Trojans get caught screen watching before rivalry game against UCLA

Many of USC’s players had pledged this week that they wouldn’t watch Utah and Oregon play on Saturday, that they were focused on their game with the Bruins. But even they must have known that would be futile.

There was too much at stake. If USC defeated UCLA on Saturday, after either Utah or Colorado lost, the Trojans’ Pac-12 South title hopes would remain alive for another week.

“They’re a lot stronger men than me,” Coach Clay Helton said with a laugh during the week. He said he’d be peeking.

The crack began in surprising fashion. If either of the pair was going to lose, most expected it would be Colorado, which was hosting Washington State. But now Utah was locked in a tight game with scuffling Oregon, and USC players couldn’t help but watch. With two seconds left, Ducks receiver Darren Carrington caught a pass in the corner of the end zone and tapped a foot down. He was initially ruled out of bounds, but the call was overturned on replay, giving Oregon a touchdown for an improbable 30-28 victory.

USC linebacker Michael Hutchings was among those who said he wouldn’t watch.

“I’ll look at them after the game,” he said. “I think I’ve got to focus on the game first.”

But immediately after Carrington’s catch, he tweeted, “LET’S GO.”

His first instinct may have been correct. USC opened Saturday’s game unfocused and sloppy. UCLA scored on a 56-yard pass, just the second time this season USC gave up an opening-drive touchdown.

But the Trojans recovered quickly in their 36-14 victory.

Now, the division is out of their hands. They need Colorado to lose to Utah next week to make the title game.

Give and take

A week ago, USC limited what was then the Pac-12’s leading rushing team, Washington, to 17 yards in 27 carries.

UCLA, the Pac-12’s worst rushing team, and the second worst nationally, eclipsed that total by its fourth carry. It tallied an impressive 47 rushing yards in the first quarter alone.

But USC fixed its leaks. It allowed just eight more yards rush for the rest of the game, for a total of 55.

A first for Hampton

De’Quan Hampton, a junior-college transfer, has been a mostly forgotten target in a talented USC wide receiver corps. Entering the game, he had just four receptions for 22 yards this season.

But in the second quarter, Hampton knifed between UCLA safety Randall Goforth and the ball, leaped and brought it down in the end zone for a 31-yard touchdown pass. It gave USC a 20-14 lead and was the first of Hampton’s career.

In the third quarter, he struck again. Darnold found him on a six-yard slant to put USC ahead 30-14.

Hampton finished with three receptions for 51 yards.

Darnold streaking

Darnold became the first USC quarterback since Matt Leinart in 2004 to throw multiple touchdown passes in seven straight games, though he also had a pass intercepted for the fourth straight game.

Overall, Darnold completed 25 of 36 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions. Eleven players caught passes from him.

On (almost) this day

One day shy of 40 years ago Saturday, two coaches faced each other for the first time. One was a first-year USC coach named John Robinson. The other was a first-year UCLA coach named Terry Donahue.

The Rose Bowl was on the line — this was amid a 25-year stretch when either USC or UCLA represented the conference in the Rose Bowl 19 times.

USC won 24-14 in what Donahue said Saturday was one of his most difficult losses.

“And I think the first game that you win against USC is probably the most enjoyable,” Donahue said.

Donahue wouldn’t get his first win over USC until four years later, in 1980, but he would finish 10-9-1 against the Trojans in his career. Robinson went 5-2 against the Bruins in his first stint at USC, then 0-5 in his second.

Later, the coaches became “good friends, after we both retired and aged and mellowed,” Donahue said.

Donahue was speaking before Saturday’s game, standing in the Terry Donahue Pavilion, the new suite level named in his honor. He wondered whether Robinson was in attendance and asked a reporter, if he found him, to “tell him he’s in my pavilion, and I’m looking for him.”

Quick hits

USC blocked a field goal try for the second week in a row. Rasheem Green batted a UCLA kick in the second quarter. … Since taking over the starting job after Justin Davis’ injury, Ronald Jones II has averaged 137 yards rushing and almost two touchdowns per game. Davis took 15 carries for 48 yards. … Receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster went to the locker room with a right leg injury in the second quarter but returned before the half concluded. He caught eight passes for 76 yards.

Times staff writer Ben Bolch contributed to this report

zach.helfand@latimes.com

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