USC Trojans football

USC Trojans football
2016 USC Trojans football team
First season 1888 (1888)
Athletic director Pat Haden
Head coach Clay Helton
1st year, 6–4 (.600)
Stadium Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Seating capacity 93,607
Field surface Grass
Location Los Angeles, California
Conference Pac-12
Division South
All-time record 813–333–54 (.700)
Bowl record 33–17 (.660)
Playoff appearances 0
Claimed nat'l titles 11
Unclaimed nat'l titles 6
Conference titles 38
Division titles 1
Heisman winners 7
Consensus All-Americans 80
Current uniform
Colors

Cardinal and Gold

          
Fight song Fight On
Marching band The Spirit of Troy
Outfitter Nike
Main rivals Notre Dame Fighting Irish
UCLA Bruins
Stanford Cardinal
California Golden Bears
Website USCTrojans.com

The USC Trojans football program, established in 1888, represents the University of Southern California in college football. USC is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I FBS and the Pac-12 Conference (Pac-12). The Trojans are a football powerhouse, and have been throughout NCAA history, claiming 11 national championships.[1] As of 2015, 493 Trojans have been taken in the National Football League draft, more than from any other university.[2] USC is tied for first with the most Pro Football Hall of Famers (12).[3] The team is currently coached by Clay Helton.

History

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

1888–1910s

USC first fielded a football team in 1888. Playing its first game on November 14 of that year against the Alliance Athletic Club, USC gained a 16–0 victory. Frank Suffel and Henry H. Goddard were playing coaches for the first team which was put together by quarterback Arthur Carroll; who in turn volunteered to make the pants for the team and later became a tailor.[4] USC faced its first collegiate opponent the following year in fall 1889, playing St. Vincent’s College to a 40–0 victory.[4]

In 1893, USC joined the Intercollegiate Football Association of Southern California (the forerunner of the SCIAC), which was composed of USC, Occidental College, Throop Polytechnic Institute (Cal Tech), and Chaffey College. Pomona College was invited to enter, but declined to do so. An invitation was also extended to Los Angeles High School.[5]

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 scarcity of major football-playing colleges on the West Coast 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 traditional West Coast powerhouse. While the teams would not meet again until 1918 (Stanford dropped football for rugby union during the intervening years), this was also USC's first game against a future Pac-12 conference opponent and the beginning of its oldest rivalry. During this period USC also played its first games against other future Pac-12 rivals, including Oregon State (1914), California (1915), Oregon (1915) and Arizona (1916).

Between 1911–1913, USC followed the example of California and Stanford and dropped football in favor of rugby union. The results were disastrous, as USC was soundly defeated by more experienced programs while the school itself experienced financial reverses; it was during this period that Owen R. Bird, a sportswriter for the Los Angeles Times, coined the nickname "Trojans", which he wrote was "owing to the terrific handicaps under which the athletes, coaches and managers of the university were laboring and against the overwhelming odds of larger and better equipped rivals, the name 'Trojan' suitably fitted the players."[4]

1920s–1930s

After several decades of competition, USC first achieved national prominence under head coach "Gloomy" Gus Henderson in the early 1920s. Another milestone came under Henderson in 1922, when USC joined the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC), the forerunner of the modern Pac-12. 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 Herd", 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. From 1957 to 1959, the Trojans were coached by Don Clark.

The Pacific Coast Conference dissolved in 1959. USC joined the conference's other three California schools and Washington to form a new conference, the Athletic Association of Western Universities, under a new charter. After absorbing all of the PCC's final members except for Idaho, the AAWU changed its name to the Pacific-8 Conference in 1968, the Pacific-10 after the 1978 entry of Arizona and Arizona State, and the Pac-12 after the 2011 entry of Colorado and Utah. (The Pac-12 officially claims the PCC's history as its own, despite the change in charter.)

1960s–1970s

Mike Garrett's retired jersey

The program entered a new golden age upon the arrival of head coach John McKay (1960–1975). During this period the Trojans produced two Heisman Trophy winners (Mike Garrett and O.J. Simpson) and won four national championships (1962, 1967, 1972 and 1974). 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 another national championship in 1978 (shared with Alabama; ironically, USC defeated Alabama, 24–14, that same season) and two more players won the Heisman Trophy (Charles White and Marcus Allen).

On September 12, 1970, USC opened the season visiting the University of Alabama under legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and became the first fully integrated team to play in the state of Alabama.[6] The game, scheduled by Bryant, resulted in a dominating 42-21 win by the Trojans. More importantly, all six touchdowns scored by USC team were by black players, two by USC running back Sam "Bam" Cunningham, against an all-white Crimson Tide team.[7] After the game, Bryant was able to persuade the university to allow black players to play, hastening the racial integration of football at Alabama and in the Deep South.[6][8]

1980s–1990s

Marcus Allen's retired jersey

In the 1980s, USC football did not realize a national championship, though it continued to experience relative success, with top-20 AP rankings and Pac-10 Conference championships under head coaches Ted Tollner (1983–1986) and Larry Smith (1987–1992) Each coach led the team to a win in the Rose Bowl and USC was recognized among the nation's top-ten teams three times. Despite the moderate success of team during these years, some alumni had grown accustomed to the program's 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.

It was during this time that the Trojans were unable to defeat their rivals. They suffered winless streaks of 13 years (1983–1995, including the 1994 17–17 tie) to rival Notre Dame and 8 years (1991–1998) to crosstown rival UCLA which were unacceptable to many USC supporters. Under Robinson the Trojans were 2-2-1 against Notre Dame, but unable to beat UCLA. After posting a 6-6 record in 1996, and a 6-5 record in 1997, Robinson was fired. In 1998, head coach Paul Hackett took over the team, but posted an even more disappointing 19–18 record in three seasons than any of his recent predecessors. 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 five-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.

2000s

In 2009, USC was named "Team of the Decade" by both CBSSports.com and Football.com, as well as the "Program of the Decade" by SI.com, plus was No. 1 in CollegeFootballNews.com's "5-Year Program Rankings" and was ranked No. 2 in ESPN.com's "Prestige Rankings" among all schools since 1936 (behind Oklahoma).[9] Additionally, in 2009, ESPN.com ranked USC the second-best program in college football history.

2001

In 2001, athletic director Mike Garrett 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. After that, his teams became highly successful, ranking among the top ten teams in the country, with the exception of 2009 in which the team lost four regular season games.

2002

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. After struggling for most of his collegiate career, Palmer excelled in the Pro Style offense installed by new offensive coordinator Norm Chow. 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 Pac-10 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.

2003

Carson Palmer's Heisman Trophy

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 AP 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 the 2003 BCS National Championship Game, the Sugar Bowl, BCS #2 LSU defeated BCS #1 Oklahoma 21–14. Meanwhile, BCS #3 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 National Championship title for that year, prompting a split national title between LSU and USC. In the wake of the controversy, corporate sponsors emerged who were willing to organize an LSU-USC game to settle the matter; nevertheless, the NCAA refused to permit the matchup.

2004

Matt Leinart's Heisman Trophy

In 2004, USC was picked preseason #1 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 previous 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 when it was ruled that the NFL could not deny them entering the draft. The decision was appealed and overturned leaving Williams unable to enter the draft. When he applied to the NCAA for reinstatement of his eligibility, it was denied.

Despite close calls against Stanford and California, the Trojans finished the regular season undefeated and headed for the 2004 BCS Championship Game 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 (two other schools went wire-to-wire before the existence of preseason polls - Notre Dame in 1943 and Army in 1945). 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 in the first half, and won the BCS National Championship Game by the score of 55–19, making them the BCS Champions and earning the team the AP National Championship as well.

