University of Southern California Trojans football
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| USC Trojans football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
|||
| Head coach | Pete Carroll | ||
| 7th year, 71–13 | |||
| Home stadium | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | ||
| Capacity 92,500 - Grass | |||
| Conference | Pac-10 | ||
| First year | 1888 | ||
| Athletic director | Mike Garrett | ||
| Website | USCTrojans.com | ||
| Team records | |||
| All-time record | 742–300–54 (.677) | ||
| Postseason bowl record | 29–16 | ||
| Awards | |||
| Wire national titles | 7 (11 Total) | ||
| Conference titles | 36 | ||
| Heisman winners | 7 | ||
| All-Americans | 144 | ||
| Pageantry | |||
| Colors | Cardinal and Gold | ||
| Fight song | Fight On | ||
| Mascot | Traveler | ||
| Marching band | The Spirit of Troy | ||
| Rivals | Notre Dame Fighting Irish UCLA Bruins |
||
The USC Trojans football program, established in 1888, 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, making claim to 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 UCLA and Stanford.
History
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, gaining 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.[1] USC faced its first collegiate opponent the following year in fall 1889, playing St. Vincent’s College to a 40-0 victory.[1]
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 during the intervening years), 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 (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. The results were disastrous, as USC was roundly defeated by more experienced programs while the school itself experienced financial reverses; however, it was during this period that Owen R. Bird, a sportswriter for the Los Angeles Times, coined the nickname "Trojans" which we 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."[1]
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 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.
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.
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.[2] The game, scheduled by Bryant, resulted in a domineering 42-21 win by the Trojans. More importantly, all six touchdowns scored by USC team were by African-American players, two by USC running back Sam "Bam" Cunningham, against an all-white Crimson Tide team.[3] The game hastened the racial integration of football at Alabama and in the South.[4][2]
1980s-1990s
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 winning the Rose Bowl once, 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 11 years (1983-1993) to intersectional rival Notre Dame and 8 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 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.
2000-Today
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 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 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.Since so much controversy of the rankings on who goes on to play in the National Championship, there were corporate sponsors who were willing to organize a Louisiana State vs. USC game. NCAA did not permit it even if it was a friendly game.
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 both Auburn and Utah finishing their seasons and post-seasons undefeated.
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 with help from a controversial push from behind by running back Reggie Bush, nicknamed the "Bush Push". The year 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 forgo his senior year and go professional.
However, USC's hopes for another national championship were dashed by the Texas Longhorns, 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 was initially 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 31-33 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 crosstown rival UCLA 13-9. This eliminated the Trojans from championship contention and opened the door for Florida to become Ohio State's opponent.
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).
On January 6, 2007, 6 days after the 2007 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.
For 2007 recruiting, USC has continued its tradition of recruiting talent, and was able to acquire ranked running back Joe McKnight, who some sports writers believe was the best high school player in the country.
USC has been named the presumptive pre-season #1 team for the 2007 season by major media sources.[5][6]
In July 2007, ESPN.com named USC it's #1 team of the decade for the period between 1996 and 2006, citing the Trojans' renaissance and dominance under Coach Carroll.[7][8]
Under Carroll, USC has been 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.[9] The Trojans have also benefited from LA'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."[10]
As of 2007, USC is one of only five of the 119 Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) teams to have never played a Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) team since the division was made in 1978.[11]
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
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. Senior 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.
A "Perfect Day"
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 September 15, 2007, when USC beat Nebraska, UCLA lost to Utah, and ND lost to Michigan. However, during the post-season of 2004, USC won the Orange Bowl (and Nat. Title), UCLA lost the Las Vegas Bowl, and ND lost the Insight Bowl. This also occurred during the post-season of 2006 when USC beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl, UCLA lost to Florida State in the Emerald Bowl, and Notre Dame lost to LSU in the Sugar Bowl.
