UCLA
4-7 , 3-6
USC
6-5 , 4-5
UCLA Football Edged by USC, 19-13
November 23, 2024 | Football
PASADENA, Calif. – The UCLA football team lost to crosstown rival USC, 19-13, in a Big Ten Conference showdown at the Rose Bowl on Saturday evening.
USC (6-5, 4-5 Big Ten) scored the game-winning touchdown with 6:55 to play in the fourth quarter. Trailing 13-9, the Trojans used a three-play, 49-yard drive to score a touchdown on a four-yard pass play from Jayden Maiava to Ja'Kobi Lane. USC secured its second lead of the game at 16-13.
The Trojans added a 30-yard field goal by Michael Lantz with 2:09 remaining in the fourth quarter to push their margin to 19-13. Lantz finished the game having converted all four field goal attempts for the Trojans.
UCLA (4-7, 3-6 Big Ten) and USC each led twice during Saturday night's contest.
"Defensively, the defense came out and played a great game," UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster said. "We stopped them plenty of times. We held them to a lot of field goals. Offensively, they just didn't do their part in the game. It's a team sport. I just need our offense to be at their best when their best is needed. We're having problems in the red zone in certain situations, having false starts, not being able to make a play. I like how hard my guys played. It just showed that they're resilient. But we just didn't do enough to win this game."
Bruins' quarterback Ethan Garbers completed 20 of 29 passes for 265 yards and one touchdown. Running back T.J. Harden had 14 carries for 98 yards, and wide receiver J.Michael Sturdivant tallied five receptions for a game-high 117 yards.
Maiava completed 19 of 35 passes for 221 yards and one touchdown. The Trojans totaled 86 net rushing yards, as Woody Marks totaled a team-leading 76 rushing yards on 18 carries.
UCLA claimed a 10-9 lead on a seven-play, 54-yard drive with 9:37 remaining in the third quarter. The Bruins' drive concluded with a 10-yard touchdown pass over the middle from Garbers to tight end Moliki Matavao. UCLA's touchdown drive included back-to-back 20-plus-yard plays – a 29-yard reception by J.Michael Sturdivant and a 23-yard run by T.J. Harden.
Mateen Bhaghani pushed the Bruins' lead to 13-9 with a 29-yard field goal with four seconds to play in the third quarter.
USC entered the locker room at halftime with a 9-3 lead. The first half featured four field goals – three from USC, and one 51-yarder from UCLA.
UCLA took a 3-0 lead on its first offensive possession, as Bhaghani kicked a 51-yard field goal less than four minutes into the contest. Lantz was a perfect 3-for-3 on field goal attempts in the first half, helping the Trojans to secure a 9-3 advantage.
USC closed its second, third and fourth offensive drives with field goals of 19 yards, 23 yards and 22 yards. Lantz's 22-yard field goal to put the Trojans ahead by six points took place with 21 seconds to play in the first half.
The Bruins will close their regular-season schedule against Fresno State on Saturday, Nov. 30. Game time next Saturday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena is set for 12:30 p.m. (PT). UCLA's non-conference showdown with Fresno State will be televised by the Big Ten Network.
Team Stats
USC 0, UCL 3
UCL - Bhaghani,Mateen 51 yd field goal 7 plays, 42 yards, TOP 03:28
USC 3, UCL 3
USC - Lantz,Michael 19 yd field goal 9 plays, 93 yards, TOP 03:02
USC 6, UCL 3
USC - Lantz,Michael 23 yd field goal 12 plays, 51 yards, TOP 04:52
USC 9, UCL 3
USC - Lantz,Michael 22 yd field goal 14 plays, 79 yards, TOP 06:05
USC 9, UCL 10
UCL - Matavao,Moliki 10 yd pass from Garbers,Ethan (Bhaghani,Mateen kick) 7 plays, 55 yards, TOP 04:21
USC 9, UCL 13
UCL - Bhaghani,Mateen 29 yd field goal 10 plays, 80 yards, TOP 07:01
USC 16, UCL 13
USC - Lane,Ja'Kobi 4 yd pass from Maiava,Jayden (Lantz,Michael kick) 3 plays, 49 yards, TOP 01:21
USC 19, UCL 13
USC - Lantz,Michael 30 yd field goal 8 plays, 21 yards, TOP 02:50
