THE RIVALRY / UCLA vs. USC

Rookie UCLA Coach Karl Dorrell, who has participated in this series as a player, makes his debut on the sideline. This is another in a five-day look at past UCLA and USC coaches in their rivalry debuts:

USC

JOHN McKAY, 1960

Nov. 19: USC 17, UCLA 6

McKay started sophomore Bill Nelsen at quarterback against a UCLA defense that hadn’t given up a point in four games. Nelson helped the Trojans jump to a 14-0 lead with a 21-yard touchdown pass to end Marlin McKeever. USC limited Billy Kilmer to 29 yards rushing and 80 yards passing with three interceptions. USC outgained UCLA, 333-171.

COACH’S IMPACT

McKay’s teams were 7-4 in games against UCLA when the Rose Bowl was on the line for at least one of the teams. ... In his first season, McKay’s Trojans went 4-6. The highlight was USC’s victory over UCLA, which ended a three-year winless streak against the Bruins.

McKAY’S RESULTS (10-5-1)

1960: USC 17, at UCLA 6

1961: UCLA 10, at USC 7

1962: USC 14, at UCLA 3

1963: at USC 26, UCLA 6

1964: USC 34, at UCLA 13

1965: UCLA 20, at USC 16

1966: at UCLA 14, USC 7

1967: at USC 21, UCLA 20

1968: USC 28, at UCLA 16

1969: at USC 14, UCLA 12

1970: at UCLA 45, USC 20

1971: at USC 7, UCLA 7

1972: USC 24, at UCLA 7

1973: at USC 23, UCLA 13

1974: USC 34, at UCLA 9

1975: UCLA 25, at USC 22

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UCLA

DICK VERMEIL, 1974

Nov. 23: USC 34, UCLA 9

In his first game in the rivalry, Vermeil’s Bruins suffered their worst loss to the Trojans in 30 years. USC took advantage of five UCLA turnovers and Anthony Davis rushed for 195 yards in 31 carries to lead the Trojans, who extended their conference unbeaten streak to 25 games. UCLA (6-3-2, 4-2-1 Pac-8) tied for third in the conference.

COACH’S IMPACT

Vermeil installed the veer attack and ended UCLA’s four-year losing streak to USC in his second, and last, season in 1975. Vermeil turned junior Wendell Tyler into a running force in UCLA’s 25-22 victory over USC in John McKay’s final game as Trojan coach. Tyler gained 130 yards in 17 carries to establish a UCLA single-season rushing record (he gained 172 yards against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl and finished with 1,388).

VERMEIL’S RESULTS (1-1)

1974: USC 34, at UCLA 9

1975: UCLA 25, at USC 22

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DID YOU KNOW?

The Victory Bell, which is awarded to the winning team in the rivalry each year, originally clanged from atop a Southern Pacific freight locomotive. It was given to UCLA in 1939 as a gift from the UCLA Alumni Assn. For two seasons, cheerleaders rang the bell after each UCLA score.

After the Bruins’ 7-6 victory over Washington State to open the 1941 season, several USC students stole the bell and kept it hidden for more than a year. This sparked the rivalry to new heights.

On Nov. 12, 1942, the student body presidents of both schools, USC’s Bill McKay and UCLA’s Bill Farrer, signed an agreement stating that thereafter the annual winner of the Trojan-Bruin football game would keep the bell for the following year.

-- Lonnie White