FOOTBALL

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

I spent enough time around Lane Kiffin to know he is being as calculated as possible before deciding his future.

He knows what he is going to do but is just waiting for the right time to announce it . . . and he loves the attention. Kiffin’s got some grand theory inside his head and he’ll reveal it at his convenience.

There are reports he might rehire Ed Orgeron if he goes to LSU. He knows that would be a popular move with the fans. It’s all planned out in his head — one way or another.

  • Eric Musselman could not have been thrilled by USC needing triple overtime to defeat Troy on Thursday night despite the last-second miracle shot.
  • Will any moment Saturday be as inconic as this from 2002 when No. 14 USC defeated No. 15 Oregon, 44-33?

The Trojans played nine ranked teams that season and one of the unranked teams was Auburn. How do you think Lincoln Riley would react to playing nine ranked teams?

Jen Cohen would write in her newsletter that USC could no longer play ranked teams after Week 4.

  • And now for some history:
  • Let’s look at all USC-Oregon connections from this 1970 Oregon coaching staff photo.
Ron Stratten, John Robinson, Jack Roche, Norm Chapman, Head coach Jerry Frei, Bruce Snyder, John Marshall, George Seifert and Dick Enright

There’s former USC coach John Robinson and former USC assistant Bruce Snyder, who became head coach at Cal and ASU. John Marshall was a USC assistant from 1977-79. Then there is 49ers legendary coach George Seifert.

And lastly is former USC player Dick Enright, who became head coach at Oregon in 1972 and years later coached Todd Marinovich at Capistrano Valley High School. Ron Stratten became head coach at Portland State in 1972.

So the staff produced five head coaches. How many do you think the current USC staff will produce?

P.S. — The 1970 Ducks upset No. 10-ranked USC, 10-7.

  • USC tailback Allen Carter (21) gains yardage against Oregon in the No. 6-ranked Trojans’ 16-7 victory over the Ducks in 1974. That’s USC All-American Marvin Powell in the background.
  • Beautiful color photo of USC forwards Cliff Robinson (44) and Paul Henderson (34) at the Pit in Oregon in 1978. The Oregon player is Dan Hartshorne. Nothing beat the atmosphere at the Pit, where the building shook during games once the crowd got going.
  • Who remembers back when the Oregon cheerleaders took over this blog?

RECRUITING BLUNDERS

  • USC denied wide receiver Bobby Moore an official visit. He went to Oregon, became an All-American and then a four-time Pro Bowler under his better-known name, Ahmad Rashad. USC also passed on recruiting Dan Fouts, who set numerous records at Oregon.
  • A crowd of 5,000-7,000 greeted Greg Ballard (left) and the rest of the Kamikaze Kids in 1976 when Oregon defeated UCLA, 65-45, at Pauley Pavilion to snap the Bruins’ 98-game home winning streak. Oregon became the first team other than USC to defeat UCLA at Pauley Pavilion.
  • This was a 1955 rendition of the Sports Arena that never ot constructed. It looks a lot like the Cow Palace in Daly City, Calif., where USC once played Cal in basketball.
  • And while we’re at it, here’s an architectual drawing of the Hollywood Sports Arena, which never got built.
  • I’ve written before that Morton Moss, the great-grandfather of former USC QB Miller Moss. was the sports editor and sports and television columnist for the old Los Angeles Examiner and later the combined Herald-Examiner newspapers.

A new tidbit: A mentor of Morton Moss was the famed writer Damon Runyan.

PICTURES OF THE WEEK

Veronica Hamel

Mie Hama

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

  1. Teoy beat SDSU ranked 26th earlier this week.

    Again a great USC moment and you get snarky.

    Here is your Sunday headline:

    USC needs miracle catch to beat overrated Oregon, 41to 35.

    Liked by 1 person

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      1. KAM: Yes, when will you stop?

        Sparrow Calypso

        July 2, 2025 at 2:35 pm

        Well, again, have a great second career ‘Without-a-Folt’

        Wow, this blog suddenly got more interesting. From 4 guys who formed a ‘Hate on Eccentric Gabby’ club years ago to now ‘The-4’ saying that ‘Calypso’ is another character Eccentric created.

        Well if Calypso is Eccentric, then it is time to fight back against all the insults ‘The-4’ have levied for forever. It is time to fight back against ‘The-4’ with some zingers of our own.

        Nothing personal, but the comments from ‘The-4′ are as Mark Twain said about inane talk being of “Rural Mississippi grade’

        DON: She says Cowardly Gabby is merely “eccentric”!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. In my neighborhood laughing at murder, wishing for more murder, insulting deceased posters, libeling wives —is not “eccentric” ….

        #AndIt’sAMistakeToPretendItIs….

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    2. Couldn’t agree more, Ed. But haven’t you noticed on the rare occasions that we go several days without a certain “someone”, there isn’t any name calling at all?

      It would be so nice if that were a permanent situation. Several posters might find their way back.

      We watched the basketball game last night. What an ending!!

      Women’s basketball plays Notre Dame today at 3:00 on ESPN! BEAT THE IRISH!!

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  3. That was an SC victory that shouldn’t have happened, and Muscleman probably doesn’t like the fact that a bunch of white guys almost beat his team

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  4. Thee is nothing quite like Oregon’s basketball Pit. I had a quiet brother attend Oregon and even he got caught up in the madness and would lead impromptu cheers

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    1. I had a friend who played basketball at USC. He listed The Pit and Duke as the two most difficult places for a visiting team. The Duke fans threw hundreds of Trojan condoms onto the court.

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  6. That’s an adorable photo of you and the Oregon cheerleaders, boss — but can you make the ultimate sacrifice and burn it during tomorrow’s opening kickoff?

