Welcome back to Two Weeks Notice, a biweekly sports column that predicts games roughly two weeks in advance through a satirically analytical lens.
USC football had a perfect record in corn-country as three Midwest Trojan wins completed my trifecta of predictions on Saturday after the Trojans weathered the storm against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
This week, I get to discuss my favorite game of the season — the USC vs. UCLA game. One of the biggest rivalries in collegiate athletics, the teams have shared an almost 100-year long tradition that has divided LA into die-hard Trojans and disappointed Bruins.
Since the first game in the LA Memorial Coliseum on Sept. 28, 1929, the football teams have played 92 games against each other and USC football leads the rivalry 51-34-7.
On Nov. 29, the teams will battle for LA during Thanksgiving weekend and, if all goes well at the Coli, the coveted Victory Bell carriage will remain a gorgeous shade of cardinal.
Let’s be honest, this year’s unranked 3-7 UCLA team has looked like a bunch of bewildered cubs rather than ruthless Bruins; they fired DeShaun Foster – aka Mama Bear – as head coach after his 0-3 start to the season.
The Bruins fall in the middle of the pack when compared to USC’s No. 16 team in the AP Top 25. UCLA’s redshirt sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava has shown some great potential with 1,659 passing yards, but his offense has been inconsistent and underperforming. Iamaleava also carries the team with 474 rushing yards while sophomore wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer has a mere 432 receiving yards.
Meanwhile, Trojan redshirt junior quarterback Jayden Maiava routinely completes passes to his top targets in junior wide receivers Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane. Maiava leads the team with 2,868 passing yards while the power duo also totals 1,090 and 595 yards with Lemon leading the way. Additionally, redshirt freshman running back King Miller and junior running back Waymond Jordan have a combined 1,295 rushing yards.
One statistical advantage for the Bruins lies in redshirt senior linebacker JonJon Vaughns who surpasses USC redshirt senior linebacker Eric Gentry’s overall tackles 97 to 64. However, Gentry has three sacks with 15 sack yards while Vaughns has zero.
After their joint entrance into the Big Ten Conference last year, the USC vs. UCLA rivalry is stronger than ever. Competition aside, their unique crosstown connection unites them as they represent the best of collegiate athletics of Southern California — two West Coast NCAA Division 1 teams in a predominantly East Coast conference.
Hopefully, they can show the Big Ten that the sun shines a bit brighter in California during their respective matchups against Oregon and Washington this Saturday. Plus, knocking UCLA off of a victory high will make a Trojan win that much sweeter.
Be sure to catch the exciting rivalry game Sat. Nov. 29. The network and time of game will be announced on Sunday. And to finish off, a particularly favorite phrase of mine: Beat the Bruins and Fight On!