Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
UCLA Beats USC in the Coliseum for the First Time Since 1997
I was wrong.
This was my pregame prediction:
Today's final score in the Coliseum: USC 24, UCLA 20.
— Jimmy Bramlett (@JimmyBramlett) December 1, 2013
Instead UCLA beat USC 35-14, the first time UCLA has beat USC in the Coliseum since 1997.
Support for LAist comes from
UCLA looked like a shadow of their former selves coming off of back-to-back road losses to Stanford and Oregon. They beat Colorado, Arizona and Washington, but they didn't look like the dynamic team they were particularly in Lincoln against Nebraska in Week 3.
Everything could have been forgiven with a win against Arizona State at the Rose Bowl last week. Instead we saw quarterback Brett Hundley do his best impression of Kevin Prince through stretches of their 38-33 loss to the Sun Devils.
That's the team I expected to show up to the Coliseum. Instead they seemed to be energized by the rivalry game, although having Caleb Benenoch ejected for punching after the play early in the first quarter was not something head coach Jim Mora had in mind. It was definitely bad news for an offensive line that was already a patchwork of backups and inexperience.
Hundley was as cool as the blue on his jersey. He threw to eight different receivers for 208 yards. The defensive stalwarts Myles Jack and Eddie Vanderdoes each scored a touchdown while Hundley ran in two scores himself. Paul Perkins added the icing in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter.
For the first time since USC lost to Notre Dame, USC was not the best team on the field.
When Lane Kiffin was fired, I hinted that it would be a while for USC to recover from scholarship sanctions. I figured it didn't matter who was the head coach, but when you could only dress about half the number of scholarship players than your opposition, things weren't looking good.
After that loss to Arizona State that put them at 3-2 with an 0-2 record in the Pac-12, USC looked to be in full Titanic mode. Coach Ed Orgeron took over, the Trojans had a bye week and on a nationally televised Thursday night game at home against Arizona, USC won.
Support for LAist comes from
They stumbled at Notre Dame the following week, but the players started getting healthier. Coach O fed the guys cookies. And they started winning. They took down Utah at home. Then they went up to Oregon State and got the rare win in Corvallis, again on a national television stage.
For the first time since the end of the Pete Carroll days, USC looked like they were having fun. They had fun in Memorial Stadium demolishing the horrible Cal team. Then on ABC's Saturday Night Football, they squeaked past the No. 4 Stanford team that just beat Oregon the week before.
The loss to UCLA shouldn't detract from the terrific job that Coach O did to gather his players together and fight for the dignity of the program. Orgeron should be on top of the list of coaches to take the permanent job especially since Texas A&M and Kevin Sumlin agreed to a contract extension.
Of course UCLA has some questions next season as well. Brett Hundley could opt to go to the NFL, but from the various "experts" I've heard he would probably benefit for another season with the Bruins.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake. -
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
Best of LAist