LOS ANGELES (AP) Cody Kessler and his fellow Southern California seniors are aware of all the big prizes available in their crosstown showdown with No. 22 UCLA.
Along with the Victory Bell and Los Angeles bragging rights, the winner at the Coliseum on Saturday will claim the Pac-12 South title and a spot in the conference championship game against Stanford next week.
Yet the local stakes loom equally large for Kessler and the Trojans (7-4, 5-3 Pac-12), who have lost three straight games to their closest rivals.
Three years under the thumb of the Bruins (8-3, 5-3) is an awfully long time in L.