USC Trojans football

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USC Trojans football
File:Usc football logo.gif
First season1888
Head coach
6th season, 64–12 (.842)
StadiumLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum
(capacity: 92,500)
Field surfaceGrass
All-time record743–300–54 (.702)
Bowl record29–16 (.644)
Claimed national titles7
Conference titles36
Heisman winners7
Consensus All-Americans144
ColorsCardinal and Gold
   
Fight songFight On
MascotTraveler
Marching bandThe Spirit of Troy
RivalsNotre Dame Fighting Irish
UCLA Bruins
WebsiteUSCTrojans.com

The University of Southern California Trojans football program, established in 1887, is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I-A and the Pacific Ten Conference (Pac-10) under head coach Pete Carroll. The Trojans have been a football powerhouse throughout NCAA history, winning 11 national championships in total. In recent years, USC has consistently ranked in the top 5 of the final BCS and AP Polls. The football team is regarded as the centerpiece of an athletic program that has won more NCAA men's individual and men's team titles than any other university and is third in co-ed team titles, behind fellow Pac-10 schools Stanford and UCLA.

History

The first USC football squad (1888). Before they were nicknamed the "Trojans", they were know as the USC Methodists.

1888-1920s

USC first fielded a football team in 1888, playing its first game on November 14, 1888 against the Alliance Athletic Club which ended in a 17-0 victory. Before they were named Trojans in 1912, USC athletic teams were called the Methodists, as well as the Wesleyans. During the early years, limitations in travel and the small size of the university limited its rivalries to local Southern Californian colleges and universities. During this period USC played regular series against Occidental, Caltech, Whittier, Pomona and Loyola. The first USC team to play outside of Southern California went to Stanford University on November 4, 1905, where they were trampled 16-0 by the historic West Coast powerhouse. While the teams would not meet again until 1918 (Stanford dropped football for rugby in between), this was also USC's first game against a future Pac-10 conference opponent and the beginning of its oldest rivalry. During this period USC also played its first games against other future Pac-10 rivals, including Oregon State (1913), California (1915), Oregon (1915) and Arizona (1915).

1920s-1930s

After several decades of competition, USC first achieved national prominence under head coach "Gloomy" Gus Henderson in the early 1920s. Success continued under coach Howard Jones from 1925 to 1940, when the Trojans were just one of a few nationally dominant teams. It was during this era that the team achieved renown as the "Thundering Terd", earning its first four national titles.

1940s-1950s

USC achieved intermittent success in the years following Jones' tenure. Jeff Cravath, who coached from 1942-1950, won the Rose Bowl in 1943 and 1945. Jess Hill, who coached from 1951 to 1956, won the Rose Bowl in 1953.

1960s-1970s

The program entered a new golden age upon the arrival of head coach John McKay (1960-1975). During this period the Trojans produced 2 Heisman Trophies and won 4 national championships. McKay's influence continued even after he departed for the NFL when an assistant coach, John Robinson (1976-1982), took over as head coach. Under Robinson USC won an additional national championship in 1978 and two players garnered 2 Heisman Trophy honors. One player, Sam "Bam" Cunningham, an African American USC running back, is said to have helped speed the integration of Southern football through his performance in a game in the South. In 1970, coach Bear Bryant at the University of Alabama scheduled a game with USC; Bryant's team lost to an exceptional USC team 42-21, with Cunningham scoring five touchdowns. Afterwards Alabama and many other Southern football teams integrated their rosters.

1980s-1990s

In the 1990s, USC football did not realize a national championship though it continued to experience relative success and top 20 AP rankings and PAC-10 Conference Championships. With head coaches Ted Tollner (1983-1986) and Larry Smith (1987-1992), winning the Rose Bowl once under each and USC was recognized among the nation's top ten teams three times. However, some alumni had grown accustomed to the programs' stature as a perennial national championship contender. In 1993, Robinson was named head coach a second time, leading the Trojans to a victory in the 1996 Rose Bowl over Northwestern.

