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Bruin Nation, Bruins, college football, Crosstown Rivalry, Exposition Park, football, L.A. Memorial Coliseum, Pac-12 Conference, Pac-12 South, Rose Bowl, Trojan Family, Trojans, UCLA, UCLA Bruins, University of California Los Angeles, University of Southern California, USC, USC Trojans, Victory Bell, Westwood
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES (UCLA) BRUINS
vs
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (USC) TROJANS
** THE 91st MEETING **
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2021
LOS ANGELES MEMORIAL COLISEUM
TIME: 1:00 p.m.
TV: Fox Channel 11
ALL-TIME SERIES: USC leads 49-32-7 (two wins vacated)
LAST YEAR: USC won, 43-38, at the Rose Bowl
LINE: UCLA favored by 3 and 1/2 points
RECORDS:
- UCLA: 6-4, 4-3 and third place in the Pac-12 South
- USC: 4-5, 3-4 and fourth place in the Pac-12 South
STATISTICS:
Scoring Average Per Game: UCLA 33.40 – USC 29.56
Defensive Scoring Average Per Game: UCLA 27.40 – USC 28.89
Yards Per Game: UCLA 424 – USC 441.3
Defensive Yards Per Game: UCLA 391.2 – USC 396.6
Tackles For Loss: UCLA 53 – USC 38
Interceptions: UCLA 8 – USC 10
Touchdowns: UCLA 53 – USC 38
Touchdowns Allowed: UCLA 33 – USC 35
* KEY PLAYERS *
UCLA:
- Dorian Thompson-Robinson (DTR), QB: 60.52% completions, 1,896 yards passing, 14 TD, 4 INT // 461 rushing yards, 4.3 ypc, 7 TD
- Zach Carbonnet, RB: 864 yards, 5.6 ypc, 11 TD
- Brittain Brown, RB: 615 yards, 6.0 ypc, 7 TD
- Kyle Phillips, WR: 47 catches, 627 yards, 6 TD
- Greg Dulcich, TE: 34 catches, 564 yards, 4 TD
- Quantrezz Knight, DB: 55 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks
- Jordan Genmark-Heath, LB: 48 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks
- Bo Calvert, LB: 31 tackles, 5.5 TFL. 3.0 sacks
- Ale Kaho, LB: 31 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks
- Otito Ogbonnia, DL: 26 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks
- Datona Jackson, DL: 23 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks
- Jay Shaw, DB: 2 INT
USC:
- Jaxson Dart, QB: 61.73% completions, 589 yards passing, 6 TD, 3 INT
- Keontay Ingram, RB: 815 yards, 5.9 ypc, 5 TD
- Tahj Washington, WR: 41 catches, 474 yards, 1 TD
- Gary Bryant, Jr., WR: 30 catches, 362 yards, 5 TD
- Kana’i Mauga, LB: 64 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 1 sack
- Chase Williams, S: 44 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1 sack
- Drake Jackson, LB: 35 tackles, 7.0 TFL, 5 sacks
- Tuli Tuipulotu, DL: 35 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks
- Jacob Lichtenstein, DL: 22 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 3.0 sacks
- Xavion Alford, S: 2 INT
- NOTE: QB Kedon Slovis and WR Drake London, the two biggest key players (especially London), are injured and will not play against UCLA.
OK,
Let’s chat about the situation going into and the keys to the 91st meeting of L.A.’s two largest institutions of higher learning in football – according to me…
Considering the season UCLA in particular has been having on defense, with all the yards given up in the air – the Bruins are ranked 117th out of 130 FBS teams in pass defense – and most of the opposing quarterbacks having a field day with much-maligned defensive coordinator Jerry Azzinaro’s defensive backs,
With the exception of Hawai’i during week one and Colorado in the second half,
When I looked up the statistics for these two crosstown rivals on their websites,
I was surprised to find out that UCLA has outperformed USC in tackles for loss (53-38) and total touchdowns given up (33-35) this season.
