LOS ANGELES — Tailback Johnathan Franklin rushed for 171 yards and two touchdowns, including a 29-yarder with 4:02 remaining, as No. 17 UCLA defeated No. 18 USC 38-28 at the Rose Bowl on Saturday and clinched the Pac-12 South. The win also avenged last year’s 50-0 loss and ended a five-game losing streak against USC.
USC quarterback Matt Barkley suffered what was thought to be a separated shoulder late in the game, but neither he nor his coaches would discuss the injury. If it’s serious, he could miss the Trojans’ game against Notre Dame next week.
Meanwhile, USC athletic director Pat Haden said coach Lane Kiffin would return next season. “Absolutely,” Haden said. “He’s our coach.”
UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley passed for 234 yards and one touchdown while also running for two scores.
“It was very exciting,” UCLA coach Jim Mora said. “The seniors, especially, in the locker room, you don’t get that atmosphere in an NFL locker room.”
UCLA jumped out to a 24-0 lead in the second quarter as Hundley confounded the Trojans, completing of 12 of his first 14 passes.
Barkley’s first pass of the game was intercepted by UCLA safety Aaron Hester. Hundley took advantage and scored on a 1-yard run for a 7-0 lead.
The Bruins then went 84 yards in 18 plays before Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked a 23-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead with 4:35 left in the first quarter.
Hundley added a 17-yard scoring pass to Joseph Fauria to put UCLA up 17-0.
Franklin scampered 16 yards through the USC defense for an impressive touchdown that made it 24-0 with 7:38 left in the first half.
USC finally scored when Barkley hit freshman wide receiver Nelson Agholor on a 33-yard touchdown pass that cut the Bruins’ lead to 24-7 with 5:58 left in the first half.
Barkley then found tight end Randall Telfer on a 2-yard touchdown pass with 1:07 left in the half.
The weather clearly played a role in the game. The third quarter started wildly as the teams tried to play in a downpour. It cleared up after a few minutes — but not before the game’s craziest play as at least three UCLA players touched a ball that went backward 20 yards and was recovered in the end zone for a USC touchdown that cut the lead to 24-20. Kicker Andre Heidari missed the extra point in the rain.
Hundley put UCLA up 31-20 with a 3-yard run with 9:57 left in the third quarter, but USC responded with a 15-yard TD pass from Barkley to Marqise Lee and a two-point pass to Robert Woods to cut the deficit to 31-28 with 7:22 left.
“I was concerned the entire game until the last play,” Mora said. “They’re going to make plays and sco
re points. But we were able to come up with some plays when we needed to.”
Kiffin was at a loss how USC, a preseason No. 1, lost its fourth game.
“I don’t know exactly,” he said. “The No. 1 thing in our losses has been turnovers. We haven’t gotten many and we’ve had way too many.”
NOTES: The USC drum major did not plant his sword in the field during the pre-game performance, as was announced during the week. UCLA requested the USC band refrain from stabbing the field with his sword, which usually occurs at home and road games. … UCLA named its new press box after former coach Terry Donahue.