FOOTBALL

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

Imagine being Trace Armstrong, the college football agent who represents Lincoln Riley and Brian Kelly.

Riley tells Armstrong to convince Kelly to cancel the USC-LSU game. Kelly then tells Armstrong he doesn’t want to cancel the game. That’s the straightforward version. But imagine the actual conversations when dealing with egos like Riley and Kelly. And being the middle man.

  • A part of me would love to see Riley try to discontinue the USC-Notre Dame series, just for the backlash.
  • USC is considered the frontrunner for Class of 2024 four-star guard Jamari Phillips of Glendale, Ariz.

Phillips decommitted from Arizona after it became obvious he would not play much next season with the return of guard Caleb Love and addition of transfer guard Anthony Dell’Orso.

  • And now for some history:
  • Let’s start off with a few memories from 1995.
USC wide receiver Chris Miller catches a pass against Stanford in 1995.
Daylon McCutcheon returns an interception against UCLA in 1995.
  • Just for Lincoln Riley, let’s reminisce about a USC-Notre Dame game.

On Oct. 20, 1979, USC went to South Bend and faced Notre Dame.

Charles White rushed for 261 yards and four TDs while Paul McDonald passed for 311 yards in a 42-23 rout. USC amassed 591 yards in total offense.

Even though 65 points were scored, the first TD did not come until the second quarter on a 12-yard pass from McDonald to wide receiver Dan Garcia. McDonald and Garcia also connected on 26-yard pass down to the Notre Dame 3-yard line.

The duo also connected on a 32-yard pass.

White carried 44 times and the performance was considered the finest of his career to that point.

Dennis Smith and Jeff Fisher had interceptions while Ty Sperling recovered a fumble.

Notre Dame tailback Vagas Ferguson had 187 yards rushing. The victory was part of USC’s 28-game winning streak.

  • In 1959, USC President Norman Topping was hung in effigy after issuing a new policy that required fraternities and sororities to raise their grade-point average to the entire university average.

The incident wasn’t taken lightly as the university conducted an investigation to determine which students were responsible.

  • Columbia Pictures worked out a deal with the Trojan Knights in 1958 to do a card stunt that said, “The Last Hurrah,” the title of a movie which starred Spencer Tracy and was directed by John Ford.

The Knights planned the card stunt to honor departing running backs Tony Ortega and Rex Johnston.

But Columbia wanted to use it, perhaps in the introduction of the movie, which would have been good publicity for USC.

But one of the Knights told a Daily Trojan reporter, without telling them it was a secret. The reporter printed the item, which alerted the USC administration, who quickly killed the stunt.

  • USC lost three of its first five games in 1958 by a combined four points. 

The Trojans lost to Michigan, 20-19, with a fourth-and-four situation deep in the Wolverines territory. They lost to North Carolina, 8-7, failing to score on two chances deep in the Tar Heels’ territory.

Why? Because USC did not have a kicker on the team.There were actually two kickers on the team but the coaches told them, “there was no room for a specialist on the team” on game days.

USC running back Bob Arnett, the brother of Jon Arnett, is upended by Cal defenders during the 1958 game in Berkeley.

For Game 5 against rival Cal, the coaches decided to let kicker Don Zacick suit up. But one of the coaches told Zacick before the game that he wouldn’t get to play. So Zacick didn’t suit up.

USC trailed Cal, 14-12, and got within range for a 35-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

USC coach Don Clark yelled “Zacick!” to get the kicker into the game. When it was discovered Zacick wasn’t there, tailback Rex Johnston was sent in to the game. He missed the field goal and USC lost, 14-12.

  • UCLA football played only two road in 1959: at Pitt and at Stanford. The Bruins went 5-4-1.
  • Singer Martha Tilton was the Queen of The Chase dance in 1949. The dance was for USC students and raised scholarship money for high school students.

RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK

Imagine back in the day when you actually could name the employees at the local burger establishment. Petey’s was not far from where a Rock and Reilly’s pub/restaurant sits today in the USC Village. Rock and Reilly’s doesn’t even have waitresses! The service leaves a lot to be desired.

CONCERT OF THE WEEK

Run DMC played at USC for the Thursday night rally before the UCLA game in 1995.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

It’s Natalie Merchant singing “Wonder” on David Letterman with the talented Jennifer Turner on guitar.

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

  1. So SC basketball is getting a kid who could not cut it at Arizona. Why?

    And Wiley wanted out with LSU, don’t blame him, that is a strong possible loss to start 2024 but with the new 12-Team Playoff a loss is not fatal

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  2. Charles White once carried 44 times against Neuter Dame in a game; no wonder the poor guy died at an early age, a piece of him died that day

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  4. Today’s column will always occupy a very special place in my heart cuz Scott was honest enough to say he’d love Riley to ask for an end to the Notre Dame rivalry …”just to see the backlash.”

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      1. “1099 Forms! 1099 Forms! 1099 Forms!”

