A UCLA-USC Joint Project

Trenise Ferriera is the editor and main writer for the USC blog on the Fansided network, which this UCLA site is also a part of.

It’s called Reign Of Troy, and we decided to ask each other questions about the UCLA – USC Crosstown Rivalry; the state of it and how we think the game between the Bruins and the Trojans this Saturday night is going to go.

Here are her answers to the questions I asked her (the questions I asked are in bold italics):

Do you think that the Trojans will be taking UCLA lightly, considering their recent dominance over them (they’ve won 11 out of the past 12 meetings), how the Bruins are doing this year, and how the Trojans are on a roll right now? And if USC’s not taking UCLA lightly despite all that, why not?

Trenise Ferreira:

In spite of the decade’s worth of dominance that USC has been exepriencing, don’t expect the Trojans to take UCLA lightly.

On the contrary, they will fight on and play just as hard in this game as they have all the other ones. USC has a statement to make after being shafted by the NCAA sanctions and Larry Scott’s (the Pac-12 Commissioner) decision to ban ‘SC from the inagural Pac-12 game, and they want to cap their season with another beat down of their rival, the Bruins.

Considering USC’s dominance over UCLA these past ten years plus, do you think that this crosstown rivalry’s dead, or at least hurting? And if it isn’t, why not?

 As a current student, I can honestly say that on the field and on the court the rivalry is definitely hurting, but the rivalry still exists on principle.

SC students still bristle and glare when they see Bruins on our campus, and we still rep our cardinal and gold with pride when we trek to Westwood for Diddy Reese cookies. CONQUEST! USC’s annual pep rally/concert during Rivalry Week is still a big draw, and students really get into the atmosphere the game brings.

It’s no secret that USC is the “football” school and UCLA is the “basketball” one, but even that has changed with the recent slump that UCLA basketball has experienced. Since the two schools haven’t met in a meaningful game on the court in a few years though, I don’t think students get nearly as pumped for that as they do for the football game.

It’s often said that we Trojans love to boast, and nothing makes us happier that to say that we are better than that OTHER school in L.A., and actually have a win to back it up. (We) are prepeared to deal with the huge crowd that is going to turn out, the drunkenness that is going to ensue, and that the two schools will do their best to make the game memorable for only positive reasons.

Considering security and safety, and particularly in light of the brawl and stabbings between USC and UCLA fans at last year’s game outside of the Rose Bowl, do you know what steps that USC will be taking to ensure the safety of the Trojan and Bruin fans, especially since the game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m., which will – once again – give fans all day to get drunk, wasted, and more likely to commit violence?

The USC community got an email yesterday about the added security measures for this game, as well, as a list of tips that the University is advising fans and students to consider.

Also, since USC is in a rougher part of town, security is a huge concern for this game because above all, the rivalry is suppsed to be fun. it’s unfortunate that some Trojans and Bruins alike forget that at the end of the day, it’s just a game between the two schools…

And finally, what do you think the keys will be for USC to prevent an upset this Saturday?

For USC to avoid an upset, they cannot get complacent and take UCLA lightly. As we saw in 2006 – which I almost don’t even want to talk about – the Trojans can be defeated by the Bruins if they come off their A-game.

They will have to play every down and every snap as if the game is on the line, and if they do, I think they will extend USC’s win streak to 12 of 13 wins.

There you have it, one Trojan’s opinion.

All I have to say is although logically speaking, UCLA’s chances of beating USC aren’t that great as the Bruins are a 14-point underdog, we’ll see what happens at the Coliseum this Saturday night, because the #1 rule to remember of this UCLA – USC rivalry, or any college football rivalry for that matter, is this…

ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.

My answers to her questions about this rivalry and this game – hence the joint project – can be seen on Reign of Troy; www.reignoftroy.com, which will be posted on that site soon.