The UCLA football team will still get to call itself Pac-12 South champions, but that title has less luster after a steamrolling at the hands of USC on Saturday night.
The Trojans rolled while the Bruins failed to score in the 50-0 blowout. USC (10-2, 7-2 Pac-12) sealed up first place in the conference’s South division, but will not get to call itself champions due to its postseason ban. As the runner-up to USC, UCLA (6-6, 5-4) will head to Oregon on Friday to compete in the conference’s first championship game.
The Bruins were ill-prepared from the outset and as a result were on the wrong end of a beating. After falling down 29-0 at halftime, UCLA’s first drive of the third quarter stalled near midfield. Given the ball after the turnover on downs, USC needed just two plays to score— Matt Barkley found Robert Woods for a 52-yard touchdown, and the rout continued.
Woods added another score when he strolled to the end zone uncovered on a 41-yard touchdown. When Woods wasn’t doing the damage, Marquis Lee was. USC said it was the first time in school history that two receivers logged double-digit receptions in the same game.
Barkley played like a Heisman candidate, passing for 414 yards and six touchdowns. His counterpart had a much tougher time moving the ball. Redshirt junior Kevin Prince and the UCLA offense couldn’t find the red zone after the second-quarter drive that ended in a Prince interception.
The Bruins will head to Eugene, Ore., to face the Ducks with their bowl eligibility hanging in the balance. Oregon rolled over UCLA, 60-13, last year in Autzen Stadium. Another loss this year would drop the Bruins to 6-7, and a waiver would need to be granted by the NCAA for UCLA to go bowling.