PASADENA, Calif. — Jayden Maiava passed for 221 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown to Ja’Kobi Lane midway through the fourth quarter, and USC rallied for a 19-13 victory over UCLA Saturday night at the Rose Bowl in the 94th edition of the Crosstown Showdown.
Woody Marks rushed for 76 yards and Michael Lantz kicked four field goals as the Trojans (6-5, 4-5 Big Ten) became bowl eligible with the victory.
It is the fifth straight year the road team has won in the series. The Trojans have won 19 of the last 26 meetings.
Ethan Garbers was 20 of 29 for 265 yards for the Bruins (4-7, 3-6). J.Michael Sturdivant had five receptions for 117 yards and T.J. Harden rushed for 98 yards.
On first-and-goal at the UCLA 4, Maiava took a deep drop back and avoided being sacked by UCLA’s Jacob Busic at the 11 before scrambling left and then finding Lane in the back corner of the end zone.
The Trojans go-ahead touchdown was set up one play earlier when Makai Lemon completed a 39-yard pass off a lateral to Kyron Hudson.
Maiava completed 19 of 35 passes.
On UCLA’s ensuing drive, Garbers was stopped on a QB sneak on fourth-and-1 at the Bruins 34 to turn it over on downs. Lantz extended the lead to six with a field goal.
The Bruins had one last chance to mount a go-ahead drive, but Garbers had four straight incomplete passes.
UCLA trailed 9-3 at halftime but went on top with 9:37 remaining in the third quarter when Garbers hit Moliki Matavao on a tight end screen for a 10-yard touchdown.
The Bruins extended their lead to 13-9 late in the third quarter on Mateen Bhaghani’s second field goal.
UCLA got the opening kickoff and scored on Bhaghani’s 51-yard field goal. The Bruins caught a break when Garbers appeared to turn it over when he fumbled while being sacked by USC linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold. However, a replay review determined Garbers was in the act of throwing and overturned the call to an incomplete pass.
The Trojans drove inside the UCLA 10 three times in the first half but could only settle for field goals by Lantz.
Rare sight
UCLA kicked off from its own 5 to start the second half after being called for three unsportsmanlike conduct penalties at the end of the second quarter.
The Trojans started on their own 48 after Lemon’s 16-yard kick return but turned it over on downs when Lane dropped what would have been a 5-yard completion on fourth-and-3.
The takeaway
USC: The Trojans improved to 3-5 in one-possession games.
UCLA: The Bruins have dropped two straight and saw their bowl hopes dashed.
Up next
USC: Hosts No. 6 Notre Dame next Saturday.
UCLA: Hosts Fresno State next Saturday.
by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
