The Streak

* Nov. 21, 1991: UCLA 24, USC 21 (Coliseum; 84,263)--The start. The only thought of streaks at the time was that UCLA had ended a four-game winless stretch in the series, a victory clinched when linebacker Arnold Ale sacked USC quarterback Reggie Perry on fourth and five at the Bruin 37, causing a fumble that defensive end Mike Chalenski recovered at the 42. The Trojans had nearly recovered from a 17-0 deficit late in the first half, a lead the Bruins earned in part with a 82-yard run in the first quarter by Kevin Williams. UCLA quarterback Tommy Maddox completed 22 of 32 passes for 236 yards. Estrus Crayton gained 126 yards in 21 carries for USC.

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* Nov. 21, 1992: UCLA 38, USC 37 (Rose Bowl; 80,568)--The upset. Quarterback John Barnes became part of Bruin lore when he sparked the victory over the heavily favored Trojans. Barnes completed 16 of 28 passes for 385 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. All of the scoring passes were to J.J. Stokes, one a 90-yard play that provided a 38-31 lead with 3:08 to go. It also helped Stokes set a single-game school record of 263 yards in six catches. USC then went 69 yards in 11 plays, capped by Rob Johnson’s one-yard run on the final play from scrimmage. The Trojans went for two and the victory, but Johnson’s pass was knocked down in the front of the end zone by linebacker Nkosi Littleton.

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* Nov. 20, 1993: UCLA 27, USC 21 (Coliseum; 93,458)--The big prize. UCLA safety Marvin Goodwin intercepted Rob Johnson’s pass in the end zone with 50 seconds remaining, giving the Bruins the Pacific 10 title and their first Rose Bowl berth since the 1985 season. The Trojan drive had started at their own 19 with 2:30 remaining, at which point they marched 78 yards in four plays to get first and goal on the three with 1:16 left. USC called time out. Shawn Walters was stopped for no gain. UCLA called time out. Walters went into the line again, picking up a yard. UCLA called time again. On third down, Johnson dropped back and threw to tight end Tyler Cashman, but Goodwin stepped in front and saved the Bruins after they had almost lost a 17-0 lead and the Rose Bowl berth. UCLA sacked Johnson seven times, safety Donovan Gallatin doing it four times.

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* Nov. 19, 1994: UCLA 31, USC 19 (Rose Bowl; 91,815)--The missed opportunity. USC was knocked out of the Rose Bowl game as UCLA scored three unanswered touchdowns in the third quarter, more than making up a 12-3 halftime deficit. Wayne Cook had a hand in two of those, with passes to J.J. Stokes and Jim McElroy. And when the Trojans cut the deficit to 24-19 with 14:57 remaining, Cook answered with a one-yard run that put USC away. Cook thus became the first Bruin quarterback in 35 years to beat the Trojans in successive seasons. Stokes, after having missed much of the season with a thigh injury, had six catches for 121 yards, and Sharmon Shah rushed for 135 yards. UCLA sacked quarterback Rob Johnson six times, linebacker Phillip Ward accounting for three of those sacks.

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* Nov. 18, 1995: UCLA 24, USC 20 (Coliseum; 91,363)--The record setter. UCLA played without leading rusher Karim Abdul-Jabbar (formerly Sharmon Shah), out because of a sprained ankle, but the Bruins scored on their first two drives and went on to record a fifth consecutive victory in the series, the longest for either team in what at the time was a 65-year rivalry. It was also Pacific 10 win No. 98 for Coach Terry Donahue, putting him in first place on the conference list. “I feel like it finally validates me as a head coach in this city,” he said afterward. Keyshawn Johnson had 12 catches for the Trojans, but all were for less than 20 yards. Despite that, and the loss of two fumbles in the second half, they still got as close as 24-20 when Tyler Cashman caught a one-yard touchdown pass from Brad Otton with 3:30 remaining. Any chance to get the ball back ended when UCLA freshman quarterback Cade McNown ran for 21 yards on third and 13 from the Bruin 29.

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* Nov. 23, 1996: UCLA 48, USC 41, 2 OT (Rose Bowl; 80,644)--The marathon. The Bruins rallied from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit for one of the greatest victories in their history. They won on Skip Hicks’ 25-yard run on the first play of the second overtime, Hicks breaking tackles as he went. The 4-hour 23-minute game ended when Anthony Cobbs intercepted a fourth-down pass in the end zone on USC’s ensuing possession. “This is beyond unreal,” UCLA safety Abdul McCullough said. “If I was writing screenplays for Hollywood, I couldn’t have written one as good as this.” USC had a chance to win in regulation after a 39-yard completion and a pass interference put the ball on the 23, but UCLA blocked the 40-yard field goal try by Adam Abrams. The teams then traded field goals in the first overtime, setting the stage for Hicks in a game in which he ran for 116 yards. Bruin quarterback Cade McNown completed 29 of 47 passes for 356 yards. R. Jay Soward had six catches for 260 yards and three scores for USC.

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* Nov. 22, 1997: UCLA 31, USC 24 (Coliseum; 91,350)--The latest. UCLA quarterback Cade McNown threw two scoring passes to Mike Grieb, highlighted by the 38-yarder midway through the third quarter. The junior tight end broke several tackles on his way to the end zone. McNown also hooked up with Jim McElroy for another score, and Skip Hicks ran for one, becoming the Pac-10’s career leader in touchdowns. USC trailed by 10 at the start of the fourth quarter, and two Trojan possessions ended in interceptions, one when Javelin Guidry picked off John Fox’s pass at the goal line and another by Wasswa Serwanga in the final minute. The only points the Trojans could generate in the quarter were the three on Adam Abrams’ 36-yard field goal. Guidry also had 11 tackles. Hicks rushed for 117 yards.