Go Joe Bruin
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UCLA Football: UCLA vs. USC Early Analysis

ByAshley Tellier|
Nov 28, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of the line of scrimmage during an NCAA football game between the UCLA Bruins and the Southern California Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of the line of scrimmage during an NCAA football game between the UCLA Bruins and the Southern California Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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Nov 28, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of the line of scrimmage during an NCAA football game between the UCLA Bruins and the Southern California Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of the line of scrimmage during an NCAA football game between the UCLA Bruins and the Southern California Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Go Joe Bruin previews the UCLA Football team’s late-season battle with USC as the Bruins will seek to return the Victory Bell to its proper color.

Prior to 2012, the UCLA Football team had lost to USC for five years in a row, including a devastating 50-0 loss at the Coliseum in 2011.

Then things changed. UCLA hired former NFL coach Jim Mora as the program’s head coach. Redshirt freshman Brett Hundley won the starting quarterback job. Anthony Barr switched to linebacker after playing with the offense for two years.

All of sudden, the Football Gods had decided to favor the Bruins. In 2012, the Bruins defeated USC at the Rose Bowl 38-28. Then, in 2013, UCLA came out swinging at the Coliseum to beat the Trojans 35-14. And in case anyone thought the Bruins were just getting lucky, UCLA defeated USC handily 38-20 in 2014.

Although the Bruins were having trouble even competing for the Pac-12 title, UCLA fans could at least rejoice for three years in the fact that the Bruins were dominating their crosstown rivals.

The message was clear: The Bruins owned L.A. Everybody knew that. Then last year happened.

It didn’t matter that star freshman QB Josh Rosen was leading the Bruins or that UCLA was ranked #22 and USC wasn’t or that the Bruins were finally contending for the Pac-12 South title after upsetting Utah a week before.

The Bruins fell to the Trojans 40-21. This year, the Bruins and Trojans are predicted to battle each other out for the Pac-12 South title again. Will the result be different this year?

Next: 2015 Record and Recap

Schedule

Schedule