The annual USC vs. UCLA football game
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The hoopla and fun that surround the big game
The USC vs. UCLA game gets nationwide attention and spurs numerous celebratory activities here in Los Angeles. It's a week-long party for the students, alumni, and fans of two great colleges.
(Photo from Wikimedia Commons. Courtesy of Bryan)
Countdown to The 2011 USC vs. UCLA football game
Wrap-up of the 2011 game!
OUCH!
The 2011 USC vs. UCLA football game was held November 26th.
USC blew out UCLA. The final score was 50-0.
Here's the story from the San Francisco Chronicle:
No. 10 USC blasts UCLA 50-0 in season finale
I haven't found any reports of 2011 pranking (yet). But here are the reported pranks from 2010.
At UCLA, red coloring was added to the water in three fountains (ABC News).
At USC, blue and yellow paint was splashed around the campus (Los Angeles Times blog).
There was no damage to the mascot statues, which were being guarded 24/7 by loyal students.
History of the USC-UCLA football game
I guess I'll talk about football a little bit.
The first two football games between USC and UCLA were in 1929 and 1930. Both were routs. The score in 1929 was USC-76, UCLA-0. The score in 1930 was USC-52, UCLA-0. The two colleges did not play each other again until 1936, when they played to a 7-7 tie. Since then the series has been more competitive.
USC has had 44 wins to UCLA's 28, and there have been 7 ties. Many times, either or both schools' hopes for Bowl games and championships have rested on the results of the game.
There is an exhaustive summary of the entire series on Wikipedia.
In 1966, UCLA and USC had one loss each when they faced off in their rivalry game.
UCLA beat USC, but USC was voted into the Rose Bowl anyway. Angry UCLA students took to the streets and blocked off one side of the 405 Freeway in protest.
USC Fight Song
UCLA Fight Song
POLL - Whose side are you on?
My father attended both USC and UCLA, but didn't get a degree from either school.
He says that because of this he can root for USC in football and UCLA in basketball.
Talk about your team!
Speak out! Tell us why your team rules!
Why is your team the best?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byHere's why I love UCLA!
cffutah says:
Was going for USC until Utah lost yesterday to try and get Utah into the southern championship against Oregon. Since Utah won, I'm going for UCLA now.
Posted November 26, 2011
nebulous says:
because the academic superiority of ucla as a public university of true learning, is so important.....that, even though they have to limit the quantity of new (football and basketball recruits) students, because of rigorous academic standards....this public ivy league institution still manages to be a competitive and worrisome element to University of Spoiled Children national title pursuits.
Posted August 20, 2011
buraian says:
I went to UCLA so I may be a little biased. But I love UCLA because of its beautiful campus. I always love going back there.
Posted September 12, 2010
_Joan_ says:
For me the main attraction in a college football game is listening to the bands play at halftime (if the talking heads don't decide to pre-empt them with more football talk). I like UCLA's band a lot more than USC's, so UCLA is my team!
Posted February 17, 2010
Here's why I love USC!
elly says:
USC is a better school academically and on the field. Trojans all the way!
Posted November 27, 2011
Helen says:
us news and world report 2011 college survey ranked USC above UCLA! fight on!
Posted November 26, 2011
Phillyfreeze69 says:
I have been a big fan of USC since 1966 when Mike Garrett won the Heisman trophy and ater a very successful pro career became the athletic director for his beloved alma mater.
The University of Southern California has produce several outstanding running backs over past 4 decades and several have won the coveted Heisman trophy. A few of my favorites are Mike Garrett, O.J. Simpson, Charles White, Marcus Allen, Sam(The Bam) Cunningham and Anthony White.
Posted April 18, 2011
windygig says:
i pay tuition? oh and i love the rivalry attacks of the statue mascots on campus. Each school tries t sneak up and do something funny to the other teams mascot statue. Since UCLA managed to put the Trojan's sword in an unspeakable place, organized groups sleep out in shifts around the statue at USC to guard it!
Posted October 31, 2010
_Joan_ says:
Just want to mention that a commenter left some cute lyrics for an anti-UCLA song down in the comment box.
Posted October 23, 2010
Joan4 says:
I don't follow much football outside of South Carolina, but hubby is a huge USC fan - he calls it the "real" USC since in South Carolina we also have USC (University of South Carolina) and in fact, the theme song for California's USC is on my cell phone!
Posted February 17, 2010
Official activities associated with the game
School spirit activities take place on both campuses for a week before the USC-UCLA game.
At UCLA, the week before the USC game is called "Blue & Gold Week" or "Beat 'SC Week". It's includes a homecoming where many UCLA graduates come back to join in the celebrations. The UCLA fight song and the traditional 8-clap UCLA cheer are ubiquitous. Other Blue & Gold Week activities have included:
- A car smash, where a car that has been decorated in Trojan colors (red and gold) is pounded into oblivion by sledgehammer-wielding Bruin fans.
- A "Get the Red Out!" blood drive.
- The "Beat 'SC" parade.