        #Oh,Nooooooo…..HaHaHeeHeeHoHo…”

        #[WatchOutForLotsOfHorseVideosOn11/5,Brothers&Sisters]…

        Liked by 2 people

      1. I get the feeling no one likes Scott outside of the you limp-dick club members…….goat boy is pathetic

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  5. Hello…once again, where is all my MAGA limp dick members…..please don’t desert me…..I know I am just a loser, like most of you…….please come back

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    1. White leftists on this board and elsewhere have no idea that they’ll be walked off the plank along with everyone else once the “transition” to authoritarian control is fully implemented. White leftists? They are basically intellectual peasants ( IP’s are educated, taught what to think by their teachers / professors, not how to think, highly emotional, can’t critically think / never fact checks and is emotionally influenced). Historically every authoritarian takeover needs IPs to assist in the destruction of a free country. Republicans/ conservatives sat back on their fat asses and watched them take public offices on the local, state and fed level cowering about being called names. The authoritarian formula never changes, just the people’s ethnicities.  

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  6. Thanks for triggering a memory of that 1995 team wih Keyshawn Johnson and a good SC quarterback who won a great Rose Bowl game

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  7. Truth Social stock drops 20%! the convicted orange cheeto just lost a billion dollars in less than 24 hours…….STILL laughing my ass off

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    1. Trump’s personal worth goes from 7.8 billion to 7.5 billion …. oh, noooo!

      #…[&He’llMakeItBackByEndOfMonday’sTrading]

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      1. Meanwhile, MG, the only reason Joe isn’t facing charges is because Special Counsel believed a jury would see him as a weak, feeble old man with a bad memory. Not mentally fit to stand trial, but perfectly fine to run the country! LOL! The entire world is laughing at us due to this joke of an administration.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. YOU FUCKING DUMP-ASS…..OLC SAYS YOU CAN’T INDICT A SITTING PRESIDENT.

        YOU HAVE TO BE THE DUMBEST MAN ON THE INTERNET….QUIT BEING A PEST…..

        WIPE THE DROOL AND GET THAT FUCKING DIAPER CHANGED….YOU CAN’T GO ALL DAY WEARING THE SAME SOILED DIAPER TO SAVE A BUCK, CHEAP-ASS

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      3. Now the Village Idiot says the rules should be followed.

        After they just tried federal charges in a state court, ignored the 6th amendment, ignore the statute of limitations, trumped up misdemeanors into felonies, incorrectly claimed the classification of legal expenses was in any way contrary to GAAP.

        Rules? There are no rules here! Oh, that’s only for the Left.

        Liked by 2 people

      4. I guess, in his mind, Gabby wins the exchange, So Cal…

        #..,.CuzHisStuffIsAllInCapitalLetters

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  8. When will the Go Fund Me for Riley’s Buyout start? A 40-point beatdown in Ann Arbor would probably trigger it.

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    1. 6 point dogs to LSU….. but 40 point loss to Michigan?

      #Yeah,ThatWouldSpellEndOfRileyEra…

      #…Except…

      #…ItWon’tHappen

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  9. Imagine the nerve of that past SC president Norman Topping requiring the Row to have equal grades with the rest of the school, doesn’t he know how tough it is constant partying and studying too?

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  10. So far Riley has not earned his big pay check. He is not focused on the prize made obvious how he handled the Grinch debacle. He has shown he doesn’t appreciate USC’s traditions. I wouldn’t be unhappy if he left.

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      2. Careful there! We’re not supposed to want anything to be great. Jodolf Bitler will have the DOJ come after you for being an extremist.

        Liked by 2 people

      9. T Bruins —This will be the first year since 1962 I won’t be chalking up victories or losses preseason….

        #I’mJustAdoptingTheObamaFormula:Hope[ForChange]…

        #…WeGottaDoBetterThan8-5,Right?

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  12. A good female voice just seems to get to you more than a good male singer as if it were a cry in the wild

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  13. The 1958 teams sounds like the one SC has today

    ” Kickers? We don’t need no stinking kickers ! “

    Actually it’s

    ” Lineman ? We don’t need no stinking lineman, on either side of the ball ! “

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  14. So the university President wanted the frat boys to raise their grades. Gave me a flash back to Animal House.

    “3 Cs and 2 Ds, congratulations, your at the top of you class.”

    “We have no record of you taking any classes.”

    “Blukowski – 0.0”

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  15. Charles White was incredible in that ND game. ND had an All American linebacker named Bob Grable. He made an incredible hit on White on one of the first series of plays and celebrated. From that point onward, White went out of his way to run over the guy. White was one tough dude.

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    1. Pete Carroll to Justin Fargas during halftime of Notre Dame game: “Keep running right at them till they don’t want it anymore.”

      #ItWorked

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  16. I believe USC will be 10+ victories…..if USC beast LSU the momentum will be explosive……anyone actually think Riley wants this alleged move to avoid LSU to be his legacy at 41?

    Kelly has never won a truly ‘big’ game and he’s 63 yrs of age – this is going to be a real nasty fight because both have their entire future hinging on its’ outcome.

    Defense will rise to the occasion and Riley will do his magic in preparing his offense.

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