Wikinews has related news: NCAA Football: USC banned from bowl games for two seasons, wins vacated

In June 2010, after a four-year investigation, the NCAA imposed sanctions against the Trojan football program for a "lack of institutional control," including a public reprimand and censure, a two-year postseason ban, a loss of 30 scholarships over three years, and vacation of all wins in which Reggie Bush participated as an ineligible player, including the 2005 Orange Bowl, in which the Trojans won the BCS National Championship.[10] These sanctions have been criticized by some NCAA football writers,[11][12][13][14][15] including ESPN’s Ted Miller, who wrote, “It's become an accepted fact among informed college football observers that the NCAA sanctions against USC were a travesty of justice, and the NCAA’s refusal to revisit that travesty are a massive act of cowardice on the part of the organization."[16]

Following the NCAA sanctions, BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock stated that a committee would decide whether to vacate USC's 2004 BCS Championship, but the final decision would be delayed until after the NCAA had heard USC's appeals against some of the sanctions.[17] On July 20, 2010, incoming USC president Max Nikias stated that the school would remove jerseys and murals displayed in Bush's honor from its facilities, and would return the school's copy of Bush's Heisman Trophy.[18] On September 14, Bush announced that he would forfeit the Heisman and return his copy of the trophy.[19]

On May 26, 2011, the NCAA upheld all findings and penalties against USC in their infractions case on former players Reggie Bush and basketball player O.J. Mayo. The USC football team did not participate in the Pac-12 Football Championship Game or a bowl game during the 2011–12 season.[20] The BCS announced June 6, 2011, that it had stripped USC of the 2004 title,[21] but the Associated Press still recognizes USC as the 2004 AP National Champion.[22]

2005

The 2005 regular season witnessed a resuscitation of the rivalry with Notre Dame, after a last second play in which senior quarterback Matt Leinart scored the winning touchdown with help from a controversial push from behind by running back Reggie Bush, nicknamed the "Bush Push". The year climaxed with a 66–19 USC defeat of cross-town rival UCLA. Running back Reggie Bush finished his stellar year by winning the Heisman Trophy (later returned by USC and reclaimed by the Heisman Trophy Trust considering Bush accepted improper benefits while at USC and was ineligible during the 2005 season),[19][23] while 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 forgo his senior year and enter the NFL draft. The regular season ended with two clear cut contenders facing off in the Rose Bowl to decide the national championship. Both USC and Texas were 12–0 entering the game, although USC was the slight favorite,[24] USC lost to Texas 41–38.[25]

As with the 2004 season, later NCAA investigations into alleged improper benefits given to Reggie Bush altered the official record of the 2005 Trojan season. All twelve wins from the 2005 season were officially vacated.

2006

For the 2006 football season, USC tried to rebuild its strength 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 wide-out Patrick Turner. Mark Sanchez, the highly touted QB of the recruiting class of 2005 (Mission Viejo High School) 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 was initially a battle between returning players Chauncey Washington and Desmond Reed (both recovering from injuries) and heralded recruits Stafon Johnson (Dorsey High School in Los Angeles), C.J. Gable, Allen Bradford and Emmanuel Moody.

The Coliseum during a 2006 USC game

USC had many experienced players as well, including linebacker Dallas Sartz and wide receiver Chris McFoy, who had already graduated with their bachelor's degrees and were pursuing master's degrees. 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. As the season progressed, USC began to display marked inconsistencies, as their margins of victory began to slip. The first setback proved to be a 31–33 loss to unranked Oregon State, in which the Beavers were able to repeatedly capitalize on several Trojan turnovers.[26] Even though USC dropped initially in the polls, they worked their way back up. After defeating both Cal and Notre Dame, they held the number 2 spot heading into the final week of the season. The Trojans were considered to be a virtual lock for the National Championship Game against Ohio State and just needed to beat UCLA. USC was shocked in the final game of the season, losing to crosstown rival UCLA 13–9. This eliminated the Trojans from championship contention and opened the door for Florida to become Ohio State's opponent. The Trojans did earn a Rose Bowl bid and defeated Michigan 32-18. It was the Trojans fifth straight BCS Bowl appearance.

On January 6, 2007, six days after the Rose Bowl Game, USC kicker Mario Danelo was found dead at the bottom of the White Point Cliff near Point Fermin Lighthouse in San Pedro, California.[27]

2007

In July 2007, ESPN.com named USC its #1 team of the decade for the period between 1996 and 2006, citing the Trojans' renaissance and dominance under Carroll.[28][29]

The 2007 Trojans were the presumptive #1 pick before the season.[30][31] However they lost two games, including a major upset to 41-point underdog Stanford, and they did not get into the National Championship game. However, the Trojans did win their sixth conference championship and defeated Illinois in the 2008 Rose Bowl Game.

Under Carroll, USC was known to attract numerous celebrities to its practices, including USC alumni Will Ferrell, George Lucas, LeVar Burton, and Sophia Bush as well as Snoop Dogg, Henry Winkler, Kirsten Dunst, Nick Lachey, Dr. Dre, Spike Lee, Alyssa Milano, Flea, Wilmer Valderrama, Jake Gyllenhaal and Andre 3000.[32] The Trojans benefited from Los Angeles's lack of NFL teams (with the LA Rams and Raiders having left in the early 1990s), combined with the Trojans' 21st century success, leading them to sometimes be called LA's "de facto NFL team."[33]

During Pete Carroll's first eight years as head coach, USC lost only one game by more than seven points, a 27–16 loss at Notre Dame in his first season, until the second half of the 2009 season. The early part of the 2000s also saw the rise of USC football's popularity in the Los Angeles market: without any stadium expansions, USC broke 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). As of 2011, USC is one of only three of the 120 Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) teams to have never played a Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) team since the split of Division I football in 1978.[34]

2008

After beating Penn State in the Rose Bowl, USC finished the season 12–1, and ranked #2 in the Coaches' Poll and #3 in the AP Poll. The 2008 season culminated in USC's seventh straight Pac-10 Championship, seventh straight BCS bowl appearance and seventh straight finish in the top 4 of the AP Poll. This also marked seven consecutive seasons where USC has not lost a game by more than 7 points. Their only loss was on the road against Oregon State, which was mentioned in the preseason as a possible upset.[35][36]

2009

After beating Boston College in the Emerald Bowl, USC finished the season 9–4, and ranked #20 in the Coaches' Poll and #22 in the AP Poll. USC ended its seven-year streak of Pac-10 Championship, BCS bowl appearance and top 4 finish of the AP Poll. The Trojans started the season strong beating #8 Ohio State at The Horseshoe. But they would lose to four Pac-10 teams (Washington, Oregon, Stanford, and Arizona). Blowout losses to Oregon 47-20 and Stanford 55-21 marked a turning point in USC's season and sparked debate in the media about the future dominance of USC football. After the season concluded, head coach Pete Carroll resigned to accept a head coaching position with the Seattle Seahawks.

