UCLA and USC have duked it out in the crosstown rivalry since
1929. Most UCLA fans could tell you (with a heavy sigh) the Bruins
have lost the last four matchups. And most may also remember the
glory days of the ’90s when the Bruins rattled off eight
consecutive victories from 1991-1998 for the series record. Before
that, however, memories are hazy. UCLA trails USC in the series
38-27-7, but beyond those numbers lies a storied history. Many fans
don’t even know how the Victory Bell came to symbolize the
rivalry. Here is a brief history of the rivalry, full of facts to
impress both friends and family at pre-game tailgating festivities
this Saturday.
“¢bull;Â 1929: The first crosstown meeting.
Back then Los Angeles really was a town. UCLA lost 76-0, a record
for the rivalry in terms of margin of victory. Fun fact:
UCLA’s largest margin of victory in the series is 39 points
(39-0 in 1950).
“¢bull; 1942: The Bruins beat USC 14-7 for
their first victory in the series. Additionally, the win allowed
UCLA to reclaim the Victory Bell, which had been stolen by a USC
fraternity in 1941. The 1942 game was the first played for the
famous bell, which came from a Southern Pacific locomotive and was
given to UCLA in 1939 by the school’s alumni association. To
this day, the teams still battle for the Victory Bell.
“¢bull; 1965: A Rose Bowl berth was on the line
for both teams, and with an All-American running back in Mike
Garrett, USC was favored to win the game. With UCLA trailing in the
fourth quarter, an unknown sophomore quarterback named Gary Beban
threw two touchdowns to give UCLA the 20-16 win. UCLA then went to
the Rose Bowl where it defeated Michigan State 14-12. Beban won the
Heisman Trophy in 1967.
“¢bull; 1967: With less than 11 minutes
remaining in the game, O.J. Simpson made his famous 64-yard
touchdown run to give USC a 21-20 victory and a trip to the Rose
Bowl and the national championship. After the win, USC coach John
McKay told his players, “Well, gentlemen, I guess I
wasn’t so stupid today.”
“¢bull; 1980: UCLA wins 20-17 when running back
Freeman McNeil grabs a tipped pass from Jay Schroeder for a 58-yard
touchdown with two minutes remaining in the contest.
“¢bull; 1986: On a trick play, senior wide
receiver Karl Dorrell throws a 33-yard pass to set up a UCLA
touchdown in the Bruins’ 45-25 win over USC. As a UCLA
player, Dorrell was 3-1 against the Trojans.
“¢bull; 1996: UCLA overcomes a 17-point,
fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Trojans 48-41 in overtime.
Running back Skip Hicks wins it for the Bruins with a 25-yard
touchdown on the first play of the second overtime.
“¢bull;Â 1998: End of an era: In
UCLA’s final victory of its eight-game winning streak, the
Bruins win 34-17 at the Rose Bowl. With the victory, UCLA becomes
the 4th team in Pac-10 history to go 8-0 in conference play.
“¢bull; 2000: The Bruins lose 38-35 on a last
second 36-yard field goal by Trojan placekicker David Bell. It was
Bell’s very first made field goal of the season and only the
second of his career. He missed his previous three opportunities,
including a 24-yard field goal earlier in the fourth quarter.
Carson Palmer threw for 350 yards in that game, including four
touchdowns. It was Trojan coach Paul Hackett’s final game; he
was replaced at the season’s end by current coach Pete
Carroll.