Here’s a beautiful color photo of the 1974 USC-Pittsburgh game. It features Pitt’s Tony Dorsett, one of the greatest tailbacks in football history.
The USC players are nose guard Larry Nunnally (93), linebacker Mario Celotto and either defensive tackle Art Riley (70) or defensive tackle Gary Jeter (79).
The Trojans were ranked No. 18. Pitt was No. 8. USC won, 16-7, even though QB Pat Haden got knocked out of the game. USC star tailback Anthony Davis rushed for 149 yards in 33 carries. Dorsett was held to 59 yards in 15 carries.
USC finished the season ranked No. 1 in the UPI poll. Two years later, Pitt would go 12-0 and win the national championship. Dorsett won the Heisman Trophy. Dorsett became a star with the Dallas Cowboys and has been inducted into the College Football and NFL Hall of Fame.
InsideUSC with Scott Wolf 
I remember those days when we went into a game prepared for the other team’s star player. Some might say football was more fundamental back then, but actually I’d say it was less pass oriented.
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Yes and no, Old Trojan. What if the other team’s “star player” was it’s run defense? Wouldn’t preparing for it involve passing?
#McKayUsedThatTacticAgainstNotreDame….
#…OfCourseUSCHadARealO-LineBackThenToProtectQB
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Amen bruddah’ amen! There was no mystery to the outcome of last year’s (New Year’s Eve) Cotton Bowl i.e. OH St.’s beatdown of USC. Helton hasn’t a clue on how to prepare for a top tier opponent.
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You mean back when almost no back would run for 100 yards against us ?
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Yeah then again ‘liveatbudokan’ it was over at half-time i.e. why bother
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Including Archie Griffin in 75 Rose Bowl
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The lowest single-game rushing performance of Dorsett’s college career
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Scooter,
If you said that Dorsett was/is one of the top rb’s of all time, then what do you call Anthony Davis and Ricky Bell? They both deserved the Heisman. If Dorsett had played for the upstarting Tampa Bay Buccners, and Bell played for the Cowboys, then you would be screaming that Bell was one of the greatest and that he would be in the HOF. Dorsett was alright, but give me Bell any day of the year. Toe to toe, Bell was better.
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TD was one of the all time greats and a dominate college and pro player …one of the most natural runners since Gale Sayers. Ricky Bell was awesome too buy really a fullback …and a damn good one in 1974. Dorsett was a whole other level.
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USC has plenty of issues to fix, but they’re not an inability to shut down a star player. Anyone remember how we bottled up Khalil Tate last year after he had scorched other teams’ defenses week after week with video game-like stats?
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Tate ran through SC like they were not there last year .. he was hurt this year
The D is terrible too
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That is Art Riley #70
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