Positives and negatives from USC's 29-10 rivalry victory over UCLA

On Saturday evening, the USC football team defeated rival UCLA 29-10 at the Coliseum. With the victory, the Trojans retained the Victory Bell and finished the 2025 regular season with a record of 9-3.

What went well for USC in the game, and where did the Trojans struggle? Here are some positives and negatives from the Crosstown Showdown:

Positive: The last 20 minutes

After playing poorly for much of the game, the Trojans put their foot on the gas pedal over the game's final 20 minutes. USC scored touchdowns on its final three possessions (not including taking a knee at the end of the game), turning an ugly game into a three-score victory.

Negative: The first 40 minutes

While the final 20 minutes of the game were great for the Trojans, the first 40 minutes were rather ugly. USC scored just seven points during that stretch, and trailed a 3-8 UCLA team late in the third quarter. The Trojans were able to dig themselves out of the hole largely due to UCLA's incompetence, but they will likely not be able to do such against tougher competition.

Positive: King Miller

It has been a remarkable season for USC's redshirt freshman walk-on running back. Miller had another big game against UCLA, rushing for 127 yards and two touchdowns on just 17 carries. He better get a scholarship (as well as a sizable NIL deal) this offseason.

Positive: The defense

USC's defense has drawn plenty of criticism this season, but the Trojans allowed just ten points on Saturday night—including none in the second half. Yes, UCLA is bad, but this marks USC's second time in the past three weeks shutting out their opponent after halftime—which deserves praise.

Positive: Discipline

In last week's loss to Oregon, two of USC's biggest issues were penalties and turnovers. In the victory over UCLA, the Trojans did not turn the ball over, and committed just three penalties for 30 yards. (Quarterback Jayden Maiava did throw an interception, but it was called back due to a defensive penalty.)

Negative: Special teams

After being nearly perfect through the first ten weeks of the season, USC kicker Ryon Sayeri has now missed three field goals in a row dating back to last week. Both of his misses on Saturday were from under 40 yards. This marks the second disastrous special teams week in a row for the Trojans—it officially might be time to worry.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC football defeats UCLA 29-10: Positives and negatives