Of course the fact that the Trojans’ two biggest stars, Kedon Slovis and (especially) Drake London, are injured and out for Saturday’s game – London, who with his 88 catches, over 1,000 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, being my crystal clear choice for team MVP – being done for the year due to that broken ankle suffered vs Arizona,
Obviously helps the Bruins as before London got hurt, I was going to state that he was going to likely get at least fifteen catches, over 200 yards, and four touchdowns against UCLA’s secondary.
After all, that defensive backfield has been torched like wildfire against the Trojans the previous two years, Slovis throwing for 859 yards in the air and nine touchdowns against two interceptions on a 71% completion rate against the Bruins in 2019 and 2020 combined.
Indeed, it is those Bruin defensive backs that are the reason why the Victory Bell is currently painted red – or in the Trojan Family’s terms, cardinal.
Now that London and Slovis are injured and gone, however,
No, I won’t say that it will be clear sailing for Azzinaro’s unit – far from it.
The big key for UCLA on defense will be the same thing that they were successful in doing in their wins over ‘SC from 2012-2014 and in 2018, and which they failed at during the years “Conquest” and “Tusk” was played by the USC band after the game;
- Controlling the line of scrimmage
- Getting in and creating havoc and pressure in the Trojans’ backfield, making Dart run for his life and sacking him numerous times
On offense, the Bruins are in better shape thanks to DTR, his ability to get yardage with his legs – which he needs to do whenever necessary on Saturday – and the running back combo of Carbonnet and Brown.
Sure, DTR still needs to improve his accuracy when he throws, and it’s imperative that he does exactly that this Saturday.
But if I were head coach Chip Kelly, my game plan would be to establish and emphasize the run with some play action passes mixed in, be sure to get around five yards a carry, eat the clock up and make sure that Dart and company stay off the field.
And for goodness sake, avoid turnovers and penalties, as these battles vs USC are battles in which over the years, the Bruins have always had to play perfect football in order to win.
This Saturday at the Coliseum is no exception to that adage.
Of course I’m not the UCLA coach, so we’ll see what Kelly has up his sleeve.
The keys for a Trojan victory are pretty straightforward…
They have, first and foremost, the home field advantage.
Plus due to their game vs Cal being postponed because of the large number of the Golden Bear players testing positive for COVID-19, USC has gotten an extra week of rest and preparation for UCLA.
Unlike most of their other contests at the Coliseum, there will be a big cardinal-and-gold clad crowd all geared up and fired up to “Beat The Bruins”;
I predict a crowd of around 70,000.
Especially since at 4-5, USC needs two more wins in their three remaining games to be bowl eligible.
And since I really don’t see them beating a tough BYU squad, their opponent this Thanksgiving weekend,
That means this Crosstown Rivalry Clash is a must win (along with Cal in Berkeley on December 4th).
While Dart doesn’t have the numbers that Slovis has, the freshman from Utah is talented, showing such against Washington State in throwing for 391 yards and four scores in Pullman.
He also has that swagger that’s essential to every good football player,
A veteran running back in Ingram, who transferred from Texas, is poised to become SC’s next 1,000 yard rusher, and will undoubtedly be counted on to do damage against UCLA’s front seven,
And a bunch of skill players who, while they don’t have London’s numbers, are still four and five star guys who are itching to make a statement against their crosstown rivals.
As for how I see this game unfolding and whether I see the Victory Bell remaining in Exposition Park or returning to Westwood?
Sorry,
You’ll have to check out this blog tomorrow for the answers to those two questions!
THAT’S RIGHT,
THE NUMBER ONE TRADITION OF THIS BLOG,
MY PREDICTIONS OF HOW THIS CROSSTOWN RIVALRY CLASH BETWEEN UCLA & USC WILL UNFOLD,
WHO WILL WIN THIS 91st MEETING OF THESE TWO RIVALS,
AND – ESPECIALLY – MY PREDICTION OF THE SCORE,
WILL APPEAR ON THIS SITE TOMORROW.
With that, I have four more words to say…
DO. NOT. MISS. IT.
SoCal Sports Chronicles 