In 2009, USC was named “Team of the Decade" by both CBSSports.com and Football.com, as well as the “Program of the Decade" by SI.com, plus was No. 1 in CollegeFootballNews.com’s “5-Year Program Rankings" and was ranked No. 2 in ESPN.com’s “Prestige Rankings" among all schools since 1936 (behind Oklahoma).[9]

2010s–present

2010

On January 12, 2010, Lane Kiffin was hired as the head coach. This came following Pete Carroll's departure from USC to become the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.[37]

In June 2010, after a prolonged four-year investigation into whether former USC running back Reggie Bush and his family had accepted financial benefits and housing from two sports agents in San Diego while he was a student athlete at USC, the NCAA imposed sanctions against the Trojan football program for a "lack of institutional control," including a two-year postseason ban, the loss of 30 scholarships over three years, and the vacation of all wins in which Bush participated as an "ineligible" player, including the 2005 Orange Bowl, in which the Trojans won the BCS National Championship.[10] These sanctions have been criticized by some NCAA football writers,[11][12][13][14][15] including ESPN’s Ted Miller, who wrote, “It's become an accepted fact among informed college football observers that the NCAA sanctions against USC were a travesty of justice, and the NCAA’s refusal to revisit that travesty are a massive act of cowardice on the part of the organization."[16]

The 2010 team finished 8-5 (5-4 in the Pac-10) and was ineligible for post-season play.

2011

On February 9, 2010, Commissioner Larry Scott announced that the Pac-10 would be considering expanding to twelve schools.[38] The Pac-10 Conference officially became the Pac-12 Conference following the addition of Colorado and Utah on July 1, 2011.

In 2011, although USC finished in first place in its conference division with a 7-2 record, due to their ineligibility to participate in a bowl game, the UCLA Bruins became champions of the inaugural Pac-12 South Division.[39] In the final regular season game, USC's 50-0 win over UCLA was the largest margin of victory in the rivalry since 1930.

The release of the December 4, 2011 final regular season Associated Press college football poll marked USC's return to national prominence with the #5 ranking.[40] The Trojans were not eligible for post season play and did not participate in any Bowl game. When the final AP Football Poll was release USC dropped one spot to the #6 ranking.

2012

USC was ranked number one in The Associated Press’ preseason college football poll for the seventh time in school history and the first time in five seasons, edging out No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 LSU.[41] However, the early season expectations would backfire as the Trojans would eventually finish 7-5 (5-4 versus Pac-12 opponents), including losses to both UCLA and Notre Dame.[42][43] The team finished second in the Pac-12 South standings and unranked in any poll.

2013

The 2013 USC Trojans football team finished the season 10–4, 6–3 in Pac-12 play to finish in a tie for second place in the South Division. They were invited to the Las Vegas Bowl where they defeated Fresno State. Head coach Lane Kiffin, who was in his fourth year, was fired on September 29 after a 3–2 start to the season. He was replaced by interim head coach Ed Orgeron. At the end of the regular season, Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian was hired as the new head coach beginning in 2014. This prompted Orgeron to resign before the bowl game. Clay Helton led the Trojans in the Las Vegas Bowl.

2015

The 2015 season was a tumultuous one for the Trojans with a season record of 8–4 overall and 6–3 in Pac-12 play to finish as Pac-12 Southern Conference champions. Mid-season, coach Steve Sarkisian was fired to deal with personal issues and Clay Helton was again named the interim head coach (he was also interim head coach for the 2013 Las Vegas Bowl after Orgeron left the school following Athletic Director Pat Haden's decision to hire Sarkisian over Orgeron as the new head coach beginning in 2014).[44] The Trojans had lost to Stanford and Washington under Sarkisian. Under Helton, USC lost to Notre Dame, but then rallied to win the next four games. A loss to Oregon left the South Division conference championship to be decided by the USC-UCLA game; USC won 40-21. USC played in its first ever Pac-12 Conference championship game, losing to Stanford (41-22) after the Cardinal (8-1 in Pac-12, 9-2 overall) locked up the North Division title, its third in four years, with its victory over California. USC went on to lose the 2015 Holiday Bowl 23–21 to the Wisconsin Badgers. On December 7, Sarkisian filed a $30 million wrongful termination lawsuit against USC.[25]

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 when USC joined the PCC and grew into a national caliber team.

A "Perfect Day"

A "Perfect Day" (a phrase created by the school's football announcer Pete Arbogast) to any USC fan is a USC win coupled with losses by UCLA and Notre Dame.[45] The last "Perfect Day" occurred on November 28, 2015, when USC beat UCLA and Notre Dame lost to Stanford. There have been 37 "Perfect Days" since 1960.

An "Imperfect Day" is when either UCLA or Notre Dame have failed to lose.

Perfect Days since 1960
Season Date USC
victory over		 UCLA
defeated by		 Notre Dame
defeated by
1960 October 15 California 27–10 Washington 10–8 Michigan State 21–0
November 19 UCLA 17–6 USC 17–6 Iowa 28–0
1962 October 20 California 32–6 Pittsburgh 8–6 Michigan State 31–7
October 27 Illinois 28–16 Stanford 17–7 Northwestern 35–6
1963 November 9 Stanford 25–11 Air Force 48–21 Pittsburgh 27–7
1971 October 23 Notre Dame 28–14 California 24–31 USC 28–14
1975 October 4 Purdue 27–16 Ohio State 41–20 Michigan State 10–3
1978 September 23 Alabama 24–14 Kansas 28–24 Michigan 28–14
1981 September 26 Oklahoma 28–24 Iowa 20–7 Purdue 15–14
November 21 UCLA 22–21 USC 22–21 Penn State 24–21
1984 October 6 Washington State 29–27 Stanford 23–21 Miami 31–13
1985 November 23 UCLA 17–13 USC 17–13 LSU 10–7
1986 October 4 Oregon 35–21 Arizona State 16–9 Alabama 28–10
1987 November 21 UCLA 17–13 USC 17–13 Penn State 21–20
1990 October 6 Washington State 30–17 Arizona 28–21 Stanford 36–31
November 17 UCLA 45–42 USC 45–42 Penn State 24–21
1991 September 14 Penn State 21–10 Tennessee 30–16 Michigan 24–14
1994 October 8 Oregon State 27–19 California 26–7 Boston College 30–11
October 15 Stanford 27–20 Oregon State 23–14 BYU 21–14
1999 November 20 UCLA 17–7 USC 17–7 Boston College 31–29
2001 October 27 Arizona 41–34 Stanford 38–28 Boston College 21–17
November 3 Oregon State 16–13 Washington State 20–14 Tennessee 28–18
2003 November 1 Washington State 43–16 Stanford 21–14 Florida State 37–0
2004 October 23 Washington 38–0 Arizona State 48–42 Boston College 24–23
2007 September 15 Nebraska 49–31 Utah 44–6 Michigan 38–0
November 3 Oregon State 24–3 Arizona 34–27 Navy 46–44
November 10 California 24–17 Arizona State 24–20 Air Force 41–24
2008 October 11 Arizona State 28–0 Oregon 31–24 North Carolina 29–24
November 8 California 17–3 Oregon State 34–6 Boston College 17–0
2009 October 17 Notre Dame 34–27 California 45–26 USC 34–27
November 28 UCLA 28–7 USC 28–7 Stanford 45–38
2010 September 11 Virginia 17–14 Stanford 35–0 Michigan 28–24
2011 September 3 Minnesota 19–17 Houston 38–34 USF 23–20
October 22* Notre Dame 31–17 Arizona 48–12 USC 31–17
November 26 UCLA 50–0 USC 50–0 Stanford 28–14
2014 November 29** Notre Dame 49–14 Stanford 31–10 USC 49–14
2015 November 28 UCLA 40–21 USC 40–21 Stanford 38–36
*: UCLA's game against Arizona occurred on Thursday, Oct 20, 2011
**: UCLA's game against Stanford occurred on Friday, Nov 28, 2014
Note: There were no Perfect Days in 1961, 1964–1970, 1972–1974, 1976–1977, 1979–1980, 1982–1983, 1988–1989, 1992–1993,
1995–1998, 2000, 2002, 2005–2006, or 2012–2013.