However, losing streaks of 12 years (1983-1993) to intersectional rival Notre Dame and 7 years (1991-1998) to crosstown rival UCLA were unacceptable to some USC supporters. In 1998, head coach Paul Hackett took over the team, but posted an even more disappointing 19-18 record in three seasons. By 2000, some observers surmised that USC football's days of national dominance were fading; the football team's record of 37-35 from 1996 to 2001 was their second-worst over any four-year span in history (only the mark of 29-29-2 from 1956-1961 was worse), and the period marked the first and only time USC had been out of the final top 20 teams for four straight years.

2000-Today

The Coliseum during a 2006 USC game

In 2001, athletic director Mike Garrett (the 1965 Heisman winner) released Hackett and hired Pete Carroll, a former NFL head coach. Carroll went 6-6 in his first year, losing to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl, 10-6.

USC opened 3-2 in 2002, suffering losses to Kansas State and Washington State. However, the Trojans went on to win the rest of their games, completing the regular season 11-2 on the strength of senior quarterback Carson Palmer's breakout performance. In fact, Palmer's performance, particularly in the season-ending rivalry games against Notre Dame and UCLA, impressed so many pundits that he went on to win the Heisman Trophy, carrying every region of voting and becoming the first USC quarterback to be so honored. Despite tying for the Pacific-10 Conference title (with Washington State), having the highest BCS "strength of schedule" rating, and fielding the nation's top defense led by safety Troy Polamalu, USC finished the season ranked No. 5 in the BCS rankings. Facing off against BCS No. 3 Iowa in the Orange Bowl, USC defeated the Hawkeyes 38-17.

In 2003, highly touted but unproven redshirt sophomore Matt Leinart took over for Palmer at quarterback. Although his first pass went for a touchdown in a win over Auburn, the Trojans suffered an early season triple-overtime loss to conference rival California in Berkeley. Nevertheless, Carroll guided the team to wins in their remaining games and they completed the regular season 11-1. Before the postseason, both the coaches' poll and the Associated Press poll ranked USC number #1, but the BCS - which also gave consideration to computer rankings - ranked Oklahoma first, another one-loss team but one that had lost its own Big 12 Conference title game 35-7, with USC ranked third. In that year's Sugar Bowl BCS National Championship Game, BCS #2 Louisiana State defeated BCS #1 Oklahoma 21-14. Meanwhile, USC defeated BCS #4 Michigan 28-14 in the Rose Bowl. USC finished the season ranked #1 in the AP poll and was awarded the AP National Championship; LSU, however, won the BCS championship title for that year, prompting a split national title between LSU and USC.

In 2004, USC was picked #1 in the preseason by the Associated Press, thanks to the return of Leinart as well as sophomore running backs LenDale White and Reggie Bush. The defense—led by All-American defensive tackles Shaun Cody and Mike Patterson, as well as All-American linebackers Lofa Tatupu and Matt Grootegoed—was considered to be among the finest in the nation. Key questions included the offensive line, with few returning starters, and the receiving corps, which had lost last year's senior Keary Colbert and the breakout star of 2003, Mike Williams. Williams had tried to enter the NFL draft a year early during the Maurice Clarett trial, only to be rebuffed by the NFL and subsequently denied eligibility by the NCAA.

Despite close calls against Stanford and California, the Trojans finished the season undefeated and headed for the 2004 BCS Championship at the Orange Bowl. USC was the second team in NCAA football history to have gone wire-to-wire (ranked first place from preseason to postseason since the AP began releasing preseason rankings); the first was Florida State in 1999 (three other schools went wire-to-wire before the existence of preseason polls - Notre Dame in 1943, Army in 1945 and USC in 1972). Quarterback Leinart won the Heisman Trophy, with running back Bush placing fifth in the vote tally. The Trojans' opponent in the Orange Bowl, Oklahoma, were themselves undefeated and captained by sixth-year quarterback Jason White, who had won the Heisman in 2003; the game marked the first time in NCAA history that two players who had already won the Heisman played against each other. Most analysts expected the game to be close—as USC matched its speed and defense against the Oklahoma running game and skilled offensive line—but the reality proved to be far different. USC scored 38 points by halftime, and won by the score of 55-19. USC won the BCS and AP national championships, despite the fact that both Auburn and Utah were also undefeated following their bowl games.

