Los Angeles Times (Sunday)

Trojans go fourth again

USC rallies past rival with a big final quarter and will face Washington for Pac-12 crown

- By Ben Bolch

If USC rallies to defeat UCLA in the Rose Bowl and no one is there to see it, does it make any noise in the rivalry?

Sure it does. A ringing of the Victory Bell that can be heard all the way from Pasadena to Figueroa Street.

With a breathtaki­ng second half that served as vindicatio­n for USC coach Clay Helton and a staggering setback for UCLA counterpar­t Chip Kelly, the No. 15 Trojans kept coming back Saturday evening during a 43-38 victory in front of an empty stadium.

That’s not to say things were quiet after a pack of USC defenders knocked away UCLA quarterbac­k Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s desperatio­n pass into the end zone on the final play.

The Trojans (5-0) sprinted onto the field, providing their own jubilant soundtrack, after wiping out 28-10, 35-23 and 38-36 deficits while denying Kelly what would have been the most meaningful victory of his three seasons with the Bruins.

“That’s about as special as it gets,” Helton said.

UCLA (3-3) still could secure bowl eligibilit­y with a victory next weekend in its final regular-season game, though it will have to heavily regroup after such a crushing defeat.

“That game should have been ours, point-blank, period,” Bruins safety Quentin Lake said after his team was outscored 20-3 in the fourth quarter.

USC capped one of its most improbable rivalry comebacks after receiver Amon-ra St. Brown caught an eight-yard touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone on an audible from quarterbac­k Kedon Slovis with 16 seconds left. The score was set up by Gary Bryant Jr.’s 56-yard kickoff return and Tyler Vaughns’ stunning 35-yard catch near the sideline in double coverage.

“I knew if we just had one more opportunit­y,” Helton said, “that they’d make something happen.”

Only moments earlier, UCLA freshman kicker Nicholas Barr-Mira looked like he would be the hero after making a 43-yard field goal to give the Bruins a 38-36 lead with 56 seconds left.

Much of the next few days could be spent in regret mode for Kelly after he elected to put the ball in freshman running back Keegan Jones’ hands on fourth and one at the USC 37-yard line with a little more than four minutes left. Jones was stuffed for no gain, leading to a turnover on downs.

Kelly said Jones got the carry instead of mainstay running back Demetric Felton Jr. (90 yards) or Brittain Brown (34) because he was in

the game at the time.

“Keegan’s a good solid runner for us,” Kelly said, “so we just came up a little short.”

USC will play Washington in the Pac-12 championsh­ip on Friday at the Coliseum, assuming the Huskies have enough players available after their game against Oregon this weekend was declared a no contest because of positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing within the Washington program.

Thompson-Robinson looked like the best quarterbac­k on the field much of the

night, completing 30 of 36 passes for 364 yards and four touchdowns. But his two intercepti­ons helped spark the Trojans toward their third thrilling comeback of the season after they also rallied for late victories over Arizona State and Arizona.

“We’ve been through the situation so many times,” Slovis said, “I felt like everyone had their cool.”

USC safety Talanoa Hufanga momentaril­y appeared to put his team ahead for the first time midway through the fourth quarter when he

stepped in front of a Thompson-Robinson pass and returned an intercepti­on 46 yards for a touchdown, but a block in the back on the Trojans wiped out the score and gave them the ball at the UCLA 30.

Consecutiv­e offsides penalties on UCLA’s Caleb Johnson and Carl Jones eventually set up a first and goal at the nine. On the next play, Slovis found Drake London in the middle of the end zone for a nine-yard touchdown that gave USC a 36-35 lead with 8:09 left.

The Trojans had all the momentum late in the third quarter and looked like they were on the verge of taking control when back-to-back plays served as potential backbreake­rs.

On the first play, a Slovis pass went through St. Brown’s hands before being snagged by UCLA safety Stephan Blaylock just inches above the ground for an intercepti­on.

On the next play, Thompson-Robinson found tight end Greg Dulcich over the middle for a 69-yard touchdown pass that gave the Bruins a 35-23 lead.

The Trojans rallied once more, making it 35-30 after running back Vavae Malepeai capped a 75-yard drive with a hard-charging 10-yard touchdown run on third and five.

They were just getting started.

One year after he threw for a school-record 515 yards and four touchdowns against the Bruins, Slovis tallied 344 yards and five touchdowns. The Trojans also rediscover­ed their running game one week after mustering five yards on the ground against Washington State, with Malepeai gaining 110 yards and a touchdown in 19 carries.

The Bruins were hurt by two special teams breakdowns, including a botched punt in which Luke Akers fumbled after taking too long to get the ball off. UCLA also gave up the long kickoff return in the final minute after

R.J. Lopez had boomed every other kickoff for a touchback.

The devastatio­n spread to all corners of a silent locker room afterward, the Bruins lost in thought about what might have been.

“I’d say it was the quietest it’s ever been,” ThompsonRo­binson said. “This isn’t a normal game and this isn’t a normal loss.”

 ?? Sean M. Haffey Getty Images ?? USC RECEIVER Amon-ra St. Brown catches a pass from Kedon Slovis with 16 seconds left against UCLA’s Rayshad Williams to give the Trojans the lead. It was the fifth touchdown pass of the game for Slovis and the second score for St. Brown, who caught 10 passes.
Sean M. Haffey Getty Images USC RECEIVER Amon-ra St. Brown catches a pass from Kedon Slovis with 16 seconds left against UCLA’s Rayshad Williams to give the Trojans the lead. It was the fifth touchdown pass of the game for Slovis and the second score for St. Brown, who caught 10 passes.
 ?? Ashley Landis Associated Press ?? UCLA TIGHT END Greg Dulcich (85), who earlier had a 69-yard touchdown reception, can’t come up with a Hail Mary pass in the end zone on the final play.
Ashley Landis Associated Press UCLA TIGHT END Greg Dulcich (85), who earlier had a 69-yard touchdown reception, can’t come up with a Hail Mary pass in the end zone on the final play.
 ?? Photog raphs by Sean M. Haffey Getty Images ?? USC’S Vavae Malepeai charges into the end zone with a 10-yard run to cut UCLA’s lead to 35-30 in the fourth quarter at the Rose Bowl. Malepeai rushed for 110 yards.
Photog raphs by Sean M. Haffey Getty Images USC’S Vavae Malepeai charges into the end zone with a 10-yard run to cut UCLA’s lead to 35-30 in the fourth quarter at the Rose Bowl. Malepeai rushed for 110 yards.
 ??  ?? DEMETRIC FELTON JR. (10) tries to fend off USC’s Olaijah Griffin during the first half. Felton rushed for 90 yards and had two touchdown receptions.
DEMETRIC FELTON JR. (10) tries to fend off USC’s Olaijah Griffin during the first half. Felton rushed for 90 yards and had two touchdown receptions.

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