USC ends skid against rival UCLA, will play for Pac-12 title

It’s the Crosstown Showdown, UCLA vs. USC for the Pac-12 South. The victor goes to the Pac-12 Championship Game next Saturday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara and the loser goes to a third tier bowl game.

USC comes to battle nearly assuredly looking to take advantage of UCLA’s run porous defense.

The division will finally get decided this weekend. Perfect. Utah faded. Arizona and Arizona State disappointed from the outset.

Ironically, it was UCLA that threw the Trojans a life line last week by beating Utah in Salt Lake City. When questioned, he offered straightforward assessments of quarterback play, but dutifully deferred to Kiffin and Sarkisian – and onetime interim coach Ed Orgeron – when asked about something beyond his specific responsibility. A win could re-establish Helton as a legitimate candidate to be the Trojans’ full-fledged head coach. At 7-4, this program, which began the year ranked No. 8 nationally, has been an unmitigated disappointment. An ACC team is slated to play against the Pac-12 in the Sun Bowl, likely a middle-of-the-pack team such as Miami, Duke or North Carolina State.

Now the UCLA Bruins sport a record of 6-2, and have declared a corresponding slate of 4-4 against the spread. The Ducks can improve their spot with a win in the Civil War, but the damage earlier in the season may have knocked them down into a lower tier bowl. He completed 15 of 26 passes for only 175 yards. The Trojans were smoked in the secondary, film of which will have QB Josh Rosen salivating.

The Utes rushed for 197 yards on 49 carries, with backup running back Joe Williams accounting for 121 yards in place of injured star Devontae Booker.

Washington needs a win over in-state rival Washington State on Friday in the 108th Apple Cup to become the 10th Pac-12 team to achieve bowl eligibility.

It would be shocking if the Trojans didn’t come out and try to utilize Ronald Jones and Justin Davis to establish the run game early and often. And while DT Kenny Clark is a force on the interior for UCLA, the team isn’t the same against the run without DT Eddie Vanderdoes and LB Myles Jack. Getting by Iowa may prove tricky with the Hawkeyes defense, but if Michigan State plays the way it did today against Penn State and has in the past when in a big game, then the Spartans should feel very confident in their chances next week in Indianapolis. The deciding vote is that regardless of NCAA sanctions, it seems impossible for USC to not win a South title in the Pac-12’s five-year history.

Being the last home game of the year and the finale in the Trojan seniors’ careers, pressure fell on Kessler’s shoulders entering the game. What gives on Saturday?

“This was the goal and the plan all along”, linebacker Su’a Cravens said. But C Jake Brendel and the Bruins are having their best season in ages at keeping the pocket clean. Kessler was sacked just once.

One frantic fan was heard to exclaim, “This game’s going to give me a heart attack!” What’s Going To Happen? .

“I can sit back and say that all the coaches that have coached me and helped me out, they’ve always been good to me and I’m thankful to everyone of them”, he said. Whether he actually felt it was needed or was simply sending a message to his players isn’t known, but the week ended in a 38-28 UCLA victory. It’ll be close throughout, neither team enjoying a double-digit lead. “Rhythm is so important because I can see the flow of the defense and it allows me to get a better sync with the offensive line”. After another steady season, he would love to end his final game at the Coliseum on the stepladder leading the Spirit of Troy band after a slump-busting victory for the Trojans.