The 2005 regular season witnessed a resuscitation of the Notre Dame/USC rivalry on a last second play where Senior Quarterback Matt Leinart scored the winning touchdown and climaxed with USC defeating cross-town rival UCLA 66-19, and running back Reggie Bush finishing his stellar year by winning the Heisman Trophy. Matt Leinart finished third in the Heisman voting. Several other players also earned accolades, being named All-Americans (AP, Football Coaches, Football Writers, Walter Camp, ESPN.com, SI.com, CBS Sportsline.com, Rivals.com, Collegefootballnews.com). These include QB Matt Leinart, RB Reggie Bush, RB LenDale White, S Darnell Bing, OT Taitusi Lutui, OT Sam Baker, WR Dwayne Jarrett, C Ryan Kalil, OG Fred Matua, and DE Lawrence Jackson. Additionally, OL Winston Justice did well enough to forego his senior year and go professional.

However, USC's hopes for another national championship were dashed by the Texas Longhorns, led by quarterback Vince Young, in a dramatic 41-38 loss at the 2006 Rose Bowl.

For the 2006 football season, USC was forced to attempt to rebuild following the loss of offensive stalwarts Leinart, Bush, and White, defensive leader Bing, and offensive linemen Matua, Justice, and Lutui. The Trojans developed their offense using unproven QB John David Booty and returning star receivers Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith along with second-year WR Patrick Turner. Mark Sanchez, the highly-touted recruit from the class of 2005 (Mission Viejo High School, CA) was widely viewed as a dark horse to win the starting job from Booty, although Booty was named the starter at the end of fall training camp. The starting tailback position looks to be a battle between returning players Chauncey Washington and Desmond Reed (both recovering from injuries) and heralded RB recruits Stafon Johnson (Dorsey High School in Los Angeles), C.J. Gable, Allen Bradford and Emmanuel Moody (Coppell High School in Coppell, Texas).

USC had many experienced players as well, including linebacker Dallas Sartz and wide receiver Chris McFoy, who have already graduated with their bachelors degrees and are pursuing Masters degrees to be eligible for one last year of college football. Fullback Brandon Hancock would have been part of that group as well until an injury ended his collegiate career. Additionally, fifth year (redshirt) senior linebacker Oscar Lua, running back Ryan Powdrell and offensive lineman Kyle Williams were expected to either start or play frequently in 2006.

The 2006 Trojans came out strong, easily defending their top-10 status throughout the year. However, USC began to display marked inconsistencies, as their margins of victory began to slip. The first setback proved to be a 35-33 loss to unranked Oregon State, in which the Beavers were able to repeatedly capitalize on several Trojan turnovers. Surprisingly, though USC dropped initially in the polls, they worked their way back up to the No. 3 spot by the final week of the season. After defeating both Notre Dame and Cal, the Trojans were considered to be a virtual lock for the National Championship Game against Ohio State. However, USC was shocked in the final game of the season, losing to UCLA 13-9. This eliminated the Trojans from championship contention and opened the door for either Michigan or Florida to become Ohio State's opponent. (The BCS decided the next day that Florida would face OSU.)

During Pete Carroll's six years as head coach, USC has lost only one game by more than seven points, that being a 27-16 loss at Notre Dame in his first season. The 21st century has also seen the rise of USC football's popularity in the Los Angeles market: without any stadium expansions, USC has broken its average home attendance record four times in a row: reaching 77,804 in 2003, 85,229 in 2004, 90,812 in 2005 and over 91,416 with one game to go in 2006 (the capacity of the Coliseum is 92,000).

