UCLA Is Hungry for Revenge Against Big Rival

The Bruins will gear up to try and gain a win versus one of their biggest rivals.

Sep 21, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster looks on during the first half against the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The UCLA and USC football rivalry started all the way back in 1929 when they first played each other for the first time. USC would end up taking this game with a whopping score of 76-0.

Not only do USC and UCLA share California, but they also share the same city of Los Angeles. This is the perfect formula for heated rivalries and obnoxious fans. Every time these teams play, there is a palpable atmosphere.

The rivalry as a series has been close throughout all of history. Most of the time, one of these teams will go on a hot streak against the other and win 2-8 games in a row. These yearly games were often defined by the generational talent each team had in rotation for 4 years.

An example of this would be the 1967 conference championship game between number four USC with O.J. Simpson versus number one UCLA with Gary Beban. This game was very crucial in two aspects. First and most importantly, the winner gets crowned the conference champion. Secondly, the winner between Simpson and Beban most likely would win the Heisman award.

USC would end up winning this game, but even though they lost, Beban still won the Heisman. This game was an absolute war with USC pulling away 21-20.

Last Meeting

Nov 30, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Ethan Garbers (4) scrambles out of the pocket during the third quarter against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Last season, when the USC Trojans faced the UCLA Bruins, the game was a lot closer than many expected. To this point, UCLA was seen as a Big Ten pushover, and USC was the favorite. Both teams knew that the team that took care of the ball and could get it done through the air would win. Fortunately, UCLA had a strong air game and kept the game very competitive, losing 19-13.

Both quarterbacks executed their offense very well, and both of them had a good performance. Bruins quarterback Ethan Garbers threw for 265 yards, with one touchdown and no interceptions. USC quarterback Jayden Maiava threw for 221 yards and a touchdown.

This Season

UCLA plays the Trojans at the end of their season in week 14. Coach DeShaun Foster knows they will probably be underdogs going into this game as well. The best-case scenario is that UCLA already has a bowl game and doesn't need this game to qualify for a bowl game. The more realistic scenario, considering how rugged the Big Ten is and their schedule, is that this win means more than just a rivalry and bragging rights, as it also might result in whether they get a bowl game.