USC Methodists football, 1888–1910

From its inaugural season in 1888 until the school dropped football for rugby from 1911 to 1913, the University of Southern California football team was known as the Methodists or Wesleyens. Most seasons the Methodists played without a head coach and most coaches served only one year, with Harvey Holmes serving the longest for four seasons. The team played nearly all its games in Southern California, with no games outside California. After USC played rugby for three seasons, during which they gained the nickname "Trojans", the university again fielded a football team in 1914 under the supervision of Ralph Glaze.

Contents: 1888 – 1889 – 1891 – 1893 – 1894 – 1895 – 1896 – 1897 – 1898 – 1899 – 1900 – 1901 – 1902 – 1903 – 1904 – 1905 – 1906 – 1907 – 1908 – 1909 – 1910

1888

1888 USC Methodists football
Conference Independent
1888 record 2–0
Head coach Henry Goddard, Frank Suffel
Seasons
« None 1889 »
Date Opponent Site Result
November 14 Alliance AC USC Campus • Los Angeles, CA W 16–0  
January 19 vs. Alliance AC Downtown lot • Los Angeles, CA W 4–0  


1889

1889 USC Methodists football
Conference Independent
1889 record 2–0
Head coach No Coach
Seasons
« 1888 1891 »
Date Opponent Site Result
St. Vincent's Los Angeles, CA W 40–0  
November 28 vs. Pasadena Sportsman's Park • Pasadena, CA W 26–0  


1891

1891 USC Methodists football
Conference Independent
1891 record 1–2
Head coach No Coach
Seasons
« 1889 1893 »
Date Opponent Site Result
November 26 Olive Club Los Angeles, CA L 12–16  
January 23 SC Academy Los Angeles, CA W 34–0  
February 22 Loyola Los Angeles, CA L 2–10  


1893

1893 USC Methodists football
Conference Independent
1893 record 3–1
Head coach No Coach
Seasons
« 1891 1894 »
Date Opponent Site Result Attendance
January 14 Chaw-sir Club Los Angeles, CA W 14–2   200
November 18 at Throop Pasadena, CA W 22–12   –
December 11 at Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga, CA L 6–32   –
December 22 Throop Los Angeles, CA W 14–4   100


1894

1894 USC Methodists football
Conference Independent
1894 record 1–0
Head coach No Coach
Seasons
« 1893 1895 »
Date Opponent Site Result
Throop Los Angeles, CA W 12–0  


1895

1895 USC Methodists football
Conference Independent
1895 record 0–1–1
Head coach No Coach
Seasons
« 1894 1896 »
Date Opponent Site Result
November 18 vs. Occidental Athletic Park • Los Angeles, CA L 0–10  
December 7 Throop Los Angeles, CA T 4–4  


1896

1896 USC Methodists football
Conference Independent
1896 record 0–3
Head coach No Coach
Seasons
« 1895 1897 »
Date Opponent Site Result Attendance
October 24 Whittier Reform Los Angeles, CA L 0–30   –
October 31 vs. Los Angeles AC Athletic Park • Los Angeles, CA L 0–22   1,500
November 14 vs. Throop Athletic Park • Los Angeles, CA L 0–22   –


1897

1897 USC Methodists football
Conference Independent
1897 record 5–1
Head coach Lewis Freeman
Seasons
« 1896 1898 »
Date Opponent Site Result Attendance
– Loyola Los Angeles, CA W 34–0   –
November 6 vs. Los Angeles High School Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA W 10–0   500
November 13 vs. Chaffey Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA W 38–0   250
November 25 at Pomona Claremont, CA W 6–0   –
December 25 at San Diego YMCA San Diego, CA L 0–18   –
January 1 at Ventura Ventura, CA W 12–0   –


1898

1898 USC Methodists football
Conference Independent
1898 record 5–1–1
Head coach No Coach
Seasons
« 1897 1899 »
Date Opponent Site Result
October 15 vs. Los Angeles High School Athletic Park • Los Angeles, CA T 0–0  
October 22 Pasadena AC Los Angeles, CA W 17–0  
November 19 vs. Los Angeles High School Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA L 0–6  
November 24 vs. Pomona Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA W 14–11  
November 26 vs. Company F, 1st Battalion, 7th Regiment, California National Guard Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA W 34–0  
December 3 vs. Phoenix Indian School Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA W 27–11  
January 2 at Santa Barbara AC Santa Barbara, CA W 5–0  


1899

1899 USC Methodists football
Conference Independent
1899 record 2–3–1
Head coach No Coach
Seasons
« 1898 1900 »
Date Opponent Site Result Attendance
October 21 Whittier Los Angeles, CA W 11–0   –
November 4 at Santa Ana High School Santa Ana, CA L 0–11   –
November 8 Occidental Los Angeles, CA W 11–0   –
November 15 Occidental Los Angeles, CA T 0–0   –
November 30 at Pomona Pomona, CA L 0–12   2,000
January 1 at Santa Barbara AC Santa Barbara, CA L 0–10   –


1900

1900 USC Methodists football
Conference Independent
1900 record 1–1–1
Head coach No Coach
Seasons
« 1899 1901 »
Date Opponent Site Result Attendance
November 10 at Occidental Los Angeles, CA W 5–0   –
November 24 vs. Los Angeles High School Washington Park • Los Angeles, CA T 0–0   –
November 29 vs. Pomona Washington Park • Los Angeles, CA L 0–11   1,200


1901

1901 USC Methodists football
Conference Independent
1901 record 0–1
Head coach No Coach
Seasons
« 1900 1902 »
Date Opponent Site Result
December 7 at Pomona Pomona, CA L 0–6  


