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

Whatever happens, there’s definitely more people expressing their dissatisfaction with the USC athletic dept. regarding its stance on the Notre Dame series.

There was little pushback for many months but the past two weeks have been completely different.

I’ve heard that some boosters who regularly donate millions are registering complaints with Jen Cohen. People are finally waking up to what is going on and they are not happy about it.

Let’s be clear: The majority of USC fans want the rivalry continued and that is the feedback being heard in the athletic dept. On the other side is Lincoln Riley and to a lesser extent, general manager Chad “Charmin” Bowden, who has declined to get involved.

Let’s not forget that USC wants people to lease those Coliseum luxury suites on long-term deals with the specter of not having Notre Dame every other year in Los Angeles. Do you think the suite holders want to see Missouri State, Georgia Southern and Fresno State as the other non-conference home games in 2025/26? Notre Dame makes a big difference to the home schedule.

  • High Point guard Kezza Giffa, a two-time First Team All-Big South selection, has committed to USC. He averaged 14.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists last season.
  • USC baseball plays TCU today at 12 p.m. in Corvallis, Ore., in its first-round game of the NCAA Tournament. TCU starting pitcher Tommy LaPour is 8-2, with a 2.89 ERA and 83 strikeouts and 87.1 innings.

UNIQUE RIVALRY

  • What game would cause USC players to carry John McKay on their shoulders? A Notre Dame game, of course. This is the reaction when USC overcame a 17-0 deficit to upset the Irish, 20-17, in 1964. Have you ever seen McKay happier after a game?
  • Here’s a great color photo of the rivalry when both teams wore their home jerseys. USC fullback Ben Wilson goes over the top of the line of scrimmage against Notre Dame in 1962. The Trojans won, 25-0.
  • Tell me another rivalry that includes this kind of story.

In 1931, USC kicker Johnny Baker’s 33-yard field goal defeated Notre Dame, 16-14. It was the Trojans’ first victory in South Bend. USC scored all 16 points in the fourth quarter. Notre Dame’s 26-game winning streak was snapped.

Now that is the part that people usually remember. But let’s look at what happened after the game: USC coach Howard Jones took the team to the grave of Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne, who died the previous spring in a plane crash. Jones laid a wreath and the team observed a minute’s silence.

And when USC arrived back in Los Angeles by train, a parade was held and attended by 300,000 fans.

  • This is one of my personal favorite USC-Notre Dame memories. It’s the 1997 game and it was the first time I experienced a Trojan victory in South Bend. People forget how rare USC victories at Notre Dame during this era. The Trojans had not won there since 1981 and there were some heartbreaking losses in 1989 and 1991.

USC won, 20-17, and assistant coach Hue Jackson was so happy he jumped on the back of a reporter on the field.

It also gave USC back-to-back victories over the Irish as Mark Cusano blocked a Ron Powlus pass in OT to snap USC’s winless streak to Notre Dame in 1996.

PICTURE OF THE DAY

Austrian actress Senta Berger.

VIDEO OF THE DAY

  • This is a screen test for the film, “East of Eden” featuring the iconic James Dean along with actress Lois Smith, who was in the movie but not the female lead. It was done so the studio could figure out what film system to use.

The clip has a cult following in part because of the chemistry between Dean and Smith and some wonder whether she should have been cast as the lead. Smith is 94 years old and still acting. She did three episodes of Law & Order: Organized Crime last year.

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

  1. KAM: Last night, a boy single-handedly carried his high school in Minnesota to a Class 4A Girls Softball Championship. He pitched 14 shutout innings in back-to-back games to defeat the defending state champs. 14. Shutout. Innings.

    DON: You are a shameful, sorry excuse for a man, Governor Timmy Walz.

    Liked by 2 people

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  2. KAM: When John McKay left USC in 1975 he was making $48,000 a year as both USC football head coach and Athletic Director and lived in a modest home in West Covina.

    DON: What a best value!

