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

I’m slightly surprised by the amount of grumbling I heard this week from within some upper levels of the athletic dept. regarding Lincoln Riley.

It’s not unusual to hear one or two people criticize a coach after a 6-6 season but this seems a little more pervasive and organized, like it’s also being heard from above.

When the news broke earlier in the week that UCF had contacted Riley, there were several USC sources wondering for a way to make it work. Could USC offer to pay off a portion of Riley’s massive contract to get him to leave? Would Riley feel any need to make a move despite his contract?

“He might want to consider taking the UCF job because he loses at USC next season, who is going to hire him as a head coach?” a Big 12 coach told me.

  • And now for some history:
  • Al Cowlings wraps up Jim Plunkett in the 1969 USC-Stanford game.

MEMO TO LINCOLN RILEY

Here is what former Trojan player/coach Craig Fertig said about the USC-Notre Dame rivalry in 1969.

“The biggest thrill a player can have is being part of the USC-Notre Dame game. It’s the biggest intersectional game in the country. You can’t buy your way into it. You have to earn it.”

TRAVELER TALK

  • The first time Tommy Trojan rode atop a horse at a USC football game was in 1954 against Pitt. The rider, Arthur Gontier, was so embarrassed his identity was kept a secret.

The following game, against TCU, USC alumnus Bob Caswell offered to ride his own horse, Rockazar, and the rest is history.

When Caswell retired in the late 1950’s, there was long search to replace him. Bob Jani, who USC director of special events, saw Richard Saukko riding as marshal of a group of white horses at 1961 Rose Parade.

But Jani waited until three days before the 1961 season-opener against Georgia Tech to ask Saukko. A Ben Hur costume was rented from MGM Studios that Saukko doubted would even fit him. Saukko added a wooden sword, helmet, leather shield and knee guards.

When he rode into the Coliseum, however, the crowd erupted and rest really became history.

  • As far back as 1948, legendary band director Tommy Walker had cardinal and gold colors carried by a Trojan astride a Palomino horse. But the horse was not considered a mascot at the time and the rider was not referred to as Tommy Trojan.

A side note: Traveler II was purchased by students and alumni and appeared in several movies and commercials. Traveler III was purchased by Saukko in 1969.

Richard Saukko atop Traveler

TRIVIA TIME

Who knows the name of this city?

PICTURE OF THE WEEK

It’s Claudia Cardinale.

VIDEO OF THE DAY

It’s the 1973 Rose Bowl between USC and Ohio State with Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis.

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

  4. Another consideration for Wiley wanting to stay with SC is his wife likes living in Palos Verdes and he has young children in school.

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    1. IT’S OK, HE WON’T REMEMBER IT: Joe Biden Just Got Some Devastating News About His Legacy. “An exclusive Daily Mail poll reveals that voters consider Biden the worst president in nearly 50 years, faring worse than Jimmy Carter, who was voted out after a single term marked by double-digit inflation and a failed attempt to rescue American hostages in Iran, and even below Richard Nixon, who was forced to resign rather than face impeachment over the devastating Watergate scandal.”

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      1. People who were mentally deficient enough to vote for Biden-Harris should not be allowed to enter into legally binding contracts. 😜

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  6. That was quite a 3-year battle from 1972 to 1974 between SC and Ohio St. SC won easily in ’72, Ohio St won easily in ’73, and then SC won in the last minute in ’74

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      1. LOL! Whoopi, too, was stupid enough to claim “We don’t know that he lied.”

        What’s hilarious is they call out Trump for lying, but ignore it whenever their people lie and they lie a LOT!

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