The UCLA Bruins (4-7) suffered a crushing defeat in the Rose Bowl on Saturday night as they fell 19-13 to their archrival USC (6-5) in the Crosstown Cup. The Bruins failed to perform in the red zone and were unable to pull off a victory as they suffered a disappointing home loss, their seventh of the season.

The Trojans scored 10 points in the final 8 minutes of the game to steal away what would have been a season-defining victory for the Bruins. Field position was crucial throughout the game, as the Trojans received multiple short fields that allowed them to earn key points down the stretch.

The Bruins defense was stout in the first half, holding the Trojans to just nine points on three field goals. They allowed just one touchdown in the loss and played as best they could to hold off a strong Trojan offense. It marks the Trojans’ lowest point total since their Week 5 loss to Minnesota (17).

Bruins senior quarterback Ethan Garbers had a very good game, throwing for 265 yards and one touchdown. He completed 20 of 29 passes but was sacked three times, with a few coming in clutch moments when the Bruins needed a key play.

The biggest surprise for the Bruins was junior wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant. Having played in just five games, he came into the rivalry posting 117 receiving yards on five catches. He made several sensational catches to put the Bruins in positions they couldn’t execute.

Surprisingly, the Bruins outplayed their opponent, as Trojans senior running back Woody Marks was limited to 76 rush yards on 18 carries. It was the lowest rushing total for Marks in the past seven games. Bruins junior defenseman TJ Harden had 98 rush yards with 37 receptions on three receptions.

The Bruins defense did what it needed to do to win the game, but the offense just couldn’t score enough. It didn’t give up a turnover all game, although it turned the ball over on downs three times, including twice on the final two drives of the ballgame.

With the loss, the Bruins are eliminated from bowl eligibility and will look to finish the season strong at home against Fresno State (6-5) next week. A very disappointing defeat for a team that had tremendous momentum leading into the match and early in the second half.

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