- The rally and bonfire that close out Blue & Gold week.
At USC, the week before the UCLA game is "Troy Week" or "Conquest". Live bands and the fabled USC Song Girls are anticipated parts of the festivities. Activities also include:
- Academic competitions where prize money is awarded to winners in poetry, essay, two-dimensional art, and animation categories.
- The Conquest fair and rally, culminating in a bonfire.
The two colleges have several competitions between themselves during the week of the big football game. Such as:
- Ice hockey.
- Rugby
- Golf
- And flag football games between:
- The two ROTC units.
- The staffs of the two college newspapers, The Daily Bruin and The Daily Trojan.
- For many years there was also a game between the two schools' marching bands, but the tradition was brought to an end after a fight broke out at one of the games and after numerous musical instruments were stolen.
Highlights from USC Conquest on Flickr
USC Rally
UCLA Rally
Show your Trojan pride!
Show your Bruin pride!
For mixed marriages
House Divided: USC - UCLA Rug
Amazon Price: $32.12 (as of 02/17/2012)
Unofficial activities associated with the game
Along with the school-sponsored events, there are plenty of unauthorized expressions of revelry and rivalry.
Party On!
PubClub.com deemed the USC-UCLA game to be one of the premiere events for attracting tailgaters who have no intention of actually getting into the game.
USC-UCLA Tailgating photos on Flickr
PRANKING!
Take no prisoners!
- The first prank occurred in 1941, when USC students stole UCLA's Victory Bell. The bell, which had originally been UCLA's sole property, is now used as a trophy which the winner of the USC-UCLA game wins the right to possess for the year.
- In 1958, some UCLA students got a helicopter with the intention of dumping a pile of manure on USC's mascot, Tommy Trojan. Unfortunately, they missed their target and dumped the manure in Exposition Park.
- For many years, the students of USC would steal all the copies of the UCLA newspaper, The Daily Bruin, and replace it with a fake newspaper that said negative things about the Bruins.
- In 1953, UCLA students managed to saw off the arm of Tommy Trojan and reattach it in a way that made it look like Tommy was stabbing himself in the back
- In 1975, a group from USC made up a fake memo and delivered it to the UCLA advisors and clubs. The memo said that the UCLA Pep Rally had been cancelled.
These days Tommy Trojan and the Bruin Bear are covered and guarded during the critical week to keep them from being defaced. However, even with these protective measures, someone managed to get to the Bruin Bear during 2009 rivalry week and splatter it with red and gold paint (Trojan colors). The Los Angeles Times has the story -- 2009 defacing of the Bruin Bear (they've got a great picture of it, too).
The USC mascot, Tommy Trojan, is wrapped in duct tape during Troy Week to prevent vandalism from Bruins fans.
The two most notorious African-American gangs in Los Angeles, the Crips and the Bloods, officially established a truce in 1992.
There is no indication that Bruin fans and Trojan fans will follow suit any time soon.
The respective headquarters of the Crosstown Rivalry
13.88 miles separate UCLA and USC
USC Band Halftime Show
at the 2009 UCLA game
Their musical picks here are more substantial than that, but they still don't measure up to UCLA.
UCLA Band Halftime Show
at the 1995 USC game
Fight! Fight! Fight!
Add your comments here!
This page has been blessed by Squidoo Angel Wednesday_Elf!
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cffutah
Nov 26, 2011 @ 1:21 pm | delete
- enjoyed viewing this today, thank you!
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Kelsey-Budden-16
Jan 18, 2011 @ 8:31 pm | delete
- Wow. Lots of information on here. My step-dad is a major football fan and I started getting interested in it.
I found it pretty interesting to read what I did!
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Wednesday_Elf
Nov 18, 2010 @ 12:03 pm | delete
- Joan - loved the stories of the USC/UCLA school rivalries, but most especially the features you did on the marching bands. In the late 1970s and early 1980s my hubby was the band 'announcer' for the California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) Mustang Marching Band in San Luis Obispo. We went to every Cal Poly football game and sat with the band (so much fun). Once a year we went on a band trip and one year it was to UCLA. I have no idea who won the ballgame -- the Band was of primary focus! Love those "Halftimes"! I'm leaving a ~~sprinkling of SquidAngel Blessing dust~~ over the 'halftime' field here. Good luck to whichever team you are rooting for in the annual USC/UCLA football game!
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windygig
Oct 31, 2010 @ 12:18 pm | delete
- This is a great lens idea. So glad I knew another prank for you! Yes Tommy Trojan once had his sword removed by UCLA kids who put it somewhere else on the horse's anatomy. Nothing to do with the game, but another funny thing USC does is send out "Trojan Alerts" to parents about any issues on campus, flu, earthquake drills, etc. Do I have to explain why that is NOT a good title to alert parents of college students!?
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BuckHawk
Oct 23, 2010 @ 3:27 pm | delete
- I've followed UCLA football for years and always loved them, but knew little about USC and the rivalry actually. Interesting, huh?
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