USC-UCLA notes: Trojans’ Allen Bradford goes out in style

Allen Bradford made the most of his chance Saturday night at the Rose Bowl.

The senior tailback rushed for 212 yards in 28 carries and scored twice in the fourth quarter of USC’s 28-14 victory over UCLA, on a 73-yard run and a 47-yard pass play.

Bradford, starting for the first time since the California game on Oct. 16, became the eighth player to rush for more than 100 yards against the Bruins this season.

Early in the fourth quarter, he took a swing pass from quarterback Matt Barkley, hurdled a would-be tackler and rumbled into the end zone to give the Trojans a 21-7 lead. Then Bradford added the clinching touchdown with his long run with 3minutes 31 seconds to play.

It was a sweet end to what he had called a “bittersweet” senior season and career. Bradford ran for 131 yards against Minnesota in September and 223 yards against Washington two weeks later, but his carries had diminished since.

Smith shines

USC linebacker Malcolm Smith is in the habit of making big plays against UCLA.

The senior, who returned an interception for a touchdown against the Bruins last season, returned a fumble for a touchdown and also recovered a fumble Saturday.

Smith’s 68-yard touchdown return came with 2:31 left in the second quarter after linebacker Chris Galippo forced a fumble by Johnathan Franklin.

Franklin moves up

Franklin, a sophomore, had 109 yards in 13 carries, the first time a Bruins running back gained more than 100 yards against USC since DeShaun Foster in 1998.

Franklin accomplished the feat in the first half, gaining 104 yards to move past Foster and into 10th place on the Bruins’ all-time rushing list. He scored on a 59-yard run in the first quarter, his longest gain of the season.

Barkley starts

Barkley, sidelined last week against Notre Dame because of an ankle sprain, returned as USC’s starting quarterback and completed 15 of 26 passes for 198 yards with one touchdown, with two interceptions.

UCLA quarterback Richard Brehaut was 20 for 35 for 230 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.

Baxter passes test

Dillon Baxter’s up-and-down season finished on an up note, the freshman passing for a first-quarter touchdown that gave USC a 7-0 lead. He took a direct snap, faked a handoff and rolled right before hitting tight end Rhett Ellison in the end zone from five yards out.

It was Baxter’s first touchdown pass for the Trojans, and only the second touchdown he accounted for this season after accounting for 79 offensive touchdowns last year as a senior at San Diego Mission Bay High.

Quick hits

The announced crowd of 71,105 was the smallest for a USC-UCLA game since 1971, when the game drew 62,108 at the Coliseum. . . . UCLA kicker Kai Forbath went without a field goal in his final college game, meaning he finished with 85 field goals — one shy of the school record held by John Lee and two shy of the NCAA record held by Georgia’s Billy Bennett. . . . UCLA linebacker Jordan Zumwalt suffered a concussion in the first half when he tackled USC receiver Robert Woods.

chris.foster@latimes.com

gary.klein@latimes.com