UCLA FYI: Rivalry with USC is personal for Bruins’ Eric Kendricks

It will be hard for UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks to cool his cleats through a bye week before getting another crack at USC. He lives for this rivalry, and always has.

The Bruins get a weekend off before playing the Trojans on Nov. 22 in the Rose Bowl. It will be another family matter for Kendricks, a senior.

Marv Kendricks, his father, was a UCLA running back and never walked off the field a loser against the Trojans. The Bruins won in 1970 and the 1971 game ended in a tie.

So Kendricks’ disappointment was beyond measure after his first crack at the Trojans. He suffered through a 50-0 beating as a freshman in 2011.

“That left a sour taste in my mouth,” Kendricks said.

He has cleansed the palate with back-to-back victories the last two seasons. Well, sort of.

“Yeah, in a way,” Kendricks said. “I still remember it. That was my first game against USC as a Bruin.”

He had been raised on the rivalry.

“I dreamed of coming to UCLA, so I have always had the rivalry in mind,” Kendricks said. “It’s going to be fun. I can’t wait. This has been in my heart since I was a little kid.”

Kendricks prepared for it with 13 tackles, 12 solo, in a 44-30 victory over Washington on Saturday.

Get your kicks

UCLA faced fourth and 21 from the 28-yard line with eight minutes left Saturday. A field-goal try would be a no-brainier in most cases, but the Bruins’ Ka’imi Fairbairn has struggled from long range in his college career.

Coach Jim Mora called time out and then was the focus of a lobbying effort.

“What was neat was I was kind of contemplating what to do there,” Mora said. “His teammates didn’t talk me into it, but they said, ‘He will make it, send him out there and let him kick it, he will make it.’ It was resounding.”

Mora ran the field-goal unit onto the field. Fairbairn was perfect on his 46-yard try, making him nine for 20 in his career from 40 yards or more.

“I think it shows how they feel about Ka’imi, even though he’s struggled sometimes,” Mora said.

Game face

Thomas Duarte spent more than two games watching from the sideline after suffering a hamstring injury in the first quarter against California on Oct. 18. He was certainly happy to be back Saturday.

Duarte, counted on to be a key receiver this season, had three catches for 34 yards against Washington. One was a twisting, diving grab on a ball that was tipped by a Washington player in the second quarter. It pushed along a UCLA touchdown drive.

“I had to catch it,” Duarte said. “I had to make something out of it.”

Duarte has 21 receptions for 363 yards this season. But he was forced to channel that playing energy into coaching backups Mossi Johnson and Tyler Scott the previous two games.

“As a player, being attached to this team, it gets old being on the sideline,” Duarte said. “I stayed positive, helping Mossi and Tyler throughout the games. I coached Mossi up on what he should do, where I thought he needed to be, help put him in the best position possible.”

It was rewarding, but . . .

“Playing is always better,” Duarte said.

Sick victory

The bye week comes at a good time for UCLA, which has been ravaged by a flu bug. Mora and offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone are among those who have been hit.

Another break

Washington was already playing with three freshmen in the secondary, after cornerback Marcus Peters was dismissed from the team last week. The Huskies’ ability to affect the UCLA pass game took another hit in the first quarter.

Linebacker Hau’oli Kikaha got to UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley, ending the Bruins’ first series. It gave him a nation-leading 16.5 sacks. But he also suffered a shoulder injury on the play and left the game.

Washington came into the game with the second-most sacks in the nation (37), but did not get to Hundley the rest of the game.

Hundley threw for 302 yards and two touchdowns.

chris.foster@latimes.com

Twitter: @cfosterlatimes