Notre Dame

The First Jeweled Shillelagh

USC plays the University of Notre Dame each year for the Jeweled Shillelagh. 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 1943–45 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. Notre Dame leads the series 45–36-5. The game is often referred to as the greatest intersectional rivalry in college football.[46][47][48][49][50]

UCLA

Main article: UCLA–USC rivalry
USC currently possesses the Victory Bell.

USC's rivalry with UCLA is unusual in that they are one of a few pairs of Division I FBS programs that share a major city. Both are located within the Los Angeles city limits, approximately 10 miles (16 km) apart. Until 1982, the two schools also shared the same stadium: the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

The crosstown rivals play each year for city bragging rights and the Victory Bell; and often for the right to go to the Rose Bowl. The UCLA rivalry tends to draw 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 manner) and many Southern California families are divided between Trojan Cardinal and Bruin Blue. USC leads the all-time series 47–31–7 including their victory in 2015.[51]

USC UCLA Lexus Gauntlet.

Stanford

Stanford is USC's oldest rival,[52] in a series that dates to 1905. In the early years of football on the West Coast, the power sat in the Bay Area with the Stanford-Cal rivalry 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 the two private universities with major football teams on the west coast, naturally drew the ire of one another. During the early 2000s, however, Stanford had not maintained their earlier success and the rivalry had faded to many USC fans.[52]

The rivalry was renewed with the arrival of Jim Harbaugh at Stanford in 2007. Harbaugh defeated Carroll 2–1 in their three matchups with both victories occurring in the Coliseum. In the 2009 meeting, USC sustained their worst loss in 43 years and surrendered the most points to an opponent, a record that would stand for three seasons. The game led the Los Angeles Times to declare that Stanford was "at the top of the USC 'Must Kill' list."[53][54] Harbaugh added another win in 2010 against Carroll's successor Lane Kiffin before leaving after that season to become head coach of the San Francisco 49ers.

Stanford's recent success against USC has continued under Harbaugh's successor David Shaw, who defeated Kiffin in their two meetings (2011 and 2012), although USC has won the last two matchups (2013 and 2014). Of note is that USC's 2014 win, which occurred at Stanford Stadium, snapped the Cardinal's 17-game home win streak, which had dated back to 2011.[55] All told, Stanford has defeated USC in 5 of the last 8 meetings, winning in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012.[56][57]

Overall, USC has mostly dominated as the Trojans lead the series record 61-29-3[58]

California

The University of California, Berkeley has had a rivalry with USC since 1915.[59] Cal has not defeated USC since 2003. The current record stands at 67-30-5. No team has lost to USC more times than California.[60] In the mid-2000s, Cal had moderate success against USC, with USC going 4–1 against Cal: USC lost in triple overtime to California in 2003, USC won a close 2004 game 23–17, the 2006 game decided the Pac-10's BCS berth, and USC winning 24-17 in a rainy 2007 contest. The rivalry regressed after 2007, with the resumption of lopsided double-digit USC victories: in 2008, USC shut down California's offense to just 3 points, with a 17-3 Trojan victory; in 2009, USC once again held Cal's offense to only 3 points, steamrolling to a 30-3 victory; the 2010 game was lopsided from the beginning, by halftime USC had scored 42, while Cal did not score at all, with this 42-0 halftime score tying the largest deficit at halftime in Cal's history, and USC controlled the rest of the game, winning 48-14. Recently, USC has won 30-9, 27-9, 62-28, 38-30, and 27-21 in 2011-2015 respectively. The Trojans have now won the past 12 meetings.

Traditions

Tailback U

"Tailback U" is a nickname that emerged during the regime of Hall of Fame college football coach John McKay ('60–'75) and continued by his former offensive coordinator and immediate successor, John Robinson ('76–'82). Running plays of this era included Coach McKay's well-known "Student Body Right" play, which emphasized hard-nosed running in the pass-friendly Pacific-10 Conference.[61] McKay and Robinson produced a number of top-rated players at the tailback position, including four Heisman Trophy winners. Standouts included Mike Garrett, O. J. Simpson, Anthony Davis, Ricky Bell, Sam Cunningham, Charles White, and Marcus Allen. Coach Pete Carroll ('01–'09) continued the trend in later years with current NFL players Reggie Bush, LenDale White and Justin Fargas.[61]

#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 had, at times, refrained from assigning the number if he did not think any player was worthy of it. The linebacker 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, Chris Claiborne, and Keith Rivers; Seau, McGinest, Claiborne and Rivers were all top-10 picks in the NFL Draft.[62][63][64] Senior Lamar Dawson is the most recent #55. The last non-linebacker to wear #55 was offensive center John Katnik in 1989.

Fight On!

A phrase commonly used by Trojan fans to greet one another or show support for the team, which is borrowed from the fight song of the same name (i.e., "Fight On for ol' S.C./Our men Fight On to Victory..." The two finger "V" salute for Victory is often given in accompaniment. The term came from a LA Times article in regard to a USC vs. Stanford track meet. Though USC lost by a considerable amount, LA Times writer Owen Bird wrote that USC "Fought on like Trojans". Shortly after changing USC's team name from the "Fighting Methodists" to the "Trojans" in 1912, "Fight On" was taken as its slogan amongst fans.

Kicking The Flagpole

When leaving or entering campus on game day on Trousdale Boulevard on the south side of campus, you will hear a familiar clanging sound. This is the sound of thousands of fans kicking the flagpoles near the entrance. While it has not been confirmed why the tradition started, or when it was started, the kicking of the flagpole on game day has been part of USC folklore for years.

Current staff

Name Position
Clay Helton Head Coach
Tee Martin Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach
John Baxter Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach
Johnny NansenLinebackers/Assistant Head Coach
Clancy Pendergast Defensive Coordinator
Tommie Robinson Running Backs Coach/Run Game Coordinator
Tyson Helton Quarterbacks Coach/Pass Game Coordinator
Kenechi Udeze Defensive Line Coach
Ronnie Bradford Secondary Coach
Neil Callaway Offensive Line Coach

[65]