1902

1902 USC Methodists football
Conference Independent
1902 record 2–3
Head coach No Coach
Seasons
« 1901 1903 »
Date Opponent Site Result Attendance
October 11 vs. Loyola Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA L 5–6   400
October 25 at Santa Ana Santa Ana, CA L 2–5   –
November 7 Santa Ana Los Angeles, CA W 6–0   –
November 15 Pomona Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA W 16–5   –
November 22 at Sherman Institute Perris, CA L 0–28   –


1903

1903 USC Methodists football
Conference Independent
1903 record 4–2
Head coach John Walker
Seasons
« 1902 1904 »
Date Opponent Site Result Attendance
October 10 Throop Prager Park • Los Angeles, CA W 5–0   500
October 17 Los Angeles High School Prager Park • Los Angeles, CA W 10–0   500
October 24 Occidental Prager Park • Los Angeles, CA L 0–5   600
October 31 Loyola Prager Park • Los Angeles, CA W 12–5   –
November 7 Orange AC Prager Park • Los Angeles, CA W 31–5   –
November 14 Sherman Institute Prager Park • Los Angeles, CA L 0–12   –


1904

1904 USC Methodists football
Conference Independent
1904 record 6–1
Head coach Harvey Holmes
Seasons
« 1903 1905 »
Date Opponent Site Result Attendance
October 15 vs. Los Angeles High School Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA W 42–0   1,600
October 22 Throop Los Angeles, CA W 35–0   200
October 29 Occidental Los Angeles, CA W 36–4   –
November 5 Loyola Los Angeles, CA W Forfeit   –
November 5 USC Prep Los Angeles, CA W 26–0   –
November 12 vs. Sherman Institute Eagle Park • Long Beach, CA L 0–17   –
November 19 at Whittier Whittier, CA W 60–6   –


1905

1905 USC Methodists football
Conference Independent
1905 record 6–3–1
Head coach Harvey Holmes
Seasons
« 1904 1906 »
Date Opponent Site Result Attendance
October 4 Company F, National Guard Los Angeles, CA W 28–0   –
October 4 Harvard School Los Angeles, CA W 12–0   300
October 16 Los Angeles Poly High School Los Angeles, CA W 27–0   –
October 18 Whittier Los Angeles, CA W 75–0   –
November 1 Alumni Los Angeles, CA W 63–0   –
November 4 at Stanford Stanford, CA L 0–16   –
November 11 at Occidental Los Angeles, CA L 0–10   –
November 25 vs. Sherman Institute Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA L 0–15   800
December 2 Loyola Los Angeles, CA T 0–0   –
December 9 vs. Pomona Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA W 6–4   600


1906

1906 USC Methodists football
Conference Independent
1906 record 2–0–2
Head coach Harvey Holmes
Seasons
« 1905 1907 »
Date Opponent Site Result Attendance
October 6 vs. Los Angeles High School Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA T 0–0   –
October 13 Occidental Los Angeles, CA W 22–0   4,000
November 17 at Pomona Pomona, CA W 14–0   –
November 29 vs. Sherman Institute Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA T 0–0   4,000


1907

1907 USC Methodists football
Conference Independent
1907 record 5–1
Head coach Harvey Holmes
Seasons
« 1906 1908 »
Date Opponent Site Result Attendance
October 12 vs. Los Angeles High School Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA W 6–0   2,000
October 16 Whittier Los Angeles, CA W 57–0   –
October 26 at Santa Ana High School Santa Ana, CA W 51–0   –
November 9 Whittier Los Angeles, CA W 46–0   800
November 15 USS Colorado Los Angeles, CA W 16–4   1,200
December 25 vs. Los Angeles High School Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA L 6–16   2,200


1908

1908 USC Methodists football
Conference Independent
1908 record 3–1–1
Head coach Bill Traeger
Seasons
« 1907 1909 »
Date Opponent Site Result Attendance
October 10 vs. Los Angeles High School Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA L 0–12   2,500
October 17 Whittier Los Angeles, CA W 15–0   –
October 24 at Arrowhead AC – W 28–0   –
November 7 Occidental Los Angeles, cA W 14–0   –
November 14 at Pomona Pomona, CA T 6–6   –


1909

1909 USC Methodists football
Conference Independent
1909 record 3–1–2
Head coach Dean Cromwell
Seasons
« 1908 1910 »
Date Opponent Site Result Attendance
October 9 at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA W 51–0   –
October 16 at Whittier Whittier, CA W 22–2   –
October 23 Loyola Los Angeles, CA L 6–8   1,200
October 30 Orange AC Los Angeles, CA W 51–0   –
November 6 at Occidental Los Angeles, CA T 3–3   3,500
November 13 Pomona Los Angeles, CA T 0–0   –


1910

1910 USC Methodists football
Conference Independent
1910 record 7–0–1
Head coach Dean Cromwell
Seasons
« 1909 1914 »
Date Opponent Site Result Attendance
October 5 Long Beach Poly High School Los Angeles, CA W 22–6   –
October 8 Chaffey High School Los Angeles, CA W 65–6   –
October 15 at Throop Academy – W 9–0   –
October 22 at San Diego High School San Diego, CA W 32–0   –
October 29 at Redlands Redlands, CA W 35–0   –
November 5 Occidental Los Angeles, CA W 6–0   5,000
November 12 at Whittier Whittier, CA W 11–3   300
November 19 at Pomona Pomona, CA T 9–9   4,000

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