Back to the UCLA Bruins Newsfeed

USC looks to break the bowl curse of Pac-12 title game losers

SAN DIEGO -- For the last four years, right around this time, a specter emerges to haunt some teams in the Pac-12 South. It has no name nor physical shape. But it's vicious, unforgiving and has an uncanny ability to make certain South Division teams manipulate their bodies in such a way that they can kick their own rear ends.

It happened to UCLA in 2011 in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl against Illinois. The Bruins were befuddled again a year later against Baylor in the Holiday Bowl. In 2013 -- also at haunted Qualcomm Stadium -- the Arizona State Sun Devils were cursed in a loss to Texas Tech.