Bowl games

List of bowl games
# Bowl Score Date Season Opponent Stadium Location Attendance Head coach
1 Rose Bowl W 14–3 January 1, 1923 1922 Penn State Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 43,000 Henderson, GusGus Henderson
2 Christmas Festival W 20–7 December 25, 1924 1924 Missouri Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA 47,000 Henderson, GusGus Henderson
3 Rose Bowl W 47–14 January 1, 1930 1929 Pittsburgh Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 72,000 Jones, HowardHoward Jones
4 Rose Bowl W 21–12 January 1, 1932 1931 Tulane Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 75,562 Jones, HowardHoward Jones
5 Rose Bowl W 35–0 January 2, 1933 1932 Pittsburgh Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 78,874 Jones, HowardHoward Jones
6 Rose Bowl W 7–3 January 2, 1939 1938 Duke Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 89,452 Jones, HowardHoward Jones
7 Rose Bowl W 14–0 January 1, 1940 1939 Tennessee Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 92,000 Jones, HowardHoward Jones
8 Rose Bowl W 39–0 January 1, 1944 1943 Washington Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 68,000 Cravath, JeffJeff Cravath
9 Rose Bowl W 25–0 January 1, 1945 1944 Tennessee Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 91,000 Cravath, JeffJeff Cravath
10 Rose Bowl L 14–34 January 1, 1946 1945 Alabama Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 93,000 Cravath, JeffJeff Cravath
11 Rose Bowl L 0–49 January 1, 1948 1947 Michigan Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 93,000 Cravath, JeffJeff Cravath
12 Rose Bowl W 7–0 January 1, 1953 1952 Wisconsin Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 101,500 Hill, JessJess Hill
13 Rose Bowl L 7–20 January 1, 1955 1954 Ohio State Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 89,191 Hill, JessJess Hill
14 Rose Bowl W 42–37 January 1, 1963 1962 Wisconsin Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 98,698 McKay, JohnJohn McKay
15 Rose Bowl L 13–14 January 2, 1967 1966 Purdue Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 100,807 McKay, JohnJohn McKay
16 Rose Bowl W 14–3 January 1, 1968 1967 Indiana Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 102,946 McKay, JohnJohn McKay
17 Rose Bowl L 16–27 January 1, 1969 1968 Ohio State Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 102,063 McKay, JohnJohn McKay
18 Rose Bowl W 10–3 January 1, 1970 1969 Michigan Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 103,878 McKay, JohnJohn McKay
19 Rose Bowl W 42–17 January 1, 1973 1972 Ohio State Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 106,869 McKay, JohnJohn McKay
20 Rose Bowl L 21–42 January 1, 1974 1973 Ohio State Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 105,267 McKay, JohnJohn McKay
21 Rose Bowl W 18–17 January 1, 1975 1974 Ohio State Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 106,721 McKay, JohnJohn McKay
22 Liberty Bowl W 20–0 December 22, 1975 1975 Texas A&M Memphis Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN 52,129 McKay, JohnJohn McKay
23 Rose Bowl W 14–6 January 1, 1977 1976 Michigan Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 106,182 Robinson, JohnJohn Robinson
24 Bluebonnet Bowl W 47–28 December 31, 1977 1977 Texas A&M Astrodome Houston, TX 52,842 Robinson, JohnJohn Robinson
25 Rose Bowl W 17–10 January 1, 1979 1978 Michigan Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 105,629 Robinson, JohnJohn Robinson
26 Rose Bowl W 17–16 January 1, 1980 1979 Ohio State Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 105,526 Robinson, JohnJohn Robinson
27 Fiesta Bowl L 10–26 January 1, 1982 1981 Penn State Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, AZ 71,053 Robinson, JohnJohn Robinson
28 Rose Bowl W 17–20 January 1, 1985 1984 Ohio State Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 102,594 Tollner, TedTed Tollner
29 Aloha Bowl L 3–24 December 28, 1985 1985 Alabama Aloha Stadium Honolulu, HI 35,183 Tollner, TedTed Tollner
30 Florida Citrus Bowl L 7–16 January 1, 1987 1986 Auburn Citrus Bowl Orlando, FL 51,113 Tollner, TedTed Tollner
31 Rose Bowl L 17-20 January 1, 1988 1987 Michigan State Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 103,847 Smith, LarryLarry Smith
32 Rose Bowl L 22–14 January 2, 1989 1988 Michigan Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 101,688 Smith, LarryLarry Smith
33 Rose Bowl W 17–10 January 1, 1990 1989 Michigan Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 103,450 Smith, LarryLarry Smith
34 John Hancock Bowl L 16–17 December 31, 1990 1990 Michigan State Sun Bowl Stadium El Paso, TX 50,562 Smith, LarryLarry Smith
35 Freedom Bowl L 7–24 December 29, 1992 1992 Fresno State Anaheim Stadium Anaheim, CA 50,745 Smith, LarryLarry Smith
36 Freedom Bowl W 28–21 December 30, 1993 1993 Utah Anaheim Stadium Anaheim, CA 37,203 Robinson, JohnJohn Robinson
37 Cotton Bowl Classic W 55–14 January 2, 1995 1994 Texas Tech Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX 70,218 Robinson, JohnJohn Robinson
38 Rose Bowl W 41–32 January 1, 1996 1995 Northwestern Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 100,102 Robinson, JohnJohn Robinson
39 Sun Bowl L 19–28 December 31, 1998 1998 TCU Sun Bowl Stadium El Paso, TX 46,612 Hackett, PaulPaul Hackett
40 Las Vegas Bowl L 6–10 December 25, 2001 2001 Utah Sam Boyd Stadium Whitney, NV 22,385 Carroll, PetePete Carroll
41 Orange Bowl W 38–17 January 2, 2003 2002 Iowa Pro Player Stadium Miami Gardens, FL 75,971 Carroll, PetePete Carroll
42 Rose Bowl W 28–14 January 1, 2004 2003 Michigan Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 93,849 Carroll, PetePete Carroll
43 Orange Bowl W 55–19 January 4, 2005 2004 Oklahoma Dolphin Stadium Miami Gardens, FL 77,912 Carroll, PetePete Carroll
44 Rose Bowl L 38–41 January 4, 2006 2005 Texas Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 93,926 Carroll, PetePete Carroll
45 Rose Bowl W 32–18 January 1, 2007 2006 Michigan Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 93,852 Carroll, PetePete Carroll
46 Rose Bowl W 49–17 January 1, 2008 2007 Illinois Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 93,923 Carroll, PetePete Carroll
47 Rose Bowl W 38–24 January 1, 2009 2008 Penn State Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 93,293 Carroll, PetePete Carroll
48 Emerald Bowl W 24–13 December 26, 2009 2009 Boston College AT&T Park San Francisco, CA 40,121 Carroll, PetePete Carroll
49 Sun Bowl L 21–7 December 31, 2012 2012 Georgia Tech Sun Bowl El Paso, TX 47,922 Kiffin, LaneLane Kiffin
50 Las Vegas Bowl W 45–20 December 21, 2013 2013 Fresno State Sam Boyd Stadium Las Vegas, NV 42,178 Helton, ClayClay Helton
51 Holiday Bowl W 45–42 December 27, 2014 2014 Nebraska Qualcomm Stadium San Diego, CA 55,789 Sarkisian, SteveSteve Sarkisian
52 Holiday Bowl L 21–23 December 30, 2015 2015 Wisconsin Qualcomm Stadium San Diego, CA 48,329 Helton, ClayClay Helton

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 United States. 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 Summer Olympics 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, the Los Angeles Chargers in 1960 of the AFL, 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 (69,000 m2) in Exposition Park, which also houses museums, gardens and the Los Angeles Sports Arena.[66] It has also earned the nickname, "The Grand Old Lady". Both the Coliseum and Sports Arena are managed and operated by USC under a master lease agreement with the LA Memorial Coliseum Commission.[67]

Howard Jones Field/Brian Kennedy Field

The USC 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 for the popular long-time assistant coach Marv Goux, was erected at the entrance to the practice field.

The John McKay Center at USC

Opened in 2012, the $70 Million, 110,000-square-foot athletic and academic center named after legendary football coach John McKay is home to the USC Trojan Football Department. The building houses meeting rooms, coaches’ offices and a locker room for the football program, as well as the Stevens Academic Center (including space for tutoring, counseling, study and computer rooms for student-athletes), a weight room, an athletic training room and a state-of-the-art digital media production facility for all of USC’s 21 sports.

