USC makes a second-half statement and leaves no doubt about who runs this city

The USC Trojans defeated the UCLA Bruins 29-10 to retain the Victory Bell. The Trojans shut out the Bruins in the second half and gained their first win at home against their rivals in the Lincoln Riley era. The Trojans finish the regular season 9-3 which is their highest win total in three years.

First Half

The first half was yet another example of how USC’s lack of discipline and poor execution on special teams continues to cost this team. For reasons that appear disciplinary, the Trojans elected to bench starting wide receivers Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane for the opening quarter. Their absence wasn’t felt on the first drive, as USC marched down the field with ease and took an early 7–0 lead on the Bruins.

USC would earn two more scoring opportunities with field goal attempts, but the first was blocked and the second was pushed wide right which is an uncharacteristic miss from Ryon Sayeri, who has been highly reliable this season.

Defensively, USC didn’t start as slowly as they have in recent weeks, but they still allowed a relatively weak UCLA offense to look explosive and, at times, unguardable. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava connected for a two-yard touchdown and completed over 70% of his passes in the half. The Trojans trailed 10–7 at the break, marking the third straight game in which they’ve entered halftime behind. Running back King Miller accounted for USC’s lone touchdown of the first half.

Second Half

The USC Trojans revisited a familiar and positive trend this season by dominanting games with second-half defense. USC shut out UCLA after halftime, outscoring the Bruins 22–0 to close out what was ultimately a very successful regular season for the Trojans.

The offense, as it has so often this year, eventually found its rhythm and once it did, the momentum swung decisively. Makai Lemon hauled in Jayden Maiava’s first touchdown pass of the night, giving USC a 14–10 lead. It was likely Lemon’s final touchdown as a Trojan, with the standout receiver projected to be a first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Maiava added another touchdown through the air to senior tight end Lake McRee, while King Miller broke free for a 41-yard score with his second rushing touchdown of the evening.

In all, USC looked dominant after the break. And while a full four-quarter performance would have been ideal, rivalry games rarely follow a script. What mattered most is that the Trojans secured their first home victory over UCLA in the Lincoln Riley era.