Results vs. AP Top 10 opponents

USC's record against AP Top 10 opponents under Pete Carroll (2001-present)

Season Opponent Result Game
2006 #3 Michigan W 32-18 Rose Bowl
2006 #6 Notre Dame W 44-24 regular season
2005 #2 Texas L 38-41 Rose Bowl*
2005 #9 Notre Dame W 34-31 regular season
2004 #2 Oklahoma W 55-19 Orange Bowl*
2004 #7 California W 23-17 regular season
2004 #4 Michigan W 28-14 Rose Bowl
2003 #6 Washington State W 43-16 regular season
2003 #6 Auburn W 23-0 regular season
2002 #3 Iowa W 38-17 Orange Bowl
2002 #7 Notre Dame W 44-13 regular season
2001 #7 Oregon L 22-24 regular season
* National Championship

Current streaks

Wins Type of Record
Home Games: 33 Pac-10 Record
Wins vs. Notre Dame: 5 Ties School Record
Pac-10 Conference Championships: 5 Pac-10 Record
Games won in November (since 2001): 20
10+ win seasons 5

By topic

Tailback U

"Tailback U" is a nickname that emerged when Hall of Fame college football coach John McKay ('60-'75) and successor John Robinson ('76-'82) began producing a number of top-rated players at the tailback position such as Mike Garrett, O.J. Simpson, Anthony Davis, Ricky Bell, Charles White, and Marcus Allen. Coach Pete Carroll has continued the trend in recent years with Heisman Trophy winning tailback Reggie Bush and current NFL players LenDale White and Justin Fargas.

Coach McKay's play calling emphasized and refined the run, taking full advantage of his quality backs-a trend followed by his former offensive coordinator and immediate successor, John Robinson. Carroll has had success and Heisman winners, both at Quarterback and Running Back.

#55

A recent tradition has a selected linebacker wearing the number 55. The number cannot be taken but is assigned by the head coach. Pete Carroll has, at times, refrained from assigning the number if he does not think any player is worthy. The player wearing #55 is typically regarded as the anchor of the defense.

Notable players who have worn #55 for USC include Junior Seau, Willie McGinest, Markus Steele, and Chris Claiborne. Up and coming junior Keith Rivers is USC's current #55.

Rivalries

In the first 30 years of USC football, the school maintained rivalries with local Southern California schools like Occidental and Pomona, but these ended by the 1920s as USC grew into a national caliber team.

Notre Dame

The USC plays the University of Notre Dame each year for the Jeweled Shillelagh. A majority of Trojan alumni and fans consider the Notre Dame Fighting Irish USC’s greatest gridiron rival. The intersectional game has featured more national championship teams, Heisman trophy winners, All-Americans, and future NFL hall-of-famers than any other collegiate match-up. The two schools have kept the annual game on their schedules since 1926 (except 1942-44 because of World War II travel restrictions) despite the fact that it enjoys neither the possibility of acquiring regional “bragging rights” nor the import of intra-league play that drive most rivalries.

UCLA

The rivalry with the UCLA is unique in they are the only two Division I-A programs that share a major city, with the two schools located approximately 10 miles apart. The crosstown rivals play each year for city bragging rights and the Victory Bell, and often the right to go to the Rose Bowl. UCLA is often the focus of student supporters since many USC students have friends or family members attending "that other school" (of course, many UCLA students refer to their USC friends in the same way) and many Southern California families are evenly divided between Trojan Cardinal and Bruin Blue. Still, the fan base, in general, tends to emphasize the Notre Dame rivalry over the UCLA rivalry. A common saying among USC supporters bears this out: "There’s nothing better than beating Notre Dame and nothing worse than losing to UCLA." Additionally, a "Perfect Day" (a phrase created by the school's football announcer Peter Arbogast) to any USC fan is a USC win, coupled with losses by ND, and UCLA. The last regular season "Perfect Day" occurred on Oct. 23, 2004, when USC beat Washington, UCLA lost to Arizona State, and ND lost to Boston College. However, during the post-season of 2003, USC won the Orange Bowl (and Nat. Title), UCLA lost the Las Vegas Bowl, and ND lost the Insight Bowl. On December 2, 2006 then-BCS number two USC was defeated by rival UCLA — in the Rose Bowl, the Bruins' regular-season home — ending the Trojan's chase for a national championship.