    Liked by 2 people

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  3. hi john,dos u thinck it wood hellp the fottbawl teem if we awl sing lets get fizicull by oliveeuh neutun jon beefour evry gaim,thanx alot

    Liked by 3 people

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      1. Ha [It wouldn’t have meant as much …or carried the same meaning…. if Gabriella had said it]….

        btw, Gabriella watched the clip of James Dean and Lois Smith 43 times — thinking each time, “I just for sure know I would’ve been better than Lois in that scene”]……

        Liked by 1 person

  6. That 1964 SC comeback against No. 1 Notre Dame was worthy of putting Coach McKay on the players’ shoulders and carry him off the field.

    That day the Trojans pecked away at the 17-point halftime deficit until the final minute when they had a chance to win. The crowd was screaming throughout, especially at the end

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  7. Hey Ed. G, I don’t believe Olivia’s song of ‘Let’s get Physical’ would help much– what this SC team needs is an over-hauling, a complete makeover in order to restore the Trojans to their glory days

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      1. Important metaphysical questions. Gabriella needs to weigh in on this one…..

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      2. KAM: DHS Reports 1 of 6 Lahaina Wildfire Survivors Were Forced Into Prostitution to Gain Basic Necessities Such as Food and Shelter. In the aftermath of the August 2023 Lahaina, Hawaii fires, a new report reveals FEMA’s horrific neglect and mismanagement under the Senile Joe Biden Administration. The DHS report highlights that 1 in 6 survivors were forced to engage in sexual acts in exchange for basic necessities like food and housing. These women — our fellow American citizens — were so desperate for food that they had to resort to such extreme measures just to feed themselves in our own country. While American citizens from Hawaii to North Carolina suffered, Biden and Mayorkas used FEMA as a piggy bank, spending hundreds of millions of American taxpayer dollars for housing illegal aliens.

        DON: This will never happen again under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Noem.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Gabby — It wasn’t just Biden and FEMA that failed Maui —it was Hawaiian politicians saying, “Please don’t pass any legislation giving us money unless it’s attached to aid for Ukraine!” The dems prize theft of public funds —and the best way to pull that off is to pretend to send unmonitored $$$ to foreign countries…..

        #….Lots&LotsOfIt

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      4. I’m assuming 1 in 6 of the female adult population. That is a huge number and difficult to believe. I don’t think 1 in 6 French women gave themselves to the Nazi. I hope it is wrong.

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      5. KAM: During the German occupation of France, there were many women who began relationships with enemy soldiers.

        DON: The relations between French women and German soldiers is said to have produced 200,000 offspring.

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  11. KAM: He’s Back! Senile Joe Biden Starts Shouting Out of Nowhere in First Remarks Since Cancer Diagnosis. Of course, Senile Joe made the Memorial Day speech about himself and implied his son, Beau, died while serving in Iraq.

    Beau Biden died of brain cancer at Walter Reed in Bethesda, Maryland, in 2015.

    Senile Joe Biden is not a Gold Star dad.

    “I know for many of you, Memorial Day, like for us, is deeply personal. For the Bidens, this day is the 10th anniversary of loss of my son Beau, who spent a year in Iraq. To be honest, it’s a hard day,” Biden said.

    At one point, Joe Biden began shouting out of nowhere: “I’m an American! That’s who I am! I’m serious about this! I’m not joking!”

    DON: Senile Joe also botched the Declaration of Independence.

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  12. KAM: No zero grading promoted by “Grading For Equity” Democrats lets ditching students graduate.

    In Democrat run Chicago, fewer students are showing up and more are earning diplomas, report Mila Koumpilova and Sarah Karp on Chalkbeat.

    At Richards Career Academy High School, which primarily enrolls Hispanic and black students from low-income families, “grading for equity” was introduced in 2019 to help ninth graders pass courses. “Students could redo assignments repeatedly and turn in work late. Even if they didn’t complete the assignment, the lowest score they could get was 50 rather than zero — a concept known as no-zero grading,” they write. When the pandemic closed schools, leniency spread to all classes.