The centerpiece of the McKay Center is the two-story video board in the Parker Hughes atrium, which can display six big screen televisions at once as well as promotional videos and graphics. The building has a 60,000-square-foot basement includes weight room, athletic training room, locker rooms and players lounge, a 25,000-square-foot ground floor with Student-Athlete Academic Services center, reception area and outdoor courtyard, and a 25,000-square-foot second floor with football coaches’ offices, football team meeting rooms, outdoor patio and a state-of-the-art video production facility. The John McKay Center is adjacent to Heritage Hall, the Galen Dining Center, and the Brian Kennedy and Howard Jones Fields

Records and results

Results versus AP Top 10 opponents

USC's record against AP Top 10 opponents last 15 years

Date Opponent USC AP Rank Result Game
Dec. 5, 2015 #7 Stanford #24 L 22-41 Pac-12 Championship Game
Oct. 24, 2015 #3 Utah NR W 42-24 regular season
Oct. 11, 2014 @ #10 Arizona NR W 28-26 regular season
Nov. 16, 2013 #5 Stanford NR W 20-17 regular season
Nov. 24, 2012 #1 Notre Dame NR L 13-22 regular season
Nov. 3, 2012 #2 Oregon #18 L 51-62 regular season
Nov. 19, 2011 @ #4 Oregon #18 W 38-35 regular season
Oct. 29, 2011 #4 Stanford #20 L 48-563OT regular season
Oct. 30, 2010 #1 Oregon #24 L 32-53 regular season
Oct. 31, 2009 @ #10 Oregon #5 L 20-47 regular season
Sept. 12, 2009 @ #8 Ohio State #3 W 18-15 regular season
Jan. 1, 2009 #6 Penn State #4 W 38-24 Rose Bowl
Sept. 13, 2008 #5 Ohio State #1 W 35-3 regular season
Nov. 22, 2007 @ #7 Arizona State #11 W 44-24 regular season
Oct. 27, 2007 @ #5 Oregon #9 L 17-24 regular season
Jan. 1, 2007 #3 Michigan #8 W 32-18 Rose Bowl
Nov. 25, 2006 #6 Notre Dame #3 W 44-24 regular season
Jan. 4, 2006 #2 Texas #1 L 38-41 Rose Bowl*
Oct. 15, 2005 @ #9 Notre Dame #1 W 34-31 regular season
Jan. 4, 2005 #2 Oklahoma #1 W 55-19 Orange Bowl*
Oct. 9, 2004 #7 California #1 W 23-17 regular season
Jan. 1, 2004 #4 Michigan #1 W 28-14 Rose Bowl
Nov. 1, 2003 #6 Washington State #3 W 43-16 regular season
Aug. 30, 2003 @ #6 Auburn #8 W 23-0 regular season
Jan. 2, 2003 #3 Iowa #5 W 38-17 Orange Bowl
Nov. 30, 2002 #7 Notre Dame #6 W 44-13 regular season
Sept. 22, 2001 @ #7 Oregon NR L 22-24 regular season

* Designated BCS National Championship game

NCAA, conference, and school records

Wins Type of Record
Consecutive Wins vs. Notre Dame: 8 School record (Note: 2005 victory vacated.)
Consecutive Losses vs. Notre Dame: 11 School record
Consecutive Conference Championships: 7 Pac-10 record (Note: the 2002, 2006, and 2007 titles were shared. All wins during 2005 have been vacated.)
Consecutive BCS bowl appearances: 7 FBS (I-A) record
BCS bowl wins: 6 FBS (I-A) record (Note: 2005 Orange Bowl win was vacated.)
Consecutive 11 win seasons: 7 FBS (I-A) record (Note: All 2005 victories vacated.)
Weeks at #1 in AP poll: 33 NCAA record
Consecutive Rose Bowl Championships: 3 All-time record

Season records

Awards[68]

Team awards

National titles

USC claims 11 national titles, including 7 from the wire service AP Poll and/or Coaches' Poll. Two of USC's championships, 1928 and 1939, are based on the Dickinson System, a formula devised by a University of Illinois professor that awarded national championships between 1926 and 1940. The Dickinson System is cited in the Official 2010 NCAA FBS Record Book as a legitimate national title selector.[69] USC's claim is consistent with other FBS programs that won the Dickinson title. In 2004, USC recognized the 1939 squad as one of their national championship teams.[70][71][72] The 2004 team was forced to vacate the final two games of its season, including the 2005 Orange Bowl due to NCAA sanctions incurred as a result of loss of institutional control, and namely, in connection with Reggie Bush. USC appealed the sanctions, delaying consideration of vacating USC's 2004 championship by the BCS. Ultimately, USC lost the appeals and forfeited the 2004 BCS championship.[73] The AP has stated that it will not vacate its 2004 championship awarded to USC, and hence the Trojans retain a share of the national title.[73]

Here are the years USC recognizes a national championship:

Year Coach Selector Record Bowl
1928 Howard Jones Dickinson System 9-0-1 -
1931 Howard Jones Helms, CFRA, NCF 10-1 Won Rose
1932 Howard Jones Helms, CFRA, NCF 10-0 Won Rose
1939 Howard Jones Dickinson System 8-0-2 Won Rose
1962 John McKay AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI 11-0 Won Rose
1967 John McKay AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI 10-1 Won Rose
1972 John McKay AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI 12-0 Won Rose
1974 John McKay FWAA, NFF, UPI 10-1-1 Won Rose
1978 John Robinson UPI 12-1 Won Rose
2003 Pete Carroll AP, FWAA 12-1 Won Rose
2004 Pete Carroll AP, BCS(vacated[73]), FWAA (vacated[74]) 13-0 Won Orange (vacated)
Total national championships 11

USC teams have also been selected as national champions in six other years (1929, 1933, 1976, 1979, 2002, 2008) by various nationally published ratings systems or voters. 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.

Pac-12 conference titles

The Trojans have suffered only three losing seasons since 1961 and have captured 38 PCC/Pac-10/Pac-12 titles including 7 seven consecutive Pac-10 titles from 2002-2008 (2004 and 2005 Pac-10 titles were later vacated due to NCAA sanctions). This gives them the 4th most conference championships of any NCAA school, and twice as many as any other Pac-12 member team.

Bowl games

The Trojans have played in 49 bowl games, a total that trails Alabama's 58 bowl appearances, and Texas's 50 bowl appearances. USC has the highest winning percentage in bowl games (.653) among teams with at least 15 bowl appearances. Finally, USC's 32 Rose Bowl appearances and 24 victories are the most of any school in a single bowl.

Individual awards

Individual players have won numerous accolades with six officially recognized Heisman Trophy winners, 38 College Football Hall of Fame inductees, and 157 All-Americans. USC's first consensus All-American was offensive guard Brice Taylor in 1925, who notably excelled despite missing his left hand, and who was one of USC's first black players.

Heisman Trophy winners and retired numbers

Seven USC players have been awarded the Heisman Trophy. All of them (with the exception of Reggie Bush) have also their numbers retired by the Trojans.[75][76] Bush's Heisman was forfeited in 2010 after an NCAA investigation ruled him ineligible to participate as a student-athlete during his Trophy season.

