FOOTBALL

If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column

If Oregon coach Mario Cristobal is smart, he watched the USC-Utah game several times this week.

Utah fans should be furious that despite being ranked No. 9 in the nation, they don’t even control their own destiny in the Pac-12 South thanks to an atrocious coaching effort by Kyle Whittingham and Co. at the Coliseum.

The Utes played soft man-to-man coverage in the secondary and allowed USC’s wide receivers to exploit it the entire game. They didn’t even lay a hand on USC’s receivers at the line of scrimmage.

I doubt Oregon will employ similar coverage but Whittingham might have blown Utah’s best chance at a Rose Bowl or College Football Playoff with that coaching blunder.

I think the USC-Oregon game will be won by who wins the battle between the Trojans’ receivers and Ducks’ secondary. Ducks cornerback Thomas Graham will be excited. He committed to USC in 2015 but never heard from defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast or secondary coach Ronnie Bradford in the months after both were hired by Clay Helton.

Graham decommitted and signed with Oregon.

  • When the former Raiders owner Al Davis was a USC assistant in the late 1950’s, he brought in Eastern players like lineman Dan Ficca and tailback Angelo Coia.

But John McKay didn’t really recruit out-of-state players until he hired Wayne Fontes as an assistant in 1971. Michigan State coach Duffy Daugherty told McKay to hire Fontes, who eventually became the Detroit Lions coach.

Before Fontes, McKay would have an assistant coach answers letters from recruits. Tailback Johnny Rodgers wrote USC a letter that he wanted to play for the Trojans but the assistant coach did not respond. Rodgers won a Heisman Trophy and was a two-time All-American at Nebraska.

  • Who else slipped through the cracks? USC denied wide receiver Bobby Moore an official visit. He went to Oregon, became an All-American and then a four-time Pro Bowler under his better-known name, Ahmad Rashad.
  • USC received a commitment Thursday from three-start power forward Harrison Hornery (6-9, 220) of Mater Dei. That’s a name that is impossible to forget.
  • Speaking of Mater Dei, I don’t think it’s a big deal wide receiver Bru McCoy got into an altercation at a fraternity last weekend. He isn’t the first former Mater Dei or USC player to get into a situation on the Row.

But I am getting tired of hearing Bru McCoy drama: The multiple transfers, the mystery fever, the homesickness, the failure to apply for a transfer waiver, the altercation, the wasted freshman year. Let me know when he wants to play.

  • Did you know at least five USC students have died since August? One died after being struck by two vehicles while walking on the Harbor Freeway. But the university has not commented on the cause of death of the other four.
  • Remember when USC paid Kliff Kingsbury $2 million to be offensive coordinator? The other day I found out legendary USC assistant coach Marv Goux made around $25,000 per year in the early-to-mid 1970’s.
  • And finally, if you missed this week’s USC-Oregon podcast, you can catch it here:

22 thoughts on “If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column”

  1. Marv Goux was a one of a kind assistant. He covered McKay’s ass a number of times. But his salary was in line with the times. He could have bought 100 scoops of thrifty ice cream with a $5.00 bill. Today one hundred scoops of the same brand (but not as good) would cost $180.00. The big dream of those days was to own a house worth $50k. So it may not seem like much, but when factored in time it was good enough.

    Liked by 5 people

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      1. Thrifty still has the best ice cream in the world. I remember when a triple scoop of Thrifty ice cream was 15 cents. Now it is over $3.00

        Liked by 2 people

    1. Oh yeah ’86, Utah never had a chance against the Kal FB juggernaut.

      Don’t be modest ’86, remind us how mighty Kal kicked Utah FB ass.

      #1 – 4 be a huge draw at Strawberry Dump.

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      1. Just Puke,

        We all know the history and dna of Thug U aka ruinville, which is nothing but thieves and cheaters.

        let us stroll down memory lane and see where the ruins got their mascot from, oh yes, it was from Cal. Now, let us see where the ruin’s song came from, oh yes, from Cal once again. Then in the 60’s until now, you have had Johnny “Cheetin” Wooden, Jim Harrick, Sam Gilbert, and the rest band of thieves, liars, and cheaters working at Thug U aka ruinville.

        Shut your pie hole you idiotic, bonehead Moron, or like Bugs Bunny would say, “What a Maroon”..

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    1. flyerz73,

      I wonder if Johnny “Cheetin” Wooden got anything under the table from Sam Gilbert or other cheating boosters to allow him a condo in Encino. That dude was the biggest cheater of all time.

      Liked by 1 person

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  4. Homes in the late 60s and early 70s were going for $50,000 to $75,000 that today command $1.3 to $2 million. Home prices have far exceeded inflation, so regarding homes, give me $25,000 in the 70s as opposed to $500,000 today

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    1. They were going for in the $30.000’s to the $50,000’s where my parents bought their house. A condo was really started until the very late 60’s to very early 70’s. In Encino, a condo probably went for around $30’s to 40’s.

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. A 2300 square foot house in Huntington Beach went for $36,000 in 1969 and now goes for close to a million. The houses were built like shit & the termites have been eating them since they were built. But for half that price you can live in N Long Beach, Compton etc.

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    2. ” The John McKay and Pete Carroll eras were mind-blowing and I lived it up because I knew they would not last. SC will never see that kind of domination again, times have changed, and good footballers are going to schools all over the country, which means many schools are loaded with talent.

      So I take the wins when they come, and take the losses not so terribly hard. There is always a game next week that I look forward to. ”

      John Wolcott denying that he said the above

      ” But for the record, I will own “Enjoy the wins as they come,” but I would never say SC’s best days are behind them and they will never be dominate again. As a writer and a lawyer, I am aware your words can follow you all the rest of your days, so I am careful what I put down for posterity. ”

      Links provided upon request to prove these statements were made by John olcott

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      1. I don’t know why BK would care what I write, but I will stand by my words.

        John McKay’s era (4 national championships) and Pete Carroll’s tenure (2 national championships and close to 2 more) was indeed mind-blowing. SC will not see that kind of domination again.

        That’s not to say SC cannot dominate again. The Trojans simply won’t dominate like they did under McKay and Carroll.

        Of course, Alabama and now Clemson are dominating like those old SC teams, so it can be done. I just don’t see the Trojans doing it in a well-balanced Pac-12 Conference where they have to play one more conference game than Alabama and Clemson.

        But SC-Oregon tomorrow is like a Super Bowl, and that is all I need when it comes to sports.

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  5. Wolf boy late to the show again. Usc is closr to hiring university of Cincinnati A.D. Mike what ever his name is Wtf. Why oh yeah another puppet the boosters and bot can control. Get all over this story l! Give us some news blogger.

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      1. Budda,

        If this comes to frutition then we can kiss SC’s sports programs as we know it good by. What does this guy know about SC and how the teams are supposed to be? He will be a yes man to everyone. he was the ad at sdsu. Nothing stands out about him. Kiss SC good by in sports.

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