Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 23: Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson #1 of the UCLA Bruins scrambles in the pocket to avoid linebacker Kana’i Mauga #26 of the USC Trojans in the first half of the game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 23, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) THE HERO OF LAST YEAR’S CROSSTOWN RIVALRY GAME. Photo courtesy of saturdayblitz.com

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES (UCLA) BRUINS

vs

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (USC) TROJANS

** THE 92nd MEETING **

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2022

THE ROSE BOWL – PASADENA, CA

TIME: 5:00 p.m.

TV: Fox Channel 11

ALL-TIME SERIES: USC leads 49-33-7 (two USC wins vacated)

LAST YEAR: UCLA won, 62-33, at the Coliseum

ODDS: USC favored by 2 and 1/2 points

RECORDS:

  • UCLA: 8-2, 5-2 and 4th place in the Pac-12 Conference
  • USC: 9-1, 7-1 and 1st place in the Pac-12 Conference

RANKINGS:

  • UCLA: 16th in the AP poll, the Coaches’ poll, & the College Football Playoff poll
  • USC: 7th in the AP poll & the College Football Playoff poll, and 6th in the Coaches’ poll

STATISTICS:

Scoring Average Per Game: UCLA 39.50 – USC 42.40

Defensive Scoring Average Per Game: UCLA 26.40 – USC 24.40

Yards Per Game: UCLA 504.1 – USC 499.4

Defensive Yards Per Game: UCLA 378.8 – USC 394.2

Tackles For Loss: UCLA 51 – USC 64

Interceptions: UCLA 9 – USC 15 (leads the conference)

Touchdowns: UCLA 51 – USC 56

Touchdowns Allowed: UCLA 32 – USC 32

* KEY PLAYERS *

UCLA:

  • Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB: 71.03% completions, 2,385 yards passing, 20 TD, 4 INT // 463 rushing yards, 5.5 ypc, 7 TD
  • Zach Carbonnet, RB: 1,145 yards (leads conference), 7.5 ypc, 13 TD // 22 catches
  • Kazmeir Allen, WR/RB: 43 receptions, 33 receiving yards, 1 TD // 13.5 ypc, 2 TD
  • Jake Bobo, WR: 43 receptions, 651 yards, 6 TD
  • Kam Brown, WR: 16 receptions, 188 yards, 3 TD
  • Logan Loya, WR: 13 receptions, 216 yards, 2 TD
  • Mo Ostling III, DB: 70 tackles
  • Darius Muasau, LB: 67 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1 sack, 2 INT
  • JonJon Vaughns, LB: 43 tackles, 2 INT
  • Stephan Blaylock, DB: 39 tackles, 4.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 1 INT
  • Laiatu Latu, LB: 29 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 8.0 sacks
  • Gabriel Murphy, DL: 29 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks
  • Grayson Murphy, DL: 22 tackles, 9.0 TFL, 5.0 sacks

USC:

  • Caleb Williams, QB: 63.74% completions, 3,010 yards passing, 31 TD (leads conference), 2 INT // 283 rushing yards, 3.5 ypc, 6 rush TD
  • Travis Dye, RB (injured, will not play): 884 yards, 6.1 ypc, 9 TD // 21 receptions
  • Austin Jones, RB: 335 yards, 6.4 ypc, 3 TD
  • Raleek Brown, RB: 148 yards, 4.8 ypc, 1 TD
  • Jordan Addison, WR: 40 receptions, 587 yards, 7 TD
  • Tahj Washington, WR: 33 receptions, 510 yards, 4 TD
  • Mario Williams, WR: 26 receptions, 493 yards, 4 TD
  • Shane Lee, LB: 56 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks
  • Max Williams, DB: 55 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 2 INT
  • Eric Gentry, LB: 52 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1 sack
  • Tuli Tuipolutu, DL: 32 tackles, 17.5 TFL, 11.5 sacks (leads the nation)
  • Mekhi Blackmon, DB: 41 tackles, 2 INT
  • Calen Bullock: 31 tackles, 4 INT (leads team)

Kickers (if the game comes down to field goal kicks):

  • Nicholas Barr-Mira, UCLA: 12-17, 70.59% made, 49 long
  • Denis Lynch, USC: 10-14, 71.43% made, 45 long

UCLA running back Brittain Brown (#28) getting yardage in the 2020 game with USC’s Olaijah Griffin (#2) in pursuit. Photo courtesy of money.yahoo.com

Even this young Trojan fan sees the Bruin light as he holds a UCLA cap that Dorian Thompson-Robinson autographed after scoring a touchdown in last year’s Crosstown Rivalry Game! Photo courtesy of latimes.com

All right,

It’s time for our annual discussion regarding the situations going into and the keys to this upcoming meeting between UCLA and USC in football, the latest renewal in a Crosstown Rivalry series that dates back ninety-two years.

At least according to how I see things.

So let’s get to it…

I must be honest,

When UCLA inexplicably lost to an Arizona team that had only three wins going in and who the Bruins were heavily favored to comfortably handle their business against,

This upcoming Crosstown Rivalry Clash lost a tiny bit of its luster.

This latest version of the football edition of the Crosstown Rivalry was supposed to be for the right to go to Las Vegas to play for the Pac-12 Conference championship.

Both teams were supposed to be 9-1 and ranked in the top ten in all the polls, including the College Football Playoff poll.

The tarps covering the end zone seats at the Rose Bowl were supposed to completely taken off, making the capacity at nearly 90,000.