USC Heisman Trophy winners and retired numbers
No. Player Pos. Career No. retired
3 Carson Palmer QB 1999-2002 2002
5 Reggie Bush HB 2003-05 (2005 - 2010) 1
11 Matt Leinart QB 2001-05 2004
12 Charles White RB 1977-79 1979
20 Mike Garrett RB 1963-1965 1965
32 O.J. Simpson RB 1967-68 1968
33 Marcus Allen RB 1978-81 1981

Notes:

All-century Trojan football team

selected by fan vote, published in the Orange County Register, November 17, 1999

Offense
QB: Matt Leinart, 01-05
FB: Leroy Holt, 85-88
RB: O.J. Simpson, 67-68
RB: Marcus Allen, 78-81
WR: Keyshawn Johnson, 94-95
WR: Mike Williams03-04
TE: Charles Young, 70-72
OL: Ron Yary, 65-67
OL: Brad Budde, 76-79
OL: Tony Boselli, 91-94
OL: Ron Mix, 57-59
OL: Bruce Matthews, 80-82
3rd WR: Johnnie Morton, 90-93
PK: Steve Jordan, 81-84

Defense
DL: Tim Rossovich, 65-67
DL: Marlin McKeever, 58-60
DL: Mike McKeever, 58-60
DL: Aaron Rosenberg, 31-33
LB: Junior Seau, 88-89
LB: Richard Wood, 72-74
LB: Chris Claiborne, 96-98
DB: Ronnie Lott, 77-80
DB: Dennis Smith, 77-80
DB: Taylor Mays, 06-10
DB: Mark Carrier, 87-89
P : Desmond Koch, 51-53
KR: Anthony Davis, 72-74

All-time USC football team

Chosen by Athlon Sports in 2001[77]

Offense
WR: Lynn Swann 71-73
WR: Keyshawn Johnson 92-95
TE: Hal Bedsole 61-63
OL: Ron Yary 65-67
OL: Tay Brown 30-32
OL: Tony Boselli 91-94
OL: John Baker 29-31
OL: Brad Budde 76-79
OL: Anthony Munoz 76-79
OL: Bruce Matthews 80-82
QB: Pat Haden 72-74
RB: Mike Garrett 63-65
RB: O.J. Simpson 67-68
RB: Charles White 76-79
RB: Marcus Allen 78-81
PK: Quin Rodriguez 87-90

Defense
DL: Ernie Smith 30-32
DL: Tim Ryan 86-89
DL: Harry Smith 37-39
DL: Aaron Rosenberg 31-33
LB: Chris Claiborne 96-98
LB: Richard Wood 72-74
LB: Jack Del Rio 81-84
LB: Junior Seau 88-89
DB: Ronnie Lott 77-80
DB: Morley Drury 25-27
DB: Mark Carrier 87-89
DB: Tim McDonald 83-86
P: Des Koch 51-53

Other individual awards

Players

O.J. Simpson, TB (1968)
Charles White, TB (1979)
Marcus Allen, TB (1981)
O.J. Simpson, TB (1967)
O.J. Simpson, TB (1968)
Charles White, TB (1979)
Marcus Allen, TB (1981)
Matt Leinart, QB (2004)
Chris Claiborne, MLB (1998)
Brad Budde, OG (1979)
Rey Maualuga, LB (2008)
Matt Leinart, QB (2004)
Matt Leinart, QB (2004)
Ron Yary, OT (1967)
Mark Carrier, FS (1989)
Rodney Peete, QB (1988)
Carson Palmer, QB (2002)
Matt Leinart, QB (2005)
Fred Davis, TE (2007)
Marqise Lee, WR (2012)

Coaches

John McKay, Head Coach (1962), (1972)
Pete Carroll, Head Coach (2003)
Norm Chow, Offensive Coordinator (2002)

College Football Hall of Fame inductees

Other notable individual accomplishments

Heisman finalists

Notable players

Trojans in the NFL

USC has had more players (493),[2] and more first round NFL Draft picks (77) than any other college.[78][79] 162 Trojans have been selected to the NFL Pro Bowl, while a Trojan has played in all but two Super Bowls.

NFL All-Pro and Pro Bowl

Pro Football Hall of Fame

Current players

Coaches

Broadcasters

Actors & entertainment industry

Media

Radio flagship: KSPN 710-AM in Los Angeles; KLAA 830-AM in Orange, California, is the overflow station when there is a conflict with another game airing on KSPN.
Spanish-language Radio flagship: KTNQ 1020-AM in Glendale, California
Broadcasters: Pete Arbogast (play-by-play), Paul McDonald (analyst) and John Jackson (sideline reporter)
Spanish-language Broadcasters: Pepe Mantilla (play-by-play), Daniel Arreola (analyst/play-by-play) and Erika Garza (analyst).
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 station. Pete Arbogast, who has called Trojans football for 14 of the last 20 seasons, announced his sixth Rose Bowl game on January 1, 2009. Arbogast also called the Rose Bowl game for USC for the university's campus radio station, KSCR, in 1978 and 1979
Public address announcer: Eric Smith

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of July 21, 2015

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Alabama (at Arlington, TX) vs Texas at Texas at BYU vs Notre Dame vs BYU vs Notre Dame vs BYU
vs Notre Dame at Notre Dame vs Notre Dame at Notre Dame vs New Mexico at Notre Dame vs Rice at Notre Dame
vs Utah State vs Western Michigan vs UNLV

[80]

Recruiting

USC Trojans Football Scout.com team recruiting rankings:

Class

Scout.com

Rank

Commits

Top Commit

2015

 1 26 Iman Marshall

2014

 10 19 Adoree Jackson

2013

 18 12 Su'a Cravens

2012

 20 15 Leonard Williams

2011

 5 29 Marqise Lee

2010

 5 20 Robert Woods

2009

 9 18 Matt Barkley

2008

 9 19 Matt Kalil

2007

 2 18 Joe McKnight

2006

 1 24 Taylor Mays

2005

 6 16 Brian Cushing

2004

 1 19 Keith Rivers

2003

 1 30 Reggie Bush

2002

 12 22 Darnell Bing

See also

Notes

a. ^ Hawaii invited PCC teams to play in the Poi Bowl at the end of the season from 1936 to 1939. Although the College Football Data Warehouse lists the game as a "College Division/Minor Bowl Game", the NCAA as well as USC's own official records list it as simply a regular season game at the end of the season.[81][82][83] Thus, in this article the game is not counted in USC's bowl record.

