UCLA vs. USC: Score, Highlights and Twitter Reaction

The USC Trojans outlasted the UCLA Bruins 40-21 to capture the Victory Bell and set up a showdown against the Stanford Cardinal in the Pac-12 Championship Game next week. 

Per ESPN, this will be USC's first trip to the conference title game since its inception in 2011.

UCLA was its own worst enemy in the game, giving up a punt-return touchdown and fumble-return touchdown to give USC 13 points without having to take an offensive snap. The Bruins finished the game with three turnovers, while the Trojans held the ball for 40 minutes. 

Rasheem Green's 31-yard touchdown on a fumble recovery was huge for the Trojans' momentum, because it came less than 90 seconds after UCLA took a 21-20 lead. According to ESPN Stats & Info, with Green's score, USC tied Oklahoma State for the most defensive touchdowns (five) among Power Five schools. 

USC also forced a turnover on UCLA's next drive, when Iman Marshall picked off quarterback Josh Rosen. USCFootball.com shared the replay:

That turnover led to an eight-play, 52-yard touchdown drive by the Trojans, capped off by a 20-yard pass from Cody Kessler to Darreus Rogers.

Neither team dominated on offense in the game. Kessler was a conservative 15-of-26 for 175 yards with two touchdowns, but USC controlled the clock, thanks to 235 rushing yards on 59 carries, and took advantage of UCLA's mistakes.

The Trojans' final touchdown drive was indicative of how they wanted to wear down the UCLA defense, per WeAreSC.com:

"

Amazing drive for Trojans. 10 runs, 1 pass, 11 total plays, 68 yards, ends with Kessler to McNamara TD pass. USC now up 40-21.

— WeAreSC.com (@wearescstaff) November 28, 2015"

Limiting the number of times Kessler has to drop back and pass has been a pattern during USC's late-season surge. The senior quarterback has thrown the ball fewer than 30 times in four games since Oct. 24 against Utah. Prior to that game, he had attempted at least 29 passes in five straight. 

USC sophomore playmaker extraordinaire Adoree' Jackson was fantastic in the game, returning a punt for a 42-yard TD to give the Trojans a 20-14 lead and nearly snagging an interception that went right through his hands.

Even with the one missed opportunity, his punt return was special, as captured by USC Athletics:

UCLA got a strong rushing performance from Paul Perkins, who finished with 95 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, but he didn't receive enough support.

Rosen, who has faced many of the trials and tribulations most true freshmen go through, looked like a first-year player against USC. He went 19-of-37 for 227 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. 

ESPN.com's Kevin Gemmell noted how painful the final weekend of the regular season has been for UCLA in the last two years:

The win was significant for USC interim head coach Clay Helton, with ESPN.com's Arash Markazi noting he did something all of the recent big-name head coaches for the Trojans couldn't do:

Helton took over following a loss against Washington and was able to pinpoint the night his team turned the corner, per Scott Wolf of the Los Angeles Daily News:

"

It’s a weird moment but when the start of the fourth quarter happened at Notre Dame and I looked up and it’s 31-24 and we were in the lead and we had come back from being down 24-10, I said right there ‘We’ve got something special.’ I really felt we could make a run. We put ourselves in a position to be a Pac-12 South champion.

"

Since losing to Notre Dame, USC has gone 5-1, with its lone blemish being a loss on the road against Oregon. Under the Radar speculated on what Saturday's victory could do for his resume:

USC will decide its coaching situation in the coming weeks, but Helton has earned the right to be considered for the job after getting the Trojans into the Pac-12 title game.

A win over Stanford, which holds a 41-31 win over the Trojans earlier in the season, could push Helton over the top. His team is firing on all cylinders, playing strong defense and living up to the potential everyone assumed it had back in August.

Postgame Reaction

While Helton had plenty to say about the victory, Kessler described what has made USC rally around its head coach, per Nick Hamilton of the Rebel Media Group:

Per Reign of Troy, Kessler also jumped in when Helton was asked about being named the permanent head coach, saying it "absolutely" should happen. 

When Helton spoke, he quickly gave credit to the players, per Reign of Troy:

In true walk-off fashion, per Reign of Troy, Helton used a popular slogan to sum up what his team's mindset was in the week leading up to this game:

Even though that can be read as coach speak, it was a message that clearly got through to the team, as Kessler said, per Reign of Troy:

In defeat, UCLA head coach Jim Mora gave credit to his team for the way it kept battling through adversity, per Hamilton:

Mora's resume with the Bruins is solid overall with a 37-15 record, but his inability to ever defeat Stanford and now losing USC has left him searching for answers to how he can get this program over the hump in the Pac-12.