Bay Area schools

Stanford is USC's oldest rival,[1] in a series that dates to 1905. Some older USC supporters still regard the Cardinal as one of USC’s major rivals. In the early years of football on the West Coast, the power sat in the Bay Area with the Stanford-Cal rivarly and USC rose to challenge the two established programs. During the early and mid-20th century Stanford football occasionally enjoyed periods of great regional success on the gridiron. USC and Stanford, being two major private universities on the west coast, naturally drew the ire of one another. In recent history, however, Stanford has not maintained their earlier success and the rivalry has faded to many USC fans; although many Stanford fans retain a hatred for USC.[2]

Like Stanford, California also had an early rivalry with USC, with Cal fans maintaining a one-sided hatred for USC for many years after USC fans started to focus more on the other University of California campus nearby.[3] However, after USC’s 2003 loss to California some began to suggest that a new budding rivalry between the Trojans and the Golden Bears was taking shape within the Pac-10. A close 2005 game between the two teams furthered feelings of a rivalry. Talk diminished with USC's one-sided victory in Berkeley in 2005; however, the importance of the 2006 USC-Cal game, which decided the Pacific 10 title (and consequently the conference's BCS berth), has rekindled rivalry talk.

Season Records

Bold indicates a national champion or co-national champion.

Year Team Record Win % Cnf Place Bowl
1922 USC Trojans 10-1 .909 4th PCC Beat Penn State 14-3 in the Rose Bowl
1923 USC Trojans 6-2 .750 T3rd PCC
1924 USC Trojans 9-2 .818 5th PCC Beat Missouri 20-7 in the Christmas Bowl
1925 USC Trojans 11-2 .846 T3rd PCC
1926 USC Trojans 8-2 .800 2nd PCC
1927 USC Trojans 8-2-1 .840 T1st PCC
1928 USC Trojans 9-0-1 .950 1st PCC
1929 USC Trojans 10-2 .833 1st PCC Beat Pittsburgh 47-14 in the Rose Bowl
1930 USC Trojans 8-2 .800 2nd PCC
1931 USC Trojans 10-1 .909 1st PCC Beat Tulane 21-12 in the Rose Bowl
1932 USC Trojans 10-0 1.000 1st PCC Beat Pittsburgh 35-0 in the Rose Bowl
1933 USC Trojans 10-1-1 .875 3rd PCC
1934 USC Trojans 4-6-1 .409 7th PCC
1935 USC Trojans 5-7 .417 8th PCC
1936 USC Trojans 4-2-3 .611 4th PCC
1937 USC Trojans 4-4-2 .500 7th PCC
1938 USC Trojans 9-2 .818 T1st PCC Beat Duke 7-3 in the Rose Bowl
1939 USC Trojans 8-0-2 .900 1st PCC Beat Tennessee 14-0 in the Rose Bowl
1940 USC Trojans 3-4-2 .444 7th PCC
1941 USC Trojans 2-6-1 .278 8th PCC
1942 USC Trojans 5-5-1 .500 4th PCC
1943 USC Trojans 8-2 .800 1st PCC Beat Washington 29-0 in the Rose Bowl
1944 USC Trojans 8-0-2 .900 1st PCC Beat Tennessee 25-0 in the Rose Bowl
1945 USC Trojans 7-4 .636 1st PCC Lost to Alabama 14-34 in the Rose Bowl
1946 USC Trojans 6-4 .600 3rd PCC
1947 USC Trojans 7-2-1 .750 1st PCC Lost to Michigan 0-49 in the Rose Bowl
1948 USC Trojans 6-3-1 .650 3rd PCC
1949 USC Trojans 5-3-1 .611 T3rd PCC
1950 USC Trojans 2-5-2 .333 8th PCC
1951 USC Trojans 7-3 .700 4th PCC
1952 USC Trojans 10-1 .909 1st PCC Beat Wisconsin 7-0 in the Rose Bowl
1953 USC Trojans 6-3-1 .650 3rd PCC
1954 USC Trojans 8-4 .667 2nd PCC
1955 USC Trojans 6-4 .600 6th PCC
