UCLA football (7-4, 4-4 Pac-12) defeated USC (7-5, 5-4) at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the second time in three years with its 38-20 win Saturday. Sports staff writer Gavin Carlson gives his five main takeaways from the game.
Defense leads to offense
Coming into Saturday, UCLA’s defense had already displayed a knack for creating turnovers.
The Bruins’ 1.8 takeaways per game against FBS opponents ranked in a tie for 21st in the country.
But defensive turnovers are the most valuable when a team’s offense can then turn them into seven points. Thus far in 2023, red zone efficiency and points off of turnovers have been consistent issues for UCLA’s offense.
Defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn’s unit continued its turnover-generating trend Saturday at the Coliseum, but this time the offense rewarded the defense with points on multiple occasions.
Following UCLA’s fourth-down stand on USC’s opening drive to give redshirt junior quarterback Ethan Garbers the ball inside Trojan territory, the Bruins quickly took advantage of the field position with the game’s opening touchdown.
When redshirt senior defensive back Kenny Churchwell III stripped wide receiver Zachariah Branch two USC drives later, Garbers and company took over inside the red zone. Three plays later, UCLA was up 14-0.
In the second half, the defense took matters into its own hands when redshirt senior defensive back Alex Johnson scooped up a Trojan fumble and ran into the end zone to put the Bruins up three scores. And when UCLA scored its final touchdown of the game, naturally it came off of a USC turnover on downs moments prior.
When all was said and done, the Bruins forced three turnovers and a pair of turnovers on downs. The Trojans’ mistakes were converted into four touchdowns.
Despite facing star quarterback Caleb Williams, UCLA’s defense was the catalyst for the team’s overall success once again.
Latu’s legacy
Laiatu Latu didn’t need a stellar performance against USC to cement his status as one of the best defenders in college football.
The senior defensive lineman entered the contest first in the country in tackles for loss per game and fourth in sacks per game. And last Wednesday, Latu was named one of four finalists for the Lombardi Award for excellence as an offensive or defensive lineman.
This was all before his first trip to the Coliseum as a Bruin.
But then the skilled pass rusher sacked Williams twice and recorded seven total tackles – both game-highs – to lead UCLA’s dominant defensive performance. Even when he wasn’t bringing Williams and company down, he was forcing the signal-caller to leave the pocket early and impact the timing of USC’s passing concepts.
Statistically, the performance was career-defining.
The two sacks moved Latu’s tackles for loss total to 20.5, which is the most by a UCLA defender since Anthony Barr had 20 in 2013. Latu also now has 23.5 over the last two campaigns, which ties for the most since Barr achieved that mark from 2012-2013.
But outside of the stats, Latu earned his first win in the Battle for Los Angeles while corralling the reigning Heisman trophy winner in what could be Williams’ final collegiate game.
When people remember the legacy of Latu, this game will be near the top of the list.
Dominance at Coliseum continues
In a rivalry between schools less than 15 miles apart, the concept of home-field advantage is less impactful than in other matchups.
Yes, the hosting school gets to limit away fan attendance in order to create a drastic fan disparity. Plus, playing on home turf and using the home locker room is always valuable.
But regardless of the year, the battle for the Victory Bell will always be inside a stadium that seats more than 70,000 fans, and it will always take place in the same Los Angeles fall climate.
Whichever school is hosting can’t change that.
And yet, prior to 2021, USC had won 9 of its last 10 games as the home team against UCLA.
But in just two trips to the Coliseum, the school from Westwood has suddenly flipped the script.
Two seasons ago, it was quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s six total touchdowns – and an unforgettable hurdle – that helped the Bruins score a program-best 62 points in a game against the Trojans.
The Bruins will have the chance to win the first Big Ten version of this rivalry in the Rose Bowl next year, but they’ll take pleasure in knowing they own the Trojans on their turf as of late.
Garbers is good enough
UCLA’s quarterback situation had been the hot topic of the team for almost the entire season.
Since freshman Dante Moore committed to the Bruins, the team’s starter was unclear. Since Garbers took the first snap of the season, he, Moore and redshirt junior Collin Schlee have all experienced collective struggles.
But with questions surrounding coach Chip Kelly’s job security stealing all the headlines in recent weeks, the uncertainty of UCLA’s signal-caller slot was suddenly a forgotten topic.
Enter Garbers, fresh off an injury that kept him out of last week’s seven-point performance against Arizona State. Few were talking about the veteran pocket passer coming into the weekend, especially with the former Heisman trophy winner on the other side.
While UCLA’s quarterback didn’t do anything spectacular, he was plenty good enough Saturday.
Garbers completed 18-of-31 passes for a modest 155 passing yards, but he threw three touchdowns and did not turn the ball over.
When the team needed a completion on a third or fourth down, he found senior wide receiver Logan Loya on multiple occasions. When Garbers was being chased by a USC defender on a 3rd-and-goal, he delivered an accurate touchdown pass to junior running back T.J. Harden before taking a shot.
Garbers was perfectly reasonable, and for now, that’s enough.
The Kelly coaching conundrum
One of Kelly’s most common mottos is, “So what, now what?”
Harden said Saturday that’s what Kelly always preaches following losses as motivation to move forward.
Now that saying can fittingly be applied to the coach’s job security in Westwood – but after a win.
Prior to Saturday’s statement victory, questions about Kelly’s job lingered. The six-year UCLA head coach would not be fired before the USC game, but there was speculation that Kelly was headed toward a job hunt either after the game or after the season.
But that was before Kelly completely outcoached Lincoln Riley in the one game every Bruin fan wants to win the most.
The Bruins never trailed the Trojans, and when Garbers found senior tight end Hudson Habermehl to push the score to 38-13, USC fans bolted for the exits. Soon after the game, it was Riley, not Kelly, who was berated with coaching criticisms from the Los Angeles media.
Did Kelly just save his job?
One win shouldn’t be enough. Not against an unranked football team, and especially not against a team that had lost four of its last five games coming into the matchup. And as high as this win may feel for UCLA, it’s at the very least matched by the extreme low that was the Arizona State loss the week prior.
But Kelly has certainly earned the right to coach until the end of the season. It’s clear his players have unified and rallied around the coach.
“This entire performance was for him,” Garbers said.
Only UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond knows if the sudden switch is enough to bring Kelly along with the program to the Big Ten in 2024.
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