Trojans and Bruins accept bowl invites 

Both UCLA and USC had their 2023 season start with plenty of promise. The crosstown rivals have an opportunity to end their season on a high note after embarrassing home defeats. 

The Bruins and head coach Chip Kelly will play Boise State in the Starco Brands LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk on Dec. 16. Meanwhile, the Trojans (7-5) received and accepted an invitation to play in the DirecTV Holiday Bowl against Atlantic Athletic Conference powerhouse Louisville.  

“We are thrilled to welcome back the Mountain West and Pac-12 Conferences to the third edition of our bowl game at SoFi Stadium,” said Adolfo Romero, interim executive director, Starco Brands LA Bowl Hosted By Gronk. “College football’s bowl season begins at SoFi Stadium, with an exciting match-up of Boise State vs UCLA at the Starco Brands LA Bowl Hosted By Gronk. We look forward to hosting this great college football game at SoFi Stadium.”

“What a terrific matchup for the DIRECTV Holiday Bowl, said Mark Neville, CEO of Sports San Diego, the producers of the DIRECTV Holiday Bowl. “USC and Louisville are tremendous football programs and to have them square off right here in San Diego on December 27 is outstanding. Petco Park is going to be rocking! I’m happy for the DIRECTV Holiday Bowl! I’m happy for San Diego!”

The last time the Trojans played in the Holiday Bowl was 2019. The last win USC had in the Holiday Bowl was 2014 when the Trojans nudged Nebraska, 45-42. The Holiday Bowl has had a lot of major football powers play in the San Diego bowl game, including Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Washington, Oregon, North Carolina, and Michigan. 

When they started their 2023 season, the Trojans, armed with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams, were expecting to compete for the national championship. 

That ride got somewhat derailed for Williams and the Trojans as USC wound up losing five of their last six games, including being handed a home defeat by the Bruins in their season finale. 

“Very, very disappointed, no other way to put it. I told the guys in the locker room, ‘I’ve clearly not done a good enough job here in the second half of the season getting this team ready to go.’ Didn’t do a good enough job today getting our offense ready to go. 

The game was very similar to Notre Dame; missed opportunities,” USC head coach Lincoln Riley said after the Trojans’ 38-20 loss to the Bruins on Nov. 18. 

UCLA (7-5) had dropped three of their last four games, including getting knocked off at the Rose Bowl Stadium by Cal to end their season. 

In getting his team prepped for a possible bowl game, Kelly said he tries to keep his team refreshed by giving them some time off.  

“Yeah, they’re going to get a little time off. It’s been a long season,” Kelly said. “We have played 12 games. They’ll get some time off this week. We will get together toward the end of the week. We’ll get back out on the field, and then we won’t find out again until next Sunday about where we are going or when we’re playing. But we have schedules built out, based upon what game it is. We know the dates of those games. And then we also have to factor in finals, so those are coming up.”