USC

In reality, their first games have not been pretty or what head coach Lane Kiffin probably desired and envisioned. However, the USC Trojans are 2-0 after defeating the visiting Utah Utes at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum by a score of 23-14.

“I thought our guys came out good again,” Kiffin admits. “We’re there. We’re playing really well in all phases of the game. We’re just not putting people away.”

With the victory in their Pac-12 debut, USC is also 1-0 in conference action. Last year’s woes signaled to the defense of the Trojans, but junior star quarterback Matt Barkley accepts their improvement.

“The defense won this game for us, no doubt about it,” he says after the win. And it is true.

Matt Kalil, who is a six-foot, seven-inch tall left tackle for USC, blocked a 41-yard field goal attempt with seconds left, and then Torin Harris picked up the football and returned it to Utah’s end zone for a 68-yard touchdown.

“It hit my forearm, so it didn’t even get over my hand,” Kalil says. “Luckily, I’m a tall guy.” Barkley finished the match with 264 passing yards and a touchdown on 20-of-32 attempts. He also threw one interception.

After serving a one-game suspension, tailback Marc Tyler appeared in his first game of the season. Tyler rushed for 113 yards and one score on 24 carries.

“This is something I’ve dreamed about doing since I got in trouble, just coming back and being a big impact to the fans and my teammates,” Tyler confesses.

Although he did not score any touchdowns, sophomore receiver Robert Woods caught eight balls for a solid 102 yards. Xavier Grimble caught five for 66 yards; Marqise Lee had two for 34 yards.

The Utes were really in it to win it, but could not fulfill a rally in the end.

“We stayed toe-to-toe, but we have to find a way to win close games,” Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham states. “… If you have a group of competitive guys, you want to play the best in the country. Personnel-wise, USC stacks up with anyone in the country.”

Utah quarterback Jordan Wynn passed for 238 yards and a score, and he admits not liking the loss.

“It’s never fun to lose that way. We gave ourselves a chance. We drove down there,” he says. “I thought we were going to play some more football, but it didn’t work out that way.”

The Trojans end their three-game homestand on Saturday, Sept. 17, hosting the Syracuse Orange at 5 p.m.

UCLA

After suffering a four-point loss in Texas against Houston, the UCLA Bruins came to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena ready to win in their home opener against the San Jose State Spartans before 42,685 fans in attendance. The result was a 27-17 win to move their record to 1-1.

Quarterback Richard Brehaut threw for 145 yards and one touchdown on 12-of-23 completed attempts. And the Bruins have found themselves another great rusher in Derrick Coleman after he collected 135 yards on the ground and one touchdown in 14 carries. Johnathan Franklin rushed for 81 yards on 16 carries; he also scored a touchdown.

With less than four minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Bruins gained a 6-0 lead when Franklin rushed up the middle for a one-yard score. However, the Spartans responded with 10:40 left in the second when David Freeman gathered a one-yard rush for a TD.

Up until the fourth quarter, the game really was a nailbiter since both teams scored, one after the other. In the fourth, Kip Smith kicked a 20-yard field goal to give the Bruins a 20-17 lead, which they never let go of. With 3:35 left in the affair, Coleman scored on a 24-yard rush through the middle, and that drive eventually gave UCLA a 27-17 edge.

UCLA next entertains powerhouse and No. 24-ranked Texas (2-0) on Saturday, Sept. 17, in a 12:30 p.m. kick-off.