Thigpen is also in street clothes. Jordon James is expected to play for the Bruins, but everyone should expect to see a lot of Myles Jack at running back.
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It’s about an hour before kickoff at the Coliseum, and the stadium is starting to fill up with what is expected to be a near-sellout crowd.
As intense as the UCLA-USC football game always is, the fact that it is a cross-town rivalry makes it, in many cases, a little more friendly.
For example, there were many groups of fans -- some dressed in blue, others in cardinal and gold, walking together around the Coliseum this afternoon.
There is even a little crossover on the football teams. A few examples:
Abe Markowitz, a senior offensive lineman for USC, is son of a former UCLA linebacker. Barry Markowitz lettered for the Bruins in 1974. Abe’s great grandfather, Richard Love, played basketball and tennis at UCLA.
Jim Mora’s father, Jim, received a master’s degree from USC and his mother, Connie, is a USC graduate.
UCLA safety Brandon Sermons is the brother of former Trojan running back Rodney Sermons, who played at USC from 1994-97.
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