Southern Cal Trojans	UCLA Bruins ©
Played November 17, 1990 at the Rose Bowl Pasadena, California

  

 

Teams' Belt Records

 

Team	Belt Reigns	Overall Record				Home Record				Away Record				Neutral Record
		W	L	T	PCT	W	L	T	PCT	W	L	T	PCT	W	L	T	PCT
Southern Cal	5	41	7	3	.833	18	2	2	.864	18	4	1	.804	5	1	0	.833
UCLA ©	7	21	9	3	.682	10	4	0	.714	9	5	3	.618	2	0	0	1.000

 

Previous Belt Meetings

 

 

 

For the first time since 1985, The Victory Bell game also featured a Belt match-up.  The 19^th ranked, 7-2-1 Southern Cal Trojans of coach Larry Smith battled the 5-5 UCLA Bruins of coach Terry Donahue who had alternated wins & losses all season.  This was a shootout for the ages but a 23-yard touchdown pass from Southern Cal's QB Todd Marinovich to WR Johnnie Morton with 0:16 left to play was the difference as Southern Cal claimed The Belt with a 45-42 victory.  The Trojans started the scoring early when CB Stephon Pace intercepted UCLA's QB Tommy Maddox & returned it for a 27-yard touchdown just 0:52 into the game.  The fumbled snap on the conversion attempt kept the Trojans leading 6-0.  Maddox led the Bruins through an 11-play, 77-yard scoring drive, completing 5 of 6 pass attempts for 58 yards before scrambling the final 9 yards himself for the touchdown giving UCLA a 7-6 lead.  Southern Cal followed with a 12-play, 84-yard drive capped by a 7-yard touchdown run by RB Mazio Royster.  A pass from Marinovich to RB Scott Lockwood was successful for the conversion as the Trojans took a 14-7 lead into the 2^nd quarter.  UCLA tied the game at 14-14 when Maddox found WR Sean LaChapelle on a short pass that the receiver turned into a 47-yard touchdown when his defender fell.  Southern Cal took advantage of a break when Trojans' All-Pac 10 DT Don Gibson recovered a fumble by Maddox at the UCLA 29-yard line just before halftime.  Marinovich finished the short drive with a quarterback sneak at 2:43 left in the half as Southern Cal took a 21-14 lead.  Maddox almost got the tying touchdown before halftime but Trojan's LB Scott Ross intercepted his pass at Southern Cal's 10-yard line.  The Trojans pushed the lead to 24-14 when PK Quin Rodriguez hit a 20-yard field goal after Southern Cal's offense controlled the ball for the first 10:41 of the 3^rd quarter.  UCLA cut the lead to 3 points when the Bruins drove 73 yards in 6 plays highlighted by a 42-yard pass from Maddox to WR Scott Miller on a short pass that Miller took to the Trojans 8-yard line.  Bruins' RB Brian Brown scored the touchdown on a 5-yard run.  Southern Cal led 24-21 to start the 4^th quarter when the Trojans’ CB Jason Oliver intercepted a deflected Maddox pass & returned it 34 yards for a touchdown.  The Bruins rallied with 2 touchdown passes from Maddox to Miller, 29 & 38 yards, for a 35-31 lead 5:43 through the final quarter.  The second score was set-up when Lockwood's fumble was recovered by UCLA's CB Deon Lambert recovered at the Bruins' 38-yard line.  The Trojans took a 38-35 lead when Marinovich connected with Morton on a 21-yard touchdown pass with 3:09 to play.  75 yards away from the end zone, Maddox completed a a 30-yard pass to Miller, a 14-yard pass to WR Reggie Moore, & scrambled 13 yards to the Southern Cal 21-yard line with 2:30 left.  An 11-yard pass to Moore & a 9-yard pass to LaChapelle had the Bruins at the Trojans' 1-yard line.  UCLA pushed across what appeared to be the winning touchdown on a 1-yard run by RB Kevin Smith with 1:13 to play.  Trailing 42-38, Marinovich took possession at his own 25-yard line &, a faced 3 & 7 with 0:44 to play.  His pass to All-Pac 10 WR Gary Wellman for 27 yards got the Trojans into Bruins' territory.  Another pass to Wellman had the ball at the Bruins’ 23-yard line with 0:26 to play.  Morton made a leaping catch, in spite of playing with a separated shoulder, of Marinovich’s 23-yard pass for the touchdown with 0:16 to play.  Maddox’s final “Hail Mary” pass fell short & Southern Cal had a memorable victory.  The win gave the Trojans The Belt for the 7^th time & first since 1985.  Marinovich finished with 215 yards passing with 2 touchdowns & Royster added 157 yards rushing to his score.  For UCLA, Maddox threw for a school-record 409 yards with 3 touchdowns but 3 interceptions while Miller added 8 catches for 175 yards with his 2 touchdowns.  The Bruins finished the season 5-6 while the Trojans finished 8-4-1 & ranked 20^th nationally.  UCLA would play for The Belt again in 1992.