The UCLA Bruins delivered a crushing blow to the USC Trojans in the 93rd edition of their crosstown rivalry, winning 38-20 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday. The Bruins improved to 9-3 overall and 6-3 in the Pac-12, while the Trojans fell to 7-5 and 5-4.
UCLA’s offense was led by senior quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who threw for 309 yards and four touchdowns and also ran for 75 yards and two scores. He accounted for all six of UCLA’s touchdowns, despite playing with an injured right thumb. He completed 23 of 38 passes and overcame three interceptions and a fumble.
UCLA’s defense was equally impressive, forcing four turnovers and holding USC’s star quarterback Caleb Williams to 470 yards passing and two touchdowns on 32 of 43 completions. Williams also ran for 32 yards and a touchdown but was sacked three times and intercepted once. USC’s running game was limited to 120 yards on 28 carries, with Austin Jones leading the way with 67 yards and a touchdown.
UCLA jumps to an early lead and never looks back
The Bruins wasted no time in establishing their dominance, scoring on their first two possessions to take a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Thompson-Robinson connected with Kyle Phillips for a 12-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive and then ran for a 10-yard score on the next drive.
USC responded with a 49-yard field goal by Denis Lynch, but UCLA answered with another touchdown drive, capped by a 6-yard pass from Thompson-Robinson to Michael Ezeike. The Trojans cut the deficit to 21-10 with a 1-yard run by Williams, but the Bruins extended their lead to 24-10 with a 46-yard field goal by Nicholas Barr-Mira.
USC mounted a comeback in the second half, scoring on five consecutive drives to take a 41-31 lead with 9:10 left in the game. Williams threw touchdown passes of 35 yards to Jordan Addison and 16 yards to Kyle Ford, and Jones ran for two scores from 2 and 6 yards out. Lynch also added a 49-yard field goal at the end of the first half.
UCLA seals the victory with a late surge
The Bruins did not give up, scoring on their final three drives to regain the lead and secure the win. Thompson-Robinson threw a 55-yard touchdown pass to Kazmeir Allen on the first play after USC’s kickoff and then found Ezeike again for a 3-yard score to tie the game at 41-41 with 4:18 remaining.
USC failed to convert on fourth-and-1 at their 34-yard line, giving UCLA a short field to work with. The Bruins took advantage, as Thompson-Robinson ran for a 9-yard touchdown with 2:21 left to put UCLA ahead 48-41.
USC had one last chance to tie the game, but Williams was intercepted by freshman defensive end Korey Foreman at midfield with 1:26 left. Foreman, a former USC commit who flipped to UCLA, made his first career interception and sealed the victory for the Bruins.
UCLA celebrates a memorable win over USC
The Bruins celebrated their first win over the Trojans since 2017, and their first win at the Coliseum since 2015. They also snapped USC’s three-game winning streak in the series and improved their record to 33-50-7 against their rivals.
UCLA coach Chip Kelly praised his team’s resilience and performance, saying “I’m proud of our guys. They never flinched. They never blinked. They just kept playing. They played with a lot of heart and a lot of passion.”
Thompson-Robinson, who played his final regular season game as a Bruin, said “It means everything. It’s something I’ve dreamed of since I was a little kid. To go out like this, in my last game against them, it’s amazing.”
USC coach Lincoln Riley, who suffered his first loss as the Trojans’ head coach, said “We didn’t play well enough to win. We made too many mistakes. We gave them too many opportunities. We have to give them credit. They played a good game. They made the plays when they needed to.”
Williams, who may have played his final game as a Trojan, said “It’s tough. It’s not the way we wanted to end the season. We fought hard, but we came up short. We have to learn from this and get better.”
