USC Football: 3 takeaways from 2019 Victory Bell win over UCLA

2. Stephen Carr and Vavae Malepeai break through

Entering their Week 13 showdown against UCLA for the Victory Bell, USC was ranked just 110th nationally in rushing offense. The Trojans struggled to move the ball on the ground, averaging just 127 yards per game on the ground. Even that is a mirage built up on big games against teams like Fresno State and BYU; in Pac-12 play the Trojans average only 109 rushing yards per game.

Over the past three weeks, they have found it especially difficult to move the football on the ground. Once November rolled around, they lost their mojo as Oregon, Arizona State, and Cal all held USC under 100 total rushing yards each game. While the Trojans went 2-1 in those contests, they did so despite their ground game rather than because of it.

On Saturday, that ground game finally awakened as Stephen Carr and Vavae Malepeai found running lanes against the Bruins. UCLA allowed the duo to rush for 147 combined yards, gashing the Bruins with gains big and small that kept the chains moving and put two touchdowns directly on the scoreboard.

Malepeai was the source of both scores as he finished with 60 yards on 10 carries. Carr did not get into the endzone, but he led the team in yardage as he carried 11 times for 87 rushing yards. They were the engine for the running game as their effective touches allowed the Trojans to have some semblance of offensive balance to buttress their high-flying passing attack.