1956 USC Trojans 8-2 .800 T2nd PCC
1957 USC Trojans 1-9 .100 T7th PCC
1958 USC Trojans 4-5-1 .450 3rd PCC
1959 USC Trojans 8-2 .800 T1st AAWU
1960 USC Trojans 4-6 .400 2nd AAWU
1961 USC Trojans 4-5-1 .450 T2nd AAWU
1962 USC Trojans 11-0 1.000 1st AAWU Beat Wisconsin 42-37 in the Rose Bowl
1963 USC Trojans 7-3 .700 2nd AAWU
1964 USC Trojans 7-3 .700 T1st AAWU
1965 USC Trojans 7-2-1 .750 2nd AAWU
1966 USC Trojans 7-4 .636 1st AAWU Lost to Purdue 13-14 in the Rose Bowl
1967 USC Trojans 10-1 .909 1st AAWU Beat Indiana 14-3 in the Rose Bowl
1968 USC Trojans 9-1-1 .864 1st Pac 8 Lost to Ohio State 16-27 in the Rose Bowl
1969 USC Trojans 10-0-1 .955 1st Pac 8 Beat Michigan 10-3 in the Rose Bowl
1970 USC Trojans 6-4-1 .591 T6th Pac 8
1971 USC Trojans 6-4-1 .591 2nd Pac 8
1972 USC Trojans 12-0 1.000 1st Pac 8 Beat Ohio State 42-17 in the Rose Bowl
1973 USC Trojans 9-2-1 .792 1st Pac 8 Lost to Ohio State 21-42 in the Rose Bowl
1974 USC Trojans 10-1-1 .875 1st Pac 8 Beat Ohio State 18-17 in the Rose Bowl
1975 USC Trojans 8-4 .667 5th Pac 8 Beat Texas A&M 20-0 in the Liberty Bowl
1976 USC Trojans 11-1 .917 1st Pac 8 Beat Michigan 14-6 in the Rose Bowl
1977 USC Trojans 8-4 .667 T2nd Pac 8 Beat Texas A&M 47-28 in the Bluebonnet Bowl
1978 USC Trojans 12-1 .923 1st Pac 10 Beat Michigan 17-10 in the Rose Bowl
1979 USC Trojans 11-0-1 .958 1st Pac 10 Beat Ohio State 17-16 in the Rose Bowl
1980 USC Trojans 8-2-1 .773 3rd Pac 10
1981 USC Trojans 9-3 .750 T2nd Pac 10 Lost to Penn State 10-26 in the Fiesta Bowl
1982 USC Trojans 8-3 .727 T3rd Pac 10
1983 USC Trojans 4-6-1 .409 4th Pac 10
1984 USC Trojans 9-3 .750 1st Pac 10 Beat Ohio State 20-17 in the Rose Bowl
1985 USC Trojans 6-6 .500 T4th Pac 10 Lost to Alabama 3-24 in the Aloha Bowl
1986 USC Trojans 7-5 .583 T4th Pac 10 Lost to Auburn 7-16 in the Citrus Bowl
1987 USC Trojans 8-4 .667 T1st Pac 10 Lost to Michigan State 17-20 in the Rose Bowl
1988 USC Trojans 10-2 .833 1st Pac 10 Lost to Michigan 14-22 in the Rose Bowl
1989 USC Trojans 9-2-1 .792 1st Pac 10 Beat Michigan 17-10 in the Rose Bowl
1990 USC Trojans 8-4-1 .654 2nd Pac 10 Lost to Michigan State 16-17 in the Sun Bowl
1991 USC Trojans 3-8 .273 8th Pac 10
1992 USC Trojans 6-5-1 .542 T3rd Pac 10 Lost to Fresno State 7-24 in the Freedom Bowl
1993 USC Trojans 8-5 .615 T1st Pac 10 Beat Utah 28-21 in the Freedom Bowl
1994 USC Trojans 8-3-1 .708 T2nd Pac 10 Beat Texas Tech 55-14 in the Cotton Bowl
1995 USC Trojans 9-2-1 .792 T1st Pac 10 Beat Northwestern 41-32 in the Rose Bowl
1996 USC Trojans 6-6 .500 T5th Pac 10
1997 USC Trojans 6-5 .545 T5th Pac 10
1998 USC Trojans 8-5 .615 T3rd Pac 10 Lost to TCU 19-28 in the Sun Bowl
1999 USC Trojans 6-6 .500 T6th Pac 10
2000 USC Trojans 5-7 .417 T8th Pac 10
2001 USC Trojans 6-6 .500 5th Pac 10 Lost to Utah 6-10 in the Las Vegas Bowl
2002 USC Trojans 11-2 .846 T1st Pac 10 Beat Iowa 38-17 in the Orange Bowl
2003 USC Trojans 12-1 .923 1st Pac 10 Beat Michigan 28-14 in the Rose Bowl
2004 USC Trojans 13-0 1.000 1st Pac 10 Beat Oklahoma 55-19 in the Orange Bowl
2005 USC Trojans 12-1 .923 1st Pac 10 Lost to Texas 38-41 in the Rose Bowl
2006 USC Trojans 11-2 .846 T1st Pac 10 Beat Michigan 32-18 in the Rose Bowl
Total USC Trojans 704-350-54 .702

