UCLA vs. USC (Crosstown Showdown)
November 23, 2024 at 7:35pm
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA: 59,473 (of 92,000)
Total Time: 3 hours 18 minutes

The Trojans claw their way to bowl eligibility for the season on their first true road win of season—yet it’s another one that requires an asterisk. While technically a true road game…they traveled even less than their neutral site win. Somehow, they managed to miss every chance at winning a real one the entire season. Either way, at least the Victory Bell is back and even losing to #5 Notre Dame won’t stop them from going to a bowl.

The broadcast would have you believe there was a torrential downpour. At one point I seriously wondered if the weather was different between my location and the media booth. I left a bag out at the tailgate and I’m not even sure it could even be described as damp. It was almost just mist. Those broadcasters certainly can’t be accused of a mist opportunity to play up the drama. 

As if there wasn’t enough drama with triple agent, Kyle Ford, transferring back and forth between USC and UCLA. He found a way to rack up extra wins in crosstown rivalry games. Other than the Helton firing year, he found himself on the winning side of this rivalry. Not many people can claim 5 Crosstown Showdown wins (2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 [UCLA], 2024)! While he was the only one to change back and forth, Kamari Ramsey and John Humphrey joined defensive coordinator, D’Anton Lynn, on the crosstown transfer expedition, a.k.a CTE, a previously unused acronym! _{Maybe that is a joke in bad taste.}

Lynn delivered some extremely satisfying defensive moments like stopping UCLA at 3rd-and-1 and 4th-and-1 on their own 34-yard line. Being able to stuff a QB sneak against a rival just brings a different level of joy. The defense then follows it up with stopping four straight passes to at UCLA’s 25 to end their possession, the game, and their bowl hopes all in one fell swoop.

The offense, on the other hand, barely hung on enough to survive. Even after the magical 4th down stop deep in UCLA territory just turned into a field goal. All in all, four out of five red zone trips ended in field goals. There were drives that ended at the 2, 6, 5-yard lines that were not touchdowns. If they had scored touchdowns on all of them, this game might’ve been out of reach by half time. Not being able to punch it in repeatedly is certainly disappointing. Curiously, they did run a play under center, only for it to be a play action. Although they got their only touchdown of the day from it, the play itself was a wild, unsafe scramble, a sketchy throw, and required a double clutch by Ja’Kobi Lane to complete. It could’ve been a fumble, it could’ve been a pick, it could’ve been a drop. Maiava continues to gamble big. Maybe he will continue getting lucky to balance out all the unlucky breaks this season.

Good/Badisms

Good: Speaking of Makai Lemon, his big plays like a catch and run for 64 yards, and the kickoff returns of 31 and 41 yards. And let’s not forget about the clean pass to Kyron Hudson for 39 yards.

Good: Michael Lantz making all four of his field goals. It’s the first time he hit all his field goal attempts in a game since September (on 09/28 vs. Wisconsin, 1-1). It’s also the first time he’s made a field goal since before he missed the field goal in overtime against Penn State (10/12, 3-4)

Bad: Before you start praising those special teams analysts that got us into NCAA trouble, Zachariah Branch’s performance as a punt returner continues to be butt clenching. Despite his improvement in the passing game, Maybe Makai Lemon should be the one doing those returns too?

Bad: Continued poor usage of timeouts, especially in the second half. At least they weren’t needed this time.

Bad: Hard to fault the defense that held the Bruins to their second lowest point total of the season (13, tied with #1 Oregon and #10 Indiana, below #4 Penn State [11 points]), but Garbers had thrown nearly as many interceptions as touchdowns this season, yet was near perfect for most of the second half. Bruin WR, J. Michael Sturdivant, got 100 out of 115 of his yards during that stretch. The worst one was allowing a 25 yard completion when the Bruins were starting from their own 1-yard line. He did not have any second half incompletions until that very last drive.

Good: Woody Marks continuing to carry the offense in both the ground and passing game.

CommBro Breaker

Defensive Headscratching Stats: USC is #99 in sacks per game (1.64) and #119 in tackles for a loss per game (4.36), #60 in interceptions (9), #99 in fumbles forced (5), #93 in passing yards allowed per game (235.6), yet, in the only stat that really matters, they are #32 (21.2 points per game allowed)

Czaplicki Tracker Week 12: Czaplicki dropped back down to #3 in punting yard average with 48.8 (behind 49.1 and 49.7).

Lazy Stat of the Week: I already hid a bunch of stats into the good/badisms. No more today, thank you.