In a rivalry that hinges on running game, USC has the early edge

Foremost on its agenda, USC would like to defeat UCLA on Saturday. But there is a particular style in which the Trojans would like to do it.

“We can pass on them, put up 500 yards or whatever,” running back Justin Davis said. “But there’s nothing like running it down their throat. Bring the physical. Because we like to hit, especially against a team like UCLA.”

In most games, the team that rushes the ball best wins. But the running game is particularly important in this rivalry. In the last 10 meetings, only once has the team with fewer rushing yards won.

The teams ran to a draw in 2012, a UCLA win. In 2009, UCLA outran USC 134 yards to 130 in the Trojans’ 28-7 victory.

“That’s kind of the m.o. of who wins ballgames,” USC Coach Clay Helton said.

The outlook for Saturday is bright for USC. Two weeks ago, the Trojans held Oregon, then the Pac-12’s best rushing team, to its lowest total of the season, 85 yards. Last week, USC did the same to Washington, which had temporarily supplanted Oregon atop the conference rushing chart. The Huskies managed just 17 yards.

UCLA, meanwhile, ranks last in the Pac-12 — and second to last in the nation — in yards rushing per game.

The Bruins’ woeful running game could make this a different rivalry game than normal. For one of the first times in recent memory, UCLA is expected to mostly eschew the run. Since quarterback Mike Fafaul took over for injured Josh Rosen, UCLA has passed twice for every rush.

UCLA’s defense remains adequate, ranking 56th nationally in yards rushing allowed per game. Helton called it one of the better front sevens USC has seen.

If it stacks the box to stop the run, UCLA could find the same success that Washington did, when it limited USC to 3.1 yards per carry, its low since the season opener against Alabama.

“They did a great job not letting RoJo go off,” left tackle Chad Wheeler said, referring to starting tailback Ronald Jones II.

But that came at a price: quarterback Sam Darnold carved up the secondary for 287 yards.

The Huskies “blitzed the heck out of us and tried to win the air game,” right tackle Zach Banner said. “And we won.”

Haden hospitalized

Former USC athletic director Pat Haden was hospitalized Tuesday morning after being taken from campus by an ambulance, according to Tim Tessalone, USC’s sports information director.

Haden had experienced light-headedness, Tessalone said, and was being evaluated at the hospital. He was “alert and talkative,” Tessalone said.

Haden, who retired as athletic director on June 30 but has remained at USC to guide the $270-million renovation of the Coliseum, experienced a similar incident in February and underwent an unspecified medical procedure shortly afterward.

The news was first reported by Paolo Uggetti, a reporter for Annenberg Media, the student-run organization at USC. Uggetti reported that Haden was taken by stretcher into an ambulance but was sitting upright.

Haden has a pacemaker that predates the February incident and has required medical attention several times in the last 2½ years.

In August 2014, he was treated for exhaustion that forced him to miss USC’s annual “Salute to Troy” event. In a 2015 game at Notre Dame, Haden experienced light-headedness later attributed to dehydration. And in September of that year, he told The Times that he was “not in good health,” though he later told USC’s website that his health was “fine.”

Quick hits

After defeating Washington, USC moved up seven spots to No. 13 in the College Football Playoff ranking, its highest position since the playoff was created in 2014. Washington fell from No. 4 to No. 6. … Defensive tackle Josh Fatu (sprained ankle) did not practice Tuesday and is not expected to practice Wednesday. “He’s about 50/50 right now for the game at best,” Helton said. Safety John Plattenburg (illness) and receiver Deontay Burnett (sprained knee) did not practice. ... Jones (bruised knee), defensive tackle Stevie Tu’ikolovatu (knee) and outside linebacker Porter Gustin (ankle) were limited in practice as a precaution. ... Defensive back Jonathan Lockett performed limited activity for the first time since he injured his hip Oct. 27 against California. … Running back Aca’Cedric Ware (ankle sprain) “looks about 90, 95%,” Helton said. … The USC athletic department’s 2016 graduation success rate, measured by the NCAA as the number of student-athletes in the 2006 to 2009 classes to graduate within six years, was 83%, the school’s highest mark since the NCAA began tracking the metric.

zach.helfand@latimes.com

Follow Zach Helfand on Twitter @zhelfand