USC-UCLA football game is the biggest one in the series since 2005
It is the week we have all been waiting for: USC-UCLA. The Trojans and Bruins face off in a massive showdown, although it would’ve been bigger if UCLA hadn’t lost to Arizona this past weekend.
The Trojans also are playing without star running back Travis Dye, who suffered a likely season-ending injury in a win over Colorado.
There is plenty to discuss regarding USC-UCLA, and we take a trip down memory lane and examine the 2005 game, which was always live forever in our minds.
Here are some fun facts from this game nearly 20 years ago as we prepare for a top-25 showdown of the Los Angeles schools.
REGGIE BUSH RUNS WILD
Reggie Bush did his thing: He had 24 carries for 260 yards and a pair of scores.
TROJANS DOMINATE UCLA
USC destroyed UCLA in this game with a final score of 66-19.
USC HAD MASSIVE LEADS
The Trojans had huge leads. They began the game 24-0, and led by as much as 59-6 in the fourth quarter.
LENDALE WHITE ALSO RUNS FREE
LenDale White also ran wild in this game. He had just 14 carries, but totaled 154 yards and a pair of scores.
34TH STRAIGHT VICTORY
This game was terrific, and USC notched its 34th straight win by defeating UCLA as the Trojans stayed No. 1 in the rankings.
LONG FIRST DRIVE
The first drive of the game set the tone as the Trojans marched 70 yards and scored a field goal — all without throwing one pass.
EFFICIENT GAME FROM MATT LEINART
Matt Leinart didn’t have to do too much. He finished with a 21-of-40 clip, throwing for 233 yards and three scores.
USC DROPS A TON OF YARDS
Looking at the box score now, it’s even more amazing. The Trojans had a total of 679 yards and UCLA had just 275.
NFL RB BATTLE
It was a matchup of future NFL running backs as Reggie Bush and Maurice Jones-Drew squared off. MJD had 84 yards and a score for the Bruins, but Bush was the best player in the country that year.
DWAYNE JARRETT LED THE TEAM IN RECEIVING
There weren’t very many receiving stats in this game as USC ran the ball down UCLA’s throats. Jarrett led the Trojans with 83 yards on six catches and a touchdown.
DREW OLSON CONTAINED
Drew Olson was the Bruins’ QB for that game. Going in, he had the highest efficiency rating in the country, but the Trojans held him in check. Olson went just 14-of-32 for 146 yards.
KARL DORRELL WAS THERE ... ON THE UCLA SIDELINE
Karl Dorrell was the UCLA head coach. Fast forward to 2022, Dorrell began 0-5 as the head coach at Colorado and was dismissed, then replaced by Mike Sanford.
LEINART'S EMOTIONAL DEPARTURE
Matt Leinart was taken out of the game to a gigantic roar from the crowd, and he will likely remember that moment forever (h/t ESPN.)
“It’s been perfect so far,” Leinart said. “This is everything
I dreamed of coming back (for).”
UCLA HAD FOUR FUMBLES
Drew Olson didn’t throw an interception all game for UCLA. However, the Bruins lost four fumbles in this game.
USC'S YARD PER RUSH NUMBER
USC knew what they wanted to do: Run the football. Well, they did exactly that, rushing for 430 yards on an 8.4 average. 8.4!
FOUR 10-PLAY DRIVES FOR USC
The Trojans just dominated this game. In fact, USC had four scoring drives of 10 plays or more.
16TH STRAIGHT WIN AGAINST RANKED OPPONENT
We already acknowledged that this was USC’s 34th straight win, but even more impressive is that this was the 16th consecutive win against a ranked opponent.
NO UCLA TOUCHDOWNS FOR THE FIRST 56 MINUTES
Coming into this game, UCLA’s offense had averaged 40 points a game. Well, USC held them without a touchdown for the first 56 minutes. Drew Olson and the Bruins finally got one at the end of the fourth quarter.
LAWRENCE JACKSON HAT TRICK SACKS
Defensive end Lawrence Jackson led the way for the USC defense with three of the team’s five sacks on the night.
JUSTIN WYATT DEFENSIVE TD
Justin Wyatt also got into the end zone for the USC defense as he returned a fumble 38 yards for a touchdown.
THIS WAS A GOOD UCLA TEAM USC DESTROYED
The Trojans absolutely dismantled a UCLA team which had lost just one game going in. That’s how great the 2005 USC team was.
PERFECT REGULAR SEASON
USC completed a perfect regular season with this victory.
BACK TO BACK
USC achieved a perfect regular season in consecutive years for the first time in school history.
The 1968 and 1969 teams were both unbeaten in the regular season, but tied once.
