Football

An epic crosstown rivalry game is coming to town, will it top the five best games between the Trojans and the Bruins?

Before the game between the L.A. rivals, let’s look back to the ones Trojan fans will never forget.

A photo of USC safety Calen Bullock chasing after UCLA wide receiver Kyle Philips during the Nov. 20 football game

USC safety Calen Bullock chases after UCLA wide receiver Kyle Philips in the Trojans' 2021 matchup against UCLA. (Photo by Sarah Ko)

By Clémence-Maureen Feniou

It’s time for the conquest of the Victory Bell in Los Angeles. Between No. 7 USC, on the path to the Pac-12 championship and the College Football Playoff, and No. 16 UCLA, out of the playoffs but still hoping for a spot in the Las Vegas final matchup, the game is highly anticipated.

The 92nd Crosstown Showdown will be played in front of a sold-out crowd. With Caleb Williams, Jordan Addison and Tuli Tuipulotu on the Trojans’ side and Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Zach Charbonnet on the Bruins’ side, both offenses are expected to put on a high-scoring performance.

But before Saturday, let’s look back to the five best matchups between the Trojans and the Bruins throughout history.

1. “The Game of the Century” - 1967 : USC 21, UCLA 20

In front of a crowd of more than 90,000 people, this game is seen as the symbol of the rivalry between USC and UCLA. At the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the fourth-ranked Trojans stunned the No. 1 Bruins with an extremely close win. Bruins quarterback Gary Beban and Trojans running back O.J. Simpson, the best players in all of college football, were ready for a fight.

The USC victory was largely due to Simpson’s talent. With 10:38 left in the game, the Trojans were stuck at their own 36-yard line, facing a third-and-7. But Simpson made a miracle happen and ran a 64-yard touchdown in a run that’s still considered one of the best in history and gave the Trojans the 21-20 win. USC went on to win the national title against the Indiana Hoosiers and Simpson won the Heisman Trophy the following season.

2. Upset loss at the Rose Bowl - 2006: UCLA 13, USC 9

With a 6-5 record, UCLA was going up against the No. 2 team in the nation on the path to another national title under Pete Carroll. In what was supposed to be a victory for the Trojans, the game turned out to be a defensive battle with future NFL linebackers Brian Cushing, Clay Matthews and Rey Maualuga.

In the last minutes of the game, linebacker Eric McNeal dove to intercept a pass from USC quarterback John David Booty and sealed the 13-9 win, blowing up the dreams of another championship for the Trojans.

3. Offensive show - 1996: UCLA 48, USC 41

The ‘96 game had both sides firing on offense, with the Trojans leading by 17 points at the start of the fourth quarter. But the Bruins were not giving up the game easily. UCLA had a comeback fourth quarter, forcing the first ever overtime game in the crosstown rivalry.

And if this wasn’t enough, the Bruins led by quarterback Cade McNown and running back Skip Hicks won the game 48-41 after a double overtime. This game was also the first and last time that the game between the L.A. teams went to overtime.

4. “The Measles game”- 1988 : USC 31, UCLA 22

Both teams were performing extremely well, with the second-ranked Trojans at 9-0 and the fourth-ranked Bruins at 9-1. For both, the Rose Bowl was on the line. UCLA had been ranked No. 1 before its loss to Washington State.

Led by Heisman trophy candidates quarterback Rodney Peete and Troy Aikman, the L.A. rivals played in the Rose Bowl in front of a record 100,000 fans.

Unfortunately for the Trojans, quarterback Rodney Peete was struck with measles, transported to the hospital and missed practices for the whole week. No one thought he would play. But he did, leading USC to a 31-22 victory.

In the last minutes of the fourth-quarter, Peete threw a pass to wide receiver Erik Affholter. While avoiding UCLA tacklers, he skillfully tiptoed along the line — even though UCLA fans argued he was out of bounds — he then sprinted to the end zone and the USC crowd went wild.

5. Pete Carroll’s arrival - 2001 : USC 27, UCLA 0

At the start of the 21st century, USC made one of the best coach recruitment decisions in the history of the program. The Trojans hired Pete Carroll, who stayed at USC for nine years.

When he faced the Bruins for the first time, his intentions were clear. Let them know which team ran the city of angels. USC displayed its infamous football that became known as the Carroll era and the Trojans humiliated the Bruins 27-0 in the Coliseum.

That win started a decade of USC dominance over its rival, allowing the Trojans to win every battle of L.A. except for one season during that time frame.

This year, USC is having its best season since the Carroll era with head coach Lincoln Riley. The Trojans are looking  to start another decade of wins over the Bruins.