Fourth Quarter Touchdown Gives USC 19-13 Victory Over UCLA, Bowl Eligibility

Jayden Maiava threw a 4-yard pass to Ja’Kobi Lane with 6 minutes, 55 seconds to play for USC’s lone touchdown in a 19-13 victory over UCLA at the Rose Bowl Saturday evening that made the Trojans bowl eligible and ended the Bruins’ bowl hopes.

The touchdown came one play after sophomore receiver Makai Lemon caught a lateral from Maiava and threw a 39-yard pass to Kyron Hudson. The pass was Lemon’s first of his 18-game college career.

UCLA had the ball twice after the touchdown. Its first drive ended when quarterback Ethan Garbers was stopped for no gain when he ran up the middle on a fourth-and-1 play from the Bruins’ 34-yard line.

The Trojans then drove 21 yards on eight plays, culminating with Michael Lantz’s 30-yard field goal with 2:09 left.

Garbers threw four consecutive incomplete passes when UCLA regained possession and USC (6-5, 4-5 in Big Ten Conference play) ran out the final 1:46.

The Bruins outgained the Trojans, 376 yards to 346 and led 30:57-29:03 in time of possession. USC led 17-16 in first downs.

The Trojans converted 4 of 14 third downs and 1 of 2 fourth downs. UCLA converted 3 of 11 third downs and none of their three fourth downs.

Maiava completed 19 of 35 passes for 221 yards and the one touchdown in the redshirt sophomore’s second start in his first season at USC after spending the first two years of his college career at UNLV. He did not throw an interception and was sacked twice.

Garbers, a redshirt senior, completed 20 of 29 passes for 265 yards, including a 10-yard pass to Moliki Matavo with 9:37 left in the third quarter for the Bruins’ lone touchdown.

Mateen Bhaghani kicked a 29-yard field goal on the next possession for UCLA (4-7, 3-6).

Lantz kicked 19-, 23- and 22-yard field goals in the first half for the Trojans before a crowd announced at 59,473.

Bhaghani opened the scoring with a 51-yard field goal on the game’s first drive.

USC increased its lead in the series 51-34-7, not including victories in 2004 and 2005 that were vacated as part of the penalties issued by the NCAA for improper benefits accepted by 2005 Heisman Trophy-winning running back Reggie Bush and his family. The Bruins have won just seven of the past 26 meetings.

The Trojans regain possession of the Victory Bell with the victory. The 295-pound bell that originally hung atop a Southern Pacific freight locomotive and was given to the UCLA Alumni Association in 1939. In 1941, it was taken by a group of USC students who hid it in a variety of locations for more than a year.

Following an intervention by school administrators, the student body presidents of both schools signed an agreement in 1942 providing that the winner of the football game would keep possession for the next year, a tradition that has continued, along with painting the bell’s carriage in the school color of the winner.