FOOTBALL

USC Friday Column Supplement: Freshmen With High Expectations

The 1957 USC freshman team had such high expectations that a crowd of 10,000 was expected for its first game of the season against Stanford.

The team featured the McKeever twins from Mt. Carmel High School in Los Angeles, highly regarded linemen like All-American Dan Ficca (all the way from Atlas, Pa.); All-City guard Bob Peters of Van Nuys High School and All-American center Bob Edwards from Montebello High School.

The skill positions featured All-CIF wide receiver/end George Van Vliet from Whittier High School and Luther Hayes from Lincoln High School in San Diego; quarterback Al Prukop of Mt. Carmel and tailbacks Jerry Traynham from Woodland, Calif., and Carl Skvarna from Chaffey High School in Ontario.

“We wanted 24 high school players this year and we got 22 of them,” said Nick Pappas, who recruited many of the players.

The freshman coach was Marv Goux (of course), who led the team in a rendition of “Fight On” after the 28-6 victory over Stanford.

Marlin McKeever lays a vicious hit 1959.
  • I like to joke that in a bygone era, you could go to a luncheon or dinner every day. But look at this schedule USC’s Homecoming Week in 1957. USC football Don Clark was the speaker at the School of Commerce luncheon on Wednesday and School of Law luncheon on Thursday.

Can you imagine Lincoln Riley doing that?

Alumni were invited to eat Friday at Carl’s Restaurent (on Flower and Figueroa) and shuttle buses were available to the Row and campus.

After USC played Stanford, the sororites held an open house at 5 p.m. and then a big dance was held at 8:30 p.m. at the Ambassador Hotel.

I haven’t even talked about the Friday night parade on the Row or the bonfire rally on campus after the parade.

  • Does anyone remember the Rodger Young Auditorium, which hosted the School of Medicine assembly? It was on Washington Blvd. and hosted concerts along with press conferences featuring all the area coaches for the college football and college basketball writers.
Rodger Young Auditorium

32 thoughts on “USC Friday Column Supplement: Freshmen With High Expectations”

  1. Nice little hit piece by Yahoo on our S & C coach Wylie. Basically inferring he’s soft too. No attitude. Not tough enough.

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  2. montekiffin: “Basically inferring he’s soft too. No attitude. Not tough enough”.

    interesting!!!!!!!!!!! that’s exactly what slo cal’s old lady says about him

    PS…..trump for prison (he earned it)

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  3. “We wanted 24 high school players this year and we got 22 of them,” said Nick Pappas, who recruited many of the players.

    Damn.

    Liked by 1 person

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  6. The entire world is laughing at us thanks to Biden. It’s hilarious (and sad) that anyone who actually considers herself an American would be celebrating this. The headline is out there, but WordPress didn’t allow a link : world-leaders-rush-to-trumps-defense-after-guilty-verdict.

    They all see it for what it is, a political hit job! Anyone with a triple digit IQ knew this. That’s why our buddy doesn’t. LMAO!

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Orban and Putin are the so-called world leaders mentioned …two corrupt leaders, just like trump……..you’re a fucking dumbass….quit being a fucking pest……

      Do you put any thought into the bull shit you post….it’s fucking embarrassing how fucking stupid you are…

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    2. the entire world?……………….STFU…….YOU LYING SACK OF SHIT…..THE WORLD IS ACTUALLY CELEBRATING…….DUMB-ASS

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    3. LMAO! She proves my point!

      I even told her the headline that was out there, but she lies and tries to deny it. That’s why she’s the Village Idiot!

      More lies and excuses in 3, 2, 1….

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      1. more comprehension issues from you…..pathetic……..sounds like early dementia….

        must suck to be you!

        if you think Putin and Orban are world leaders that the rest of the world respects then you’re actually dumber than I thought….quit being a pest before I have Gabby give you a good ass whipping…

        you MAGAts reek of desperation and try to throw anything at the wall hoping it sticks

        TRUMP FOR PRISON

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      3. predictable?…… says the senile freak who keeps using the same stale playbook over and over and over and over….too fucking senile to comprehend what he looks like from the outside

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      4. So Cal —I’m worried how a certain someone is gonna handle the Trump landslide victory on November 5th —-he’s just starting to get over the Hillary debacle….

        #GuessDogDooVideosAreComingInsideUSC’sWayForHolidays

        Liked by 1 person

      5. I think you’re 0 for 10 with your political related predictions….in other words STFU.

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      6. I’m not worried. As virtually everyone else on this blog, I wish she would just disappear.

        As for your optimism about Nov 5, I wish I felt the same way. We have a lot of stupid, incredibly selfish people out there who don’t care how many die or how many suffer as a result of this administration’s incompetence & weakness. Mean orange man gone is all they care about.

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      7. ………but that doesn’t mean I have to STFU….don’t fall into the Biden/Merchan camp, Gabby… speech is good….

        #btw, I’ll Be One For Eleven On November 5th…..

        Liked by 1 person

  8. That supposed bumper crop of 1957 football talent didn’t do incoming Coach John McKay much good in 1960 as it had a losing record, and then McKay came close to being fired with another losing record in 1961 but he was saved by a victory over Yucla

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  9. Stump: Now that the country has been conditioned that I am a harmless womanizer I can stop paying these women off, and it all still comes down to a choice of either me for President or vote for a potted plant

    Bitin: I never looked at it that way

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  10. It’s June, nearly the start of summer and only 3-months until the titantic clash of SC-LSU, and with such an auspicious start to the 2024 Season the Trojans should come out of the gate ready and will then be battle-tested for the Michigan game a few weeks later

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  11. -Diffiult to gauge how improved SC football is but defensively overall it better be better, fewer games of giving up Over-40 points’- make the offenses work for those points keep it in the 30s and give the SC offense a chance

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  12. Stump: See, already everybody is forgetting about the Trial and we’ll soon be back to normal

    Bitin: I see

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  13. So the primary element with the offense is the substitution of Moss for ‘Celeb’ and how this might be an upgrade from Celeb’s 2023 version (but 2022’s was unforgettable)

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    1. …and don’t forget the upgraded coaching staff on defense…

      #..AlongWithTheSameSubstandardO-LineCoach

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  14. USC is NOT in the CBS College Football Top 25 [and it’s not even close —we’re way down there]. Also: Two thirds of our 2024 opponents ARE in the Top 25…

    #…NotWonderful

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  15. NOW is the time to get excited for the ’24 SC football team with the expectation of a possible glorious Season because ‘old-man reality’ might soon kick in come September

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  16. Wistfully recalling the ‘Carrot’ circus traveling the country in the incomparable 3-Years of 2003-2005 and how it all started with Leinart’s first start at Auburn the No 1 Pre-Season favorite, and those fans were the most excited I had ever seen but a short SC Dynasty was borne that afternoon

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  18. Pingback: Nos. 68 and 86: Mike and Marlin McKeever – Tom Hoffarth's The Drill: More Farther Off the Wall

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