Awards[4]

Team awards

National Titles

File:Bcsuscnationalchamps.jpg
USC's 2004 BCS National Championship Trophy

USC holds 11 national titles, although two are contested. Since the NCAA does not conduct a playoff in Division 1-A football, there is no official national champion. The NCAA does have a list of polls, computer systems and others that are often used to attempt to determine National Champions. Because there is no playoff there are often disputes over who really has won the National Championship. Some years there are undisputed champions (where one school is ranked number one in all the polls), other years there are consensus champions (when one school clearly has been ranked number one in most of the polls) and some years there are split or shared championships (where two or more schools are ranked number one in major polls) In the case of USC, few dispute nine of the national championship it claims to have won. Two of the championships - 1928 and 1939 - have been challenged by some sports historians. In both cases USC bases its claim on winning the Dickinson System, a formula devised by a University of Illinois professor which awarded the only championship trophy between 1927 and 1940. In both these years, Dickinson was the only poll or system to rank the Trojans number one. USC's stance, however, is in keeping with that of most other schools which won the Dickinson title; only Notre Dame, which won the Dickinson crown in 1938, does not claim a major national title for that year. Since at least 1969, USC had not listed 1939 as a national championship year; but in 2004, USC once again began recognizing the 1939 team as national champions after it determined that it qualified [1] [2].

Here are the years USC has been national champions:

  • 1928 Dickinson poll (many sports historians consider Georgia Tech to have won the national championship this year)
  • 1931 Consensus national champion
  • 1932 Consensus national champion
  • 1939 Dickinson poll (many sports historians consider Texas A&M to have won the national championship this year)
  • 1962 Consensus national champion
  • 1967 Consensus national champion
  • 1972 Consensus national champion
  • 1974 UPI national champion (Oklahoma won the AP national championship)
  • 1978 UPI national champion (Alabama won the AP national championship)
  • 2003 AP national champion (LSU won the BCS national championship)
  • 2004 Consensus national champion

USC teams have also been selected as national champions in five other years (1929, 1933, 1976, 1989, 2002) by various nationally published ratings systems. These ratings systems are not generally viewed as part of process of selecting the national championship. USC does not claim to have won titles in any of these years.

