FOOTBALL

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

Lincoln Riley said incoming freshman Tackett Curtis is the No. 1 linebacker recruit in the nation. Does that mean he’ll start?

  • Here is what USC defensive coordinator Alex Grinch said in his review of the season:

“The feeling is you feel awful and if you’re not careful you’re going to point fingers. Take ownership in it. We didn’t finish. And we haven’t done that for 13 games, by and large. It didn’t hurt us in 11 of them. It hurt us in two.”

  • USC defensive lineman Tyrone Taleni, an unsung hero this season, said he will return next year.
  • Cal QB Jack Plummer, who threw for 3,095 yards, 21 TDs and completed 62.5% of his passes, is transferring to his third school in three years. That used to be unusual. Now, it’s normal. What will Cal do? They might take Boise State QB Hank Bachmeier.
  • And now for some history:
  • I would love to see a USC-Notre Dame game where the teams wore throwbacks from 1981.

Malcolm Moore (22) and Don Mosebar blocking for Marcus Allen, who took the handoff from John Mazur. USC won the game, 14-7 as Allen was held to a “season-low” 147 yards.

  • USC defensive lineman George Achica gets double-teamed by Cal in 1981 and probably went through it.
  • USC fullback Bob McClanahan runs behind All-American guard Roy Foster against Oklahoma in 1981.
  • The Cotton Bowl is hardly the biggest meeting between Tulane and USC. The teams met in the 1932 Rose Bowl in a game that had national championship implications.

Tulane was 11-0 while USC was 9-1 and coming off a 60-0 thrashing of Georgia. Because of that lopsided victory, USC was favored by as much as 28 points in the game. A crowd of 83,000 attended the contest, the largest crowd to date at the Rose Bowl.

USC won 21-12 as Trojans’ halfback Erny Pinckert scored two touchdowns. After the game, USC won the Erskine Trophy, which was given to teams recognized as national champions.

  • To protect his kidney injury, Tulane All-American Jerry Dalrymple wore a special pad during the game. It was reported USC captain Stan Williamson told the referee to allow Dalrymple as much time as he needed to adjust the pad during a timeout in the name of sportsmanship.
  • USC’s victory over Georgia in 1931 was believed to be the first by a Western team over a major representative of the South.

Gus Shaver knocks down a pass intended for a Tulane player in the 1932 Rose Bowl.

  • USC’s 16-14 victory over Notre Dame that season was voted the greatest team achievement of the year by a group of Associated Press sports editors, beating out the St. Louis Cardinals’ seven-game victory over the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1931 World Series, which I’m sure you all remember.

Johnny Baker’s field goal with less than two minutes remaining gave USC the victory and handed Notre Dame its first loss since 1928. The Trojans won the national championship that season. More than 300,000 attended a ticker-tape parade in Los Angeles to celebrate the Trojans’ victory.

  • Most USC fans cannot name either man in this picture. It’s USC basketball captain Jack Gardner and Coach Sam Barry. They are both in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. I’ve written many times about Barry, who created the center stripe and 10-second rule in basketball.

Gardner was the first coach to lead two different schools (Kansas State, Utah) to the Final Four and one of a handful who went to the Final Four multiple times with two schools (1948, 1951, 1961, 1966). Gardner was considered an expert in the fast-break offense and had a career record of 486-235. As a scout for the Utah Jazz, he was credited with discovering John Stockton.

Gardner was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and 10 other hall of fames. You know what Hall of Fame hasn’t inducted him? USC. Of course.

  • Remember when it was just a given USC football games would be on KNX Newsradio?
  • Times change. In 1982, you could get free Coors at the USC-Stanford water polo match.
  • Women’s basketball had a higher profile in 1982 with Pam and Paula McGee, Kathy Doyle, and Thera Smith among the standouts. Cynthia Cooper was a freshman.
  • I always say USC got better speakers in the past, like Michael Palin in 1982.
  • And for that matter, so were the concerts at the Coliseum.

The Clash opening for The Who in 1982. Amazing. T-Bone Burnett actually performed before The Clash and the crowd was estimated at 95,000.

PICTURES OF THE WEEK

Continuing our series of Christmas shoppers in Downtown L.A., here’s the scene in 1928 on the corner of Broadway and 5th.

  • Here’s the view from 7th and Grand on Dec. 4, 1941. A man and two women walked in front of the camera during its long exposure.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

It’s not often a live performance sounds even better than a recorded song, in fact today it’s rare if it sounds as good, but Jennifer Warnes nails it here with perfect vocals . . . like she always does.

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

    2. Ed, Scottie is refusing to post it because he couldn’t bring himself to give Caleb an “A” for his ND performance that iced the Heisman in front of a national audience – 18/22, 232 yards passing, (2 of the 4 incompletes were flat-out drops), 4 total TDs, 0 Int. Scottie isn’t posting his Heisman ballot either – guessing he voted for Duggan.