And ESPN’s College Game Day was supposed to be at either the Rose Bowl or the UCLA campus.

At least Fox chose to televise this game at 5:00, as opposed to the 7:30 starts stemming from ESPN’s Pac-12 After Dark that renders fans getting home anywhere from midnight to two in the morning.

Which absolutely reeks.

Oh well, it is what it is.

And contrary to what you may be thinking, when I say that this game has lost a tiny bit of it’s luster due to Arizona upsetting the Bruins, that’s exactly what I mean – a teeny, tiny bit.

After all, Chip Kelly’s team still has MUCH to play for;

They could, first and foremost, not only ruin USC’s chances for a spot in the Pac-12 title game, but also their outside chance at earning one of the four spots in the College Football Playoff as they sit just outside of such at #7.

If UCLA beats Cal on Thanksgiving Weekend as well as ‘SC, and if Oregon beats Utah and Washington State beats Washington in the Apple Cup, those band of Bruins would be one of the two teams at Allegiant Stadium in Vegas playing for the conference crown and their first Rose Bowl berth since the last year of the 20th Century (I know that’s a tall order, especially Wazzu beating the Huskies, but it could happen).

And despite that setback at the hands of those Wildcats from Tucson, this year’s Crosstown Rivalry Clash features two teams that are good and are having very good seasons for the first time in over fifteen years – since 2005 to be precise.

Complete with what has been announced as a sell-out crowd of over what promises to be 70,000 intensely fervent and (in what I’m sure will be rabid in many cases) fans wearing either true blue or cardinal to go along with their gold.

For UCLA to achieve those achievements, here’s what Kelly, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and company sorely need to do…

First off,

Knowing that as bad as their pass defense has been for the bulk of this season, as sure as I’m typing this I know that Trojan QB Caleb Williams, who has pretty much carried that team all year, is chomping at the bit to throw against those Bruin cornerbacks and safeties and have stud receivers Jordan Addison, Tahj Washington, and Mario Williams make highlight reels on them.

Which I expect him to do due to stud running back and heart and soul of that team Travis Dye being done for the season and his college career due to the injury he suffered against Colorado.

Which is why it is crucial that UCLA’s front seven must dominate the line of scrimmage, pressure Caleb like crazy so he’ll have no time to get the ball to Addison and the rest of those wide outs along with getting some sacks on him;

If sad sap 1-9 Colorado can sack Caleb Williams three times, I fully expect UCLA to take him down at least that many and more.

And which is why the Bruins also need to use what has been their biggest weapon along with DTR to neutralize that USC passing attack;

The Pac-12’s leading rusher, who happens to wear a UCLA uniform as Kelly must use Zach Carbonnet and whoever else runs the ball to take advantage of a USC defense that has had much trouble in general and in stopping the run in particular.

In other words, much like the Bruins’ offensive coaches did with Joshua Kelley four years ago,

Carbonnet and company must get first downs along with touchdowns, eat clock and keep Caleb and his Trojan wide outs off the field as much as possible as they can’t play defense;

And they can’t score if they’re on the sidelines.

As for DTR, he must perform much better against ‘SC than he did against Arizona; that is both stating the obvious and should go without saying.

Not only does his throwing need to improve on Saturday, he needs to be given the brightest of green lights to do what he so spectacularly did in last year’s game;

Use his legs to get yards and points and not hesitate to do such as when he drops back and finds no one open, this must be on his brain:

Run.

And hurdle if he needs to.

There’s another significant factor for UCLA that will help them immensely if they use it properly:

The emotional motivation stemming from losing to Arizona as I’m sure that defeat has led those band of Bruins to go into that Crosstown Clash as angry as the Incredible Hulk.

And absolutely desperate to take it out on their twelve miles away private school from south of downtown Los Angeles rivals;

As an example of this theory, look at what Utah did to those Trojans at home in Salt Lake City after losing to the Bruins the week before.

Well, with UCLA having suffered a big costly loss this past week,

And with them facing USC at home this week,

Let’s just say that there’s a big precedent in this situation that the Bruins are in and that history has a decent chance of repeating itself.

Will UCLA use that motivation to enhance their performance and keep the Victory Bell blue?

Or will Lincoln Riley’s Men of Troy take advantage of what has been UCLA’s weaknesses on defense all year, take back that bell and paint it “cardinal” as “Conquest” is playing while continuing on their path to possibly national post season glory?

I’ll certainly be one of the 70,000 fans at the Rose Bowl this Saturday looking to find out what unfolds.

AS FOR WHAT I THINK WILL UNFOLD FOR THE BRUINS AND TROJANS IN ROUGHLY EIGHTY HOURS OR SO,

THE NUMBER ONE TRADITION ON THIS BLOG,

MY OFFICIAL PREDICTIONS OF THIS EDITION OF THE FOOTBALL VERSION OF THE CROSSTOWN RIVALRY, INCLUDING WHAT I SEE AS THE FINAL SCORE,

WILL BE POSTED TOMORROW.

SO TO PUT IT PLAINLY,

AND IF YOU WANT TO FIND OUT WHICH TEAM AND FAN BASE WILL BE CELEBRATING AT APPROXIMATELY 9:00 THIS SATURDAY NIGHT,

DO. NOT. MISS. IT!

Dorian Thompson-Robinson (#1) leaping over USC’s Isaiah Pola-Mao (#21) during the Bruins’ 62-33 win over the Trojans at the Coliseum last season. Photo courtesy of ca.movies.yahoo.com