Pacific Ten conference titles

The Trojans have suffered only three losing seasons since 1961 and have captured 36 Pac-10 titles. This gives them the 4th most conference championships of any NCAA school, and twice as many as any other Pac-10 member team.

Bowl games

The Trojans have played in 34 bowl games–placing them fourth nationally– winning 29 of these appearances. USC is only second behind Alabama's Crimson Tide for the most Bowl wins ever at 30. USC's 22 victories and 31 Rose Bowl appearances are the most of any school in a single bowl.

Individual awards

Individual players have won numerous accolades with 7 Heisman Trophy winners, 34 College Football Hall of Fame inductees, and 134 All-Americans.

National award winners

Players
Coaches
John McKay, Head Coach (1962), (1972)
Pete Carroll, Head Coach (2001)
Norm Chow, Offensive Coordinator - (2002)

College Football Hall of Fame inductees

Other notable individual accomplishments

Heisman finalists

From the field to the sidelines

From the field to the broadcast booth

From the field to the red carpet

  • John Wayne, OL (Hollywood movie star from the 1920s through the 1970s)
  • Ward Bond, T (Hollywood actor from the 1920s through the 1950s)

Facilities

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

The peristyle and Olympic Torch of the Coliseum

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is one of the largest stadiums in the U.S. USC has played football in the Coliseum ever since the grand stadium was built in 1923. In fact, the Trojans played in the first varsity football game ever held there (beating Pomona College 23-7 on October 6, 1923). The Coliseum was the site of the 1932 Olympic Games and hosted the opening and closing ceremonies and track events of the 1984 Olympic Games. Over the years, the Coliseum has been home to many sports teams besides the Trojans, including UCLA football, the NFL's Los Angeles Rams and Raiders, and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball, including the 1959 World Series. The Coliseum has hosted various other events, from concerts and speeches to track meets and motorcycle races. The Coliseum has a present full-capacity of 92,000 seats (almost all are chair-back seats). The Coliseum is located on 17 acres in Exposition Park, which also houses museums, gardens and the Los Angeles Sports Arena [3].

Howard Jones Field

The University of Southern California football team practices on campus at Howard Jones Field, which was expanded in the fall of 1998 to include Brian Kennedy Field. In early 1999, Goux's Gate - named after the popular long-time assistant coach Marv Goux - was erected at the entrance to the practice field.

Trojans in the NFL

USC has had more NFL Draft picks (67) than any other team. One hundred and sixty two (162) Trojans have been selected to the NFL Pro Bowl, overshadowing Notre Dame's 135. Moreover, a Trojan has played in all but two Super Bowls.

Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductees

Current Players

Media

Radio flagship: KSPN 710-AM in Los Angeles ("ESPN Radio 710")
Broadcasters: Pete Arbogast (play-by-play), Paul McDonald (analyst) and John Jackson (sideline reporter).
Past broadcasters: Tom Kelly, Lee Hacksaw Hamilton, Tim Ryan, Larry Kahn, Mike Walden, Chick Hearn, Petros Papadakis, Fred Gallagher and Mike Lamb, among the most recent USC radio broadcasters. Until 1995, radio station KNX AM-1070 in Los Angeles was the school's football flagship station. From 2001 to 2006, KMPC AM-1540 was the Trojan's flagship.
Public address announcer: Dennis Packer.

See also

References

  1. ^ Beano Cook, Longstanding West Coast rivalry, ESPN Classic, September 26, 2002, Accessed Sept. 9, 2006.
  2. ^ id.
  3. ^ id.
  4. ^ All information in the Awards section (and the rest of the article) can be crosschecked in the 2006 USC Trojans Football Media Guide.

External link

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=USC_Trojans_football&oldid=98933099"