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  3. MY DAD WAS
    AT THAT ROSE BOWL GAME AGAINST TULANE BUT HE DIDNT TAKE ME
    I DUNNO WHY
    A FEW YEARS LATER I REMEMBER HIM TELLING ME ABOUT THE GAME
    THE TROJANS LED 21-0 IN THE FOURTH QUARTER BUT THE GREEN WAVE SCORED TWICE TO MAKE IT 21-12 AND ALMOST GOT ANOTHER ONE VERY LATE. I REMEMBER MY DAD CALLING THEM A
    ROUGH BUNCH !!

    THOSE WERE HIS EXACT WORDS

    ITS FUNNY HOW YOU CAN REMEMBER STUFF LIKE THAT BUT I CANT REMEMBER IF WE PLAYED UTAH THIS PAST SEASON!!

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    1. The defense rose to the occasion ONCE this season. It happened against a very good team —Oregon State.
      They’ll need to do it ONE more time.
      #IThinkThey’llRiseToTheOccasion
      #[They’reHealthy….AndThey’rePissedOff]

      Liked by 2 people

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      1. They are healthy! And they should be pissed off.
        The problem is that they are not very good.
        #Wakeupandsmelltheroses.
        #Ohwaitnevermind 😂😂😂

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    2. Whatever. The big takeaway from this article is that Grinch has a proven track record of always giving up an average of 27 points per game for his defenses. That says he’s not gonna improve. I’ve been on the “give him time” bus since he started but unless they really turn the defense around next season then it’s gotta be Adios to Mr. Grinch.

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  6. It’s weird to think of uniforms worn in my lifetime as throwbacks. I never liked the 80s style jersey the stripes were either iron on or silk screen as opposed to sewn in. Also somewhere in the era the helmets had a Tommy Trojan silhouette instead of the one used now. I think it was all Coach Smith who made the changes

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  7. Great news clips Scottie I do mean great finds! Tha’s a lot of work stitching all that together with photos to boot.

    Oh BTW the best ‘live’ vs. ‘studio’ triumph was by Cilla Black’s cover of Burt Bacharach/Hal David’s ‘Anyone who had a heart’. It drove Dionne Warwick absolutely nuts the well-deserved applause Black’s version got.

    Merry Christmas to all ….and for you Owns it’s ‘Disney on Parade’

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      1. MG, don’t forget the lovely Snow White. She’s promised to peel my grapes on Christmas Day.

        Cue: “Zippy Doo Dah”

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    2. Hey slo cal……make yourself useful around here, I know it’s tough. Crunch some numbers and let us know how many offers Riley has left in his pocket for the current recruiting class. …(Duce is leaning USC)

      Show the blog you’re a contributor(minus the daily Biden update) when it comes directly to USC football. The pressure is on, don’t fail us.

      #YOU-CAN-DO -IT!

      PS…..speaking of success….Biden capped prescription drug prices at $2,000 per year for seniors on Medicare through the Inflation Reduction Act.

      I’ll let Joe know you’re grateful!

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      1. Inner Gabby: I must control myself…I cannot let So Cal get the better of me…oh, dang, he did it again! Why do I have to keep responding, oh well, time to try out my new drugs…you know, that one that is supposed to rejuvenate my brain cell. Nyuck, nyuck, nyuck.

        Slam dunk! (Wonder how I get rid the Spalding imprint on my forehead.)

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Penis breath…..if you’re going to punch-down on me at least make it impactful…..

        I peg your wit right around pre-5th grade….you earned it!

        #MIDDLE-FINGER-UP! (enjoy your Xmas cucumber, ouch!)

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      4. If pregnancy is God’s will, so is limp-dick….(poor slo troll)

        On a side note: Trump had announced a decision to ban transgender people from serving in the U.S. military, claiming the military “cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender people in the military would entail”.

        At the same time, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) was spending far more on erectile dysfunction medication than it would cost to provide medical care to transgender service members.

        I’m neutral on transgender, just stating trump’s hypocrisy

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      5. Inner Gabby: wonder why I picked “pre-5th grade” What happens at 5th grade? But,land of Goshen, and dang my eyes to hell, I swallowed the bait again!! I wonder if I should should admit defeat? As for the Spalding imprint, I will just put on my covid mask again–you know, the one that we wear on our forehead–right?. Time to go, Gumby is on. Nyuck, nyuck, nyuck.

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  10. Please have a healthy and safe holiday, Merry Christmas.

    I’ve come to the conclusion that wolfman was denied entrance to UC Berkeley. He only knocked Cal twice this Friday. He missed the hat trick, geez Wolf. We also got graded out as the worst P5 early signing class. Why does the wolf like cheap shots? Uclol and Tree are equally deserving. Udub and WaSt seem to avoid his wrath. Hey Wolf, spread it around or I’ll put in a call to Yellen to cancel your debt card and a call to Lawrence Livermore to disconnect your electricity from the grid.