Notre Dame
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. The game is often referred to as the greatest intersectional rivalry in college football.[12]
UCLA
The rivalry with UCLA is unique in that they are the only
Division I-A programs in major conferences 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
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." The USC/UCLA rivalry runs so deep that when the Trojan Marching Band plays one of their most famous stands tunes Tusk at any of their games...the crowd will be heard singing along "u-c-l-a- sucks." The 2007 match-up between USC and UCLA was predicted to be the #17 game to watch in 2007 by SI.com's "Top 20 Games To Watch In 2007" list. [13]
Stanford
Stanford is USC's oldest rival,[14] 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 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 SC.[14] Recent highlights of this rivalry include a 24-23 upset of No. 2 USC by Stanford, in Los Angeles, on 6 Oct. 2007.
California
Like Stanford, the University of California, Berkeley 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 nearby campus of UCLA.[14] However, after USC’s triple overtime loss to California in 2003, 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 2004 game between the two teams furthered feelings of a rivalry. Talk diminished with USC's lopsided victory in Berkeley in 2005; however, the importance of the 2006 USC-Cal game, which decided the Pac-10's BCS berth, has rekindled rivalry talk.
Records and Results
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 | |
| 2003 | #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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Wins vs. Notre Dame: | 5 | Ties School Record |
| Pac-10 Conference Championships: | 5 | Pac-10 Record (Note: the 2002 and 2006 titles were shared.) |
| Games won in November
(since 2001): |
20 | |
| BCS Appearances | 5 | |
| 10+ win seasons | 5 |
Season Records
Bold indicates a National Championship-winning team.
| 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 | T1st 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 | 742-300-54 | .702 |
Awards[15]
Team awards
National Titles
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) 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 1926 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 (Texas A&M won the AP national championship)
- 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, 1979, 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 45 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 144 All-Americans. USC's first All-American was offensive guard Brice Taylor in 1925, who notably excelled despite missing his left hand and was one of USC's first African-American players.
National award winners
Players
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Coaches
Paul "Bear" Bryant Award
- John McKay, Head Coach (1962), (1972)
- Pete Carroll, Head Coach (2003)
- Norm Chow, Offensive Coordinator - (2002)
College Football Hall of Fame inductees
- Howard Jones, Head Coach (1951)
- Morley Drury, B (1954)
- Mel Hein, Assistant Coach (1954)
- Harry Smith, G (1955)
- Erny Pinckert, B (1957)
- Aaron Rosenberg, G (1966)
- Ernie Smith, T (1970)
- Dan McMillan, T (1971)
- Mort Kaer, B (1972)
- Aubrey Devine, Assistant Coach (1973)
- John Ferraro, T (1974)
- Frank Gifford, B (1975)
- Cotton Warburton, B (1975)
- Tay Brown, T (1980)
- Johnny Baker, G (1983)
- O.J. Simpson, TB (1983)
- Mike Garrett, B (1985)
- Bob Blackman, Assistant Coach (1987)
- Mike McKeever, G (1987)
- Ron Yary, T (1987)
- John McKay, Head Coach (1988)
- Paul Cleary, E (1989)
- Mike McGee, Athletic Director (1990)
- Lynn Swann, FL (1993)
- Marvin Powell, T (1994)
- Charles White, TB (1996)
- Ricky Hunley, Assistant Coach (1997)
- Ken O'Brien, Assistant Coach (1997)
- Brad Budde, G (1998)
- Don Coryell, Assistant Coach (1999)
- Marcus Allen, TB (2000)
- Jon Arnett, HB (2001)
- Ronnie Lott, S (2002)
- Ricky Bell, TB (2003)
- Charles Young, TE (2004)
- Anthony Davis, TB (2005)
- Richard Wood, LB (2007)
Other notable individual accomplishments
Heisman finalists
- Jim Sears, HB/S (7th in 1952)
- Jon Arnett, HB (10th in 1956)
- O.J. Simpson, TB (2nd in 1967)
- Anthony Davis, TB (2nd in 1974)
- Ricky Bell, TB (3rd in 1975 and 2nd in 1976)
- Charles White, TB (4th in 1978)
- Paul McDonald, QB (6th in 1979)
- Rodney Peete, QB (2nd in 1988)
- Keyshawn Johnson, WR (7th in 1995)
- Matt Leinart, QB (6th in 2003 and 3rd in 2005)
- Mike Williams, WR (8th in 2003)
- Reggie Bush, TB (5th in 2004)
All Century Trojan Football Team
selected by fan vote, published in the Orange County Register, November 17, 1999
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