USC Athletics

Tough Times

USC's disappointing season only got worse on Saturday at the Rose Bowl, falling to 5-6 overall and giving UCLA a season-salvaging rivalry victory. "This has always been a fierce battle," head coach Clay Helton said. "Today, they got the best of us." The Trojans took a 27-21 lead in the third quarter, but yielded 13 unanswered points to end the game.

Can't Contain Kelley

UCLA RB Joshua Kelley, a UC Davis transfer, racked up 289 rushing yards, the second most by a USC opponent ever. He kept "getting outside contain," Helton explained, which put a lot of pressure on the defensive backs. Cornerbacks Iman Marshall and Isaiah Langley combined to make 20 tackles. Kelley is the latest beneficiary of Chip Kelly's offense which has consistently produced top running backs in his college coaching career.

Second Half Struggles

Just like last week, the USC offense was lights out in the first half, but could not find the same rhythm in the second half. Freshman QB JT Daniels passed for 218 yards in the first 30 minutes, but made a couple crucial errors down the stretch, including an ugly interception. "He went to go throw the ball away and it just slipped out of his hand," Helton explained. "That's why it fluttered like that. It was not a poor decision." The offense continues to suffer from self-inflicted wounds, including penalties (9 for 63 yards) and snap issues, which likely cost the Trojans a touchdown early in the third quarter.  

Great Story

USC RS junior WR Jake Russell had a moment to remember in the first half. The former walk-on, who earned a scholarship midway through the season, blocked a punt which freshman WR Devon Williams returned for a touchdown. "It felt great at the time," Russell said. "It was pretty surreal to have all my teammates run off the bench and kind of embrace me after that. I think it was a testament to all the hard work that I've been putting in over the past four years."

Perimeter Positives

Daniels set a new career-high with 337 yards passing as the Trojans relied mostly on the aerial game. Helton explained that the Bruins were selling out to stop the run. "We like our matchups outside," he said. "Credit our kids. I thought our wideouts did a really nice job today." Junior Michael Pittman Jr. has turned into an impressive leader on and off the field for this young USC offense, catching 7 passes for 106 yards and throwing a double block to spring Velus Jones Jr. for a 45-yard touchdown. Freshman WR Amon-Ra St. Brown had his biggest game in a while with 6 receptions for 98 yards and a TD.

Notre Dame Now

In the post-game locker room, senior captain Marvell Tell III told his teammates that it's "not a time to feel sorry for ourselves," Helton relayed. The Trojans must pick themselves up quickly to prepare for undefeated Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish would like nothing more than to steamroll their intersectional rivals en route to the College Football Playoff. The final game of the regular season kicks off at 5 p.m. on Saturday at the Coliseum.