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    1. Please don’t call Yellen, Cal75. Best to stay as far away as possible from the ugly black cloud that follows & envelops her.
      Merry Christmas and A Healthy, Happy New Year to you [and a first rate QB to Cal]…!

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. Ugly black cloud?! Surely you jest! Joe & his cabinet have given us nothing but one success story after another!!

        If we can pretend a fat guy in a red suit flies around on a sled pulled by reindeer on Christmas Eve to deliver toys to every child on earth, we may as well play make believe about everything for the next couple of days. 🤣🤣🤣

        Liked by 1 person

    2. How about ‘dem 1-12 Kal Bears BB team ’86? Just asking for a friend.

      All kidding aside ’86, Happy Holiday’s, and I hope your panhandling gross improves so you can get a warm room in a Berkeley flop house.

      #Hooray for Kal Rugby.

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  11. Merrrry Christmas to all. Always great to see GT up early and MG carrying the load. May your days be merry and bright, and may santa deliver that gift of a bag full of O linemen.

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      4. Split Duce out like the Saints did with Graham.

        “Duce Robinson has wide receiver athleticism and movement skills in a tight end’s body. His play style and physical traits remind us of Jimmy Graham.”

        Liked by 3 people

      5. Duce would be uncoverable; too fast for LB’s and too big for DB’s. Somebody else commented that Georgia throws to their TE’s more. Riley’s innovations would make Duce the focal point of the offense. Riley had Mark Andrews at OU.

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  13. In the spirit of the season, and Sam bailing into his parent’s Palo Alto basement, I imagine the following tune wafting through the rarified air of FTX headquarters (sung to the tune of “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”):
    It’s the most wonderful crime of the year—
    With the kids crypto selling,
    While SBF’s yelling, “Bernie, please hold my beer!”
    It’s the most wonderful crime of the year—

    Liked by 2 people

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    2. Take an expensive, FTX bath did you Slowless? It’s so hard to feel bad for SUCCer’s who make stupid mistakes to get rich.

      P. T. Barnum knew well what he was talking about.

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    1. Anybody who teamed up with Joe Cocker and Leonard Cohen can’t be all bad —in fact, they’d have to be pretty special.
      #TheWolfmanKnows

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  15. Addison would help his draft position if stayed another year (with NIL $$$), but I’m good with it if he wants to sit out Cotton Bowl. Next man up, springboard for 2023.

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      1. Wish Vorhees could get “grateful to suit up” ONE more time…
        #Caleb[IfHePlays]IsGonnaBeBehindAMakeshiftLine…
        #[IfAnybodyGoesOutDuringGameWe’reRoyallyFucked]…

        Liked by 1 person

      2. “Adios motherf**ers,” as it were? LOL. So much for mighty SUCC’s family FB schtick.

        #Fight on Forever; just not with me.

        What the odds Williams does the same thing?

        Cue: Me, Me, Me.

        Like

  16. Slowless, better a simian mind than your tiny reptilian brain. I own nice shoes (two tone), made from one of your cousin’s hides.

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    2. An unwitting admission and a baseless accusation from JustObtuse. Typical tripe from the retarded resident troll. Bet those two tone (fuchsia and puce?) shoes have elevator heals, little man.

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  17. Vorhees has done six years. It’s time for him to move on. He’ll get drafted between rounds 4 to 6. Addison ain’t stupid. Staying another year when the draft class will be stronger would be unadvisable. He will be the third or fourth receiver taken in this next draft, maybe sooner if the Giants, Commanders or Bears decide “why not”?

    Taleni showed up, Tuipulotu got player of the year honors, Benton, Pili, Byrd developed and we saw contributions from Korey Freeman. Maybe Shaun Nua can coach a little? Get Fiske, even if Tuli decides to stay.

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  19. Not necessarily a big Grinch fan or seem to trust his defenses and schemes, packages
    and development. But I will say this for the guy. He has always has taken responsibility for the lapses and problems. He is a realist. Unlike sociopaths like Harrell. Nothing was ever his fault and much like most air raid guys, never admit you have to adapt. Throw, throw throw. Don’t understand how offense, defense and special teams work together evenly. Defense helps offense with field position and opportunities. Offense helps defense with recovery time and field position which can create attacking opportunities for the defense. Special teams, though less plays, can have as much if not more effect on a game through field position and dramatic plays in space and momentum switches. Offensive gurus don’t seem to understand that or care, especially young ones. Kiffen in the day, Harrell, etc. See Kiffen in the usc and Tennessee days on the opposite end of the field while on defense looking at his offensive play card and talking with his offensive assistants in the box on important defensive stands. Those guys are also quick to throw players and units under the bus when they don’t win. Grinch understands the bigger picture and also takes responsibility with no excuses. That i will give him credit for. It is a start and something that has been missing in this program for years. Now let’s see if he can develop, scheme up better, and shore some shit up next year.

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  20. Addison and Vorhees have paid their dues, had fun and are still healthy and able to move up to the nfl. Thanks for your dedication and best of everything to both of you.

    Liked by 1 person

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