References

  1. ↑ Traditions: USC National Titles, USCTrojans.com, Accessed March 22, 2008.
  2. 1 2 . Drafthistory.com Colleges with Most Draft Picks http://drafthistory.com/n_college/college_n.html Colleges with Most Draft Picks Check |url= value (help). Retrieved 2015-05-05. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ↑
  4. 1 2 3 Mal Florence et al., The Trojan Heritage, 2004 USC Football Media Guide, USC Athletic Department, pp. 201-209.
  5. ↑ "Intercollegiate Football: The U.S.C. Beats Throop By a Score of 22 to 12 at Pasadena". Los Angeles Times. November 22, 1893.
  6. 1 2 Yaeger, Don; Sam Cunningham; John Papadakis (September 1, 2006). Turning of the Tide: How One Game Changed the South. Center Street. ISBN 1-931722-94-3.
  7. ↑ Lenn Robbins, Trojans Have Horses, New York Post, August 26, 2007
  8. ↑ Pat Forde, The Dash is off and running, ESPN.com, August 28, 2007
  9. 1 2 USC Sports Information Office (July 26, 2011) "2011 USC Trojans Football Notes."
  10. 1 2 "NCAA sanctions against USC". The Los Angeles Times. June 10, 2010.
  11. 1 2 Bryant Gumbel, "Student/Athlete Behavior", Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, September 21, 2010.
  12. 1 2 Jay Bilas, "Anyone know what NCAA's standards are?", ESPN.com, July 1, 2010.
  13. 1 2 Bryan Fischer, " Trojans never stood a chance after taking NCAA's best shot", CBSSports.com, May 26, 2011.
  14. 1 2 Pete Fiutak, "USC paying for NCAA's inconsistency?", FoxSports.com, May 26, 2011.
  15. 1 2 Stewart Mandel, "What USC's sanctions mean for Ohio State", SportsIllustrated.com, April 27, 2011.
  16. 1 2 Miller, Ted. "What we learned in the Pac-12: Week 14". Pac-12 Blog. ESPN.com.
  17. ↑ USC files appeal to NCAA; no bowl this season. usc.ocregister.com. June 25, 2010
  18. ↑ Mike Hiserman, "USC to send back its Reggie Bush Heisman", Los Angeles Times, July 20, 2010.
  19. 1 2 "Reggie Bush to forfeit Heisman". ESPN.com. September 15, 2010. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  20. ↑ Erick Smith, USC 'vehemently' disagrees with NCAA's rejection of appeal, USA Today, May 26, 2011
  21. ↑ "BCS strips Southern California of 2004 national championship", Erick Smith, USA Today, June 6, 2011
  22. ↑ "Associated Press will not strip USC of 2004 title ", L.A. Times, June 11, 2010
  23. ↑ "Report: Reggie Bush to be stripped of 2005 Heisman Trophy". ESPN Los Angeles.
  24. ↑ "Sharps, oddsmaker favor USC over Texas". October 26, 2005.
  25. ↑ Whiteside, Kelly (January 5, 2006). "Texas takes down USC". USA Today. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
  26. ↑ Three and out: Beavers stun USC; BCS race wide open, Associated Press, October 28, 2006, Accessed October 15, 2008.
  27. ↑ Police Do Not Suspect Foul Play in Danelo’s Death. Associated Press. January 8, 2007
  28. ↑ Ivan Maisel, Carroll's coaching propels USC to top of decade ranking, ESPN.com, July 27, 2007.
  29. ↑ Storied programs dominate Ladder 119's top rungs, ESPN.com, July 27, 2007.
  30. ↑ Stewart Mandel, Early look at '07, CNNSI.com, January 16, 2007.
  31. ↑ Mark Schlabach, Trojans, Wolverines top revised look at 2007, ESPN.com, January 22, 2007.
  32. ↑ Dave Albee,Carroll Chronicles: Celebrities love to practice with Pete, Marin Independent Journal, August 29, 2007.
  33. ↑ Christine Daniels, They're No. 1 on this list too, Los Angeles Times, September 28, 2007.
  34. ↑ Chris Dufresne, UCLA victory is crucial for Dorrell, Los Angeles Times, September 20, 2007.
  35. ↑ Anne M. Peterson, Oregon State beats top-ranked USC 27-21, AP, September 26, 2008
  36. ↑ Mark Schlabach, Keep up-to-date on the best the 2008 season has to offer, ESPN.com, August 25, 2008, Accessed August 25, 2008
  37. ↑ "Kiffin bolts Tennessee to coach USC". Retrieved January 13, 2010.
  38. ↑ "Pac-10 commish: Now is the time to consider expansion". CBS Sports. February 9, 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  39. ↑ "2011 Pac-12 Football Championship Game".
  40. ↑ "Top 25 College Football Poll". Associated Press.
  41. ↑ "USC No. 1 In AP Top 25 Rankings, Alabama No. 2 And LSU No. 3". CBS News New York. Retrieved August 18, 2012.
  42. ↑ "No. 17 UCLA knocks off No. 21 USC 38-28". November 17, 2012.
  43. ↑ Dilbeck, Steve (November 24, 2012). "Notre Dame finishes off USC to complete unbeaten season". Los Angeles Times.
  44. ↑ ESPN http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/ncf/story/_/id/13873288/steve-sarkisian-fired-usc-trojans-head-coach. Retrieved 10/12/2015. Check date values in: |access-date= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  45. ↑ "College Football's Perfect Day". Bleacher Report.
  46. ↑ John Walters, Does it get any better than this?, SI.com, October 13, 2005, Accessed March 24, 2009.
  47. ↑ Dave Revsine, Michigan, Ohio State set bar high for other rivalries, ESPN.com, November 24, 2006, Accessed March 24, 2009.
  48. ↑ The Greatest Intersectional Rivalry: Top 10 Moments from Notre Dame-USC, SI.com, October 12, 2005, Accessed March 24, 2009.
  49. ↑ Adam Rose, The Color of Misery, LATimes.com, October 20, 2007, Accessed March 24, 2009.
  50. ↑ This Week in Pac-10 Football, Pacific-10 Conference, November 20, 2006, Accessed March 24, 2009.
  51. ↑ http://www.mcubed.net/ncaaf/series/ucla/usc.shtml
  52. 1 2 Beano Cook, Longstanding West Coast rivalry, ESPN Classic, September 26, 2001, Accessed September 9, 2006.
  53. ↑ Mike Rose (November 16, 2009). "Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll: What's the deal?". Newsday.
  54. ↑ "Jim Harbaugh Incites Rivalry, Pete Carroll Finds New Enemy". Los Angeles Times. November 17, 2009.
  55. ↑ http://espn.go.com/ncf/recap?id=400548260
  56. ↑ Ann Killion (October 10, 2010). "Harbaugh, Stanford still contributing to USC's dynastic demise". Sports Illustrated.
  57. ↑ "Stanford upsets USC – again – and keeps Matt Barkley's 'unfinished business' unfinished". Yahoo! Sports. September 16, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
  58. ↑ USC is (61-29-3) against Stanford. mcubed.net
  59. ↑ "Southern California vs. California". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
  60. ↑ "Southern California Opponents". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
  61. 1 2 USC Trojans: Face of the Program: "Tailback U", ESPN.com
  62. ↑ Chris Harry, Rivers lives up to No. 55, Orlando Sentinel, February 25, 2008.
  63. ↑ Wolf, Scott (November 8, 2002). "IT TAKES A SPECIAL USC LINEBACKER TO BE A MEMBER OF ... CLUB 55". Daily News (Los Angeles). Retrieved November 11, 2009.
  64. ↑ Aragon, Andrew (April 21, 2008). "NFL draft preview: USC has top linebacker". Deseret News. Retrieved November 11, 2009.
  65. ↑ Moore, Jordan (December 30, 2013). "Sark Makes It Official".
  66. ↑ "Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum". Official Athletic Site - Traditions. University of Southern California.
  67. ↑ , "USC signs historic lease agreement with LA Coliseum" September 5, 2013
  68. ↑ All information in the Awards section (and the rest of the article) can be crosschecked in the 2006 USC Trojans Football Media Guide.
  69. ↑ Football Bowl Subdivision Records 2010. ncaa.org
  70. ↑ This Just In: USC Also Is a 1939 Champion . Washington Post, July 28, 2004
  71. ↑ USC 1939 National Champions. Washington Times, August 27, 2004
  72. ↑ USC Now Will Recognize Its 1939 Football Team As A National Champion. Trojan have 11 national champs in the sport. USC Trojans Athletic Department, July 24, 2004.
  73. 1 2 3 "For USC football, loss of NCAA appeal also means loss of 2004 national title", Chris Dufresne, Los Angeles Times blogs, May 25, 2011
  74. ↑ "USC Stripped of 2004 Championship Trophy by Football Writers", Milton Kent, AOL News, August 26, 2010
  75. 1 2 "At USC, football really is a numbers game" on Los Angeles Times, September 20, 2011
  76. 1 2 "USC has no plans to let someone wear Reggie Bush's jersey", USA Today, September 21, 2011
  77. ↑ "USC All-time team". AthlonSports.com.
  78. ↑ Pedro Moura, Trojans take lead in all-time draft picks, April 30, 2011, accessed May 1, 2011.
  79. ↑ "1st Round By Team". NFL Draft History. National Football League.
  80. ↑ "USC Trojans Football Schedules and Future Schedules". fbschedules.com. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
  81. ↑ Poi Bowl Games, College Football Data Warehouse, Accessed January 31, 2008.
  82. ↑ All-Time USC Record, 2004 USC Football Media Guide, USC Athletic Department, pp. 156.
  83. ↑ Official 2007 NCAA Division-I Football Records Book, National Collegiate Athletic Association, August 2007.

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