    No-zero grading is supposed to encourage students to keep trying after a missed assignment, but teachers say students can pass with little effort, and without learning the importance of showing up and doing the work. They worry they won’t be prepared for college or the workforce.

    DON: That’s because they won’t be.

    Liked by 1 person

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  13. KAM: Former President Senile Joe Biden spoke to reporters on Friday at a public event in Delaware, where he offered his first comments since announcing he has prostate cancer and the publication of a book by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson alleging he was undergoing “mental decline” in the White House.

    A reporter asked: “There’s also been a lot of discussion recently about your mental and physical capabilities while you were in office…”

    “You can see that I’m mentally incompetent and I can’t walk, and I can beat the hell out of both of them,” Biden said. “I don’t have any regrets.”

    DON: The Fake News continues to act like Senile Joe is fine, kiss up to him and  and doesn’t challenge his insanity.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. I REALLY want to see a bareknuckle fight between Jake and Joe….

      #Barstow!

      (It would look a LOT like that fight between the girl twins in the 1960 version of the Parent Trap)…..

      Liked by 1 person

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      2. He coached Marc Andrews at Oklahoma who I believe is an All Pro for the Ravens. I would love to see him go to some two tight end sets. He has the talent at that position with Matthieu and Lyons and now Bowman. The Pro routinely run two tight end sets. Much easier to run and pass block.

        Liked by 2 people

    1. making it to 87 years old ain’t bad

      Jamie Farr is 90

      Alan Alda is 89

      Mike Farrell is 86

      Gary Burghoff is 82

      They’re the only ones left from M*A*S*H

      Liked by 2 people

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  16. Scooter,,

    Talking of epic things, last night on TMC, the movie, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence was on. There was man softness in that movie like Biden wanted. Lee Marvin deserved best supporting actor. That was just all male testastorne which the democrpas are afriad of. Lee Marvin, Lee Van Cleef, John Wayne, Woody Strodes, and even Jimmy Stewart showed up with their man card. The only way you would lose it it if you were killed. Vera Miles is and was a babe. I dont know if they should make it again, but Kurt Russell could play Wayne’s role

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      2. I really enjoyed the Tombstone movie. Russell and Val Kilmer were great. That was 1993, 32 years ago. Kurt Russell is now 74 years old. Wayne was a bad ass in the Liberty Vance movie as well as Lee Marvin and others. Russell is too old for the part.

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      4. I really can’t answer this one PT. Westerns are not popular anymore. And, I don’t follow the movies that much. I loved the acting in “No Country For Old Men” so there is a new generation of great actors who can play tough guys. Good directors will find the right actors.

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    2. No, they should not make it again.

      But then again, if I hadn’t seen “Man on Fire” with Denzell, I would have never known it was a remake. I need to see the original with Scott Glenn one of these days. I’ve always enjoyed his work.

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      1. Too bad he was killed off so early in “Olympus Has Fallen”.

        He was really good in “The Last Champion”. Can’t wait for the Beth & Rip spinoff!!

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      2. I miss Yellowstone……but my favorite has to be Landman. Billy Bob was made to play the part of Tommy Norris. Didn’t see Monty Miller dying , major twist to the plot/storyline

        He was also terrific in a Amazon Prime Video series Galiath

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      3. No one misses you, Board Pest Board Cancer Cowardly Gabby aka TebowObama aka Charlie Bucket the UCLA Fan aka The Guy who posts as Buddhakarma & So Cal’s Wife & Michael Guarino & Trojan RJJ & LawyerJohn & Pudly & Plow Horse and TrojanFan 1-3 & steveg49 & DOJ & Scott Wolf and Frank Young and KATHY and Foreskin Thoughts and SCOTTLOVESTHEROOOOOTTÞ and Manureman.

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