Takeaways From USC And UCLA Rivalry Game

USC Trojans vs UCLA Bruins At The Coliseum. Photo Credit: Ryan Dyrud | The LAFB Network
USC Trojans vs UCLA Bruins At The Coliseum. Photo Credit: Ryan Dyrud | The LAFB Network

The USC Trojans won the battle of Los Angeles against the UCLA Bruins 52-35. USC finished the regular season 8-4 and will play in a bowl game of some sort this season. The Trojans still can win the Pac-12 South if Utah loses to Colorado next week. Here are some takeaways from the game.

Kedon Slovis Shines Again

Freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis had himself a fantastic game against the Bruins. Slovis threw for 515 yards and became the first USC quarterback to throw for over 500 yards in school history. The freshman completed 37 of 47 passes and threw four touchdowns. With Slovis playing like this, it will be hard for JT Daniels to get his job back next year. Nobody saw this coming from Slovis; he has been a big bright side for USC this season.

Wide Receivers Put In Work

The Trojans had four wide receivers with over 100 yards receiving. Drake London (142), Amon-Ra St. Brown (128), Tyler Vaughns (106), and Michael Pittman Jr. (104). Pittman added 13 catches and two touchdowns. London and Vaughns also added a touchdown apiece. USC receivers did pretty much whatever they wanted on Saturday. The Trojans receivers have been impressive all season and seem to be getting better every week. The passing game has taken off these past couples of weeks.

USC Defense Contained Joshua Kelley

USC did a pretty good job on Joshua Kelley; he had 45 yards on 15 carries. Kelley only averaged 3.0 yards per carry and rushed for one touchdown. The Trojans did an excellent job at the line of scrimmage to slow down the star running back.

USC Safties Balled Out

Both Trojan’s safeties played a fantastic game, Talanoa Hufanga led the team in tackles with 18 total. Hufanga also added a sack and two tackles for a loss. He played a great game in the box and back deep in coverage. Isaiah Pola-Mao was second in tackles against the Bruins. He also added a pass defended and made some excellent open-field tackles.