USC vs. UCLA score, summary: Trojans outlast Josh Rosen’s Bruins

Saturday night’s USC vs. UCLA score was closer than expected for much of it, as the Trojans struggled to put away Josh Rosen and the Bruins.

The lowdown: The first half followed a similar script for the Trojans, as they jumped out to a 14-7 lead after the first quarter, only to squander several opportunities. Michael Pittman had the early highlight with a 72-yard fake-out punt return for a touchdown, but USC only gained seven offensive points despite four drives penetrating the Bruins’ 40-yard line in the first half.

The two most egregious stalls came at the end. Quarterback Sam Darnold was picked off, and then followed it up with an ill-advised half-ending scramble in the dying seconds…