    #ItMightJustMakeTheDifference

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      1. I suppose the Wolfman’s betrayal could have been worse….

        #WeNeedHimFullyOnBoardTomorrow …

        #PhotoDestructionIsABigStepInTheRightDirection….

        #[I’llMakeAHardCopy&BurnItInCaseScott’sWillpowerFailsHim]

        Liked by 1 person

  7. So we passed on recruiting Fouts and Bobby Moore. Who did we recruit? Jimmy Jones. Not exactly a hall of famer.

    I recall that USC had both John Elway and Herschel Walker as recruits in the USC locker room after the 1978 Rose Bowl. Can you imagine if those two played together behind a USC offensive line. We never would have punted.

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  8. Veronica Hamel vs. Mie Hama. At first I thought it was Veronica, no contest. But that smile of Mie with those pretty eyes really grows on a person. She played Kissy Suzuki in the James Bond film You Only Live Twice.

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    2. Veronica by a long shot!

      Mie Hama is cute. But nothing you wouldn’t see while out shopping at one of the nicer shopping centers in LA.

      We’re very spoiled in Southern California. The bar is a little higher.

      Thank you for the fairer sex, Lord. Life wouldn’t be the same without them. The best part? They put up with us!! (Well, the ones who haven’t switched teams anyway.)

      Liked by 1 person

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      2. [Sybil’s switched so many times we’ve all lost count —maybe she’s back on our team today]…

        #WeJustDon’tWantHer

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      3. Went shopping for groceries last night. I encountered a 6’5″ 220 lbs. extremely muscular man in a mini skirt, high heels, lipstick and fake eyelashes. He was boisterous drawing further attention to himself. WTF. Just looking at him made me sick.

        Liked by 1 person

      5. If he had been 5’6″, 220 and NOT extremely muscular, I’d have been tempted to ask, “Do you post under a bunch of different names on Scott Wolf’s blog?”

        Liked by 2 people

      6. The answer you woulda got: “That’s a pretty fricking strange question to ask a stranger!! What is this?! Bias Confirmation?! .. …..F-R-E-A-K!!”……

        #.. BARSTOW!!!”

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  9. thanks wolfman for reminding the dummies on this blog that you have shacked up with more Pac 12 cheerleaders than any man in LA.. i have to dig up the group shot you took with the Preferred Plus gals at Cadre HQ. the effect your animal magnetism had on those broads can best be described in two words: pure lust.

    #TheLureOfTheWolf

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    1. Our passing game is better than their passing game…. good weather & dry footballs probably helps USC a tiny bit more than it helps Oregon.

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      1. KAM:

        Plow Horse

        July 2, 2025 at 3:57 pm

        The guy threatens to harm or even k i l l other posters, laments that the a s s a s s i n ’ s bullet missed, posts photos of the President is dresses and ballerina outfits, calls fire victims whiners and laughs at cancer victims in hospice care, calls his own mother a p r o s t i t u t e, routinely talks about other posters’ wives and mothers, shares stories of his s e x u a l p e r v e r s i o ns, constantly lies and manipulates, posts under other users names, and posted hundreds of animal videos in an attempt to drive others off the blog.

        But according to Sparrow, the guy is being picked on. Just a bit “eccentric.” No, Michael Jackson was eccentric. This guy is mentally ill. A bully who was called out and exposed as a coward.

        DON: She’s The Coward of the County!

        Liked by 1 person

      3. SHE is the one who jumped in to cry about my post, Fake Gabby replies and she claims he has GDS! LMAO!!

        Her stupidity knows no end. If she’s going to jump in and cry, she shouldn’t cry again when someone calls her out for it. But she’s an idiot who doesn’t see that she asked for it. It’s who she’s always been.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. GABBY DERANGEMENT SYNDROME……

        slo pa-troll’s stupidity knows no end. If she’s going to jump in and cry, she shouldn’t cry again when someone calls her out for it. But she’s an idiot who doesn’t see that she asked for it. It’s who she’s always been.

        BAAAAMMMMM……CROTCH……KICK……HYPOCRITE…….NO COMPREHENSION ISSUE

        I WOULD PRAY FOR YOU, BUT THERE’S NO HOPE!

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      7. KAM: Why are you such a chicken, Cowardly Gabby?

        Plow Horse
        JULY 24, 2023 AT 9:33 PM
        Unfortunately Chicken$#@t Gabby, there is nothing righteous about you.

        Your a gutless, lying punk, that hurls insults on the handicapped, the homeless, or bloggers’ wives, mothers and daughters and then scurries away like a scared little mouse. You belong on the Biden/Harris re-election committee. You will find kindred spirits there.

        Go and leave the Inside USC blog alone.

        DON: BWWWWWWWWAAAAAAHAHAHAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!

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  12. FUBO just announced that they lost the rights to all NBC programming as of today.

    I think the USC/UCLA game is gonna be on NBC.

    How phucked up is that?

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      1. DON: Poor Cowardly Gabby had all her screeds removed today!

        DON: She has nothing to live for now that her Bruins and Democrats are in disarray.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. I guess you’re right…[I expected more empathy from Sybil when my FUBO package became NBC-less today]…

        #SurpriseOfTheYear:SybilLacksHumanEmpathy

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      1. Rush: Always playing 4 dimensional chess while the ducks play checkers [I borrowed the phrase from a dem prez candidate —whose strategic I.Q. really is humbling]…..

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  15. KAM:

    🚨

    Democrats and Republicans approved subpoenas in July for Bill and Hillary Clinton. After good-faith efforts to schedule depositions, further delays aren’t acceptable.

    DON: Given their Epstein ties, avoiding Congress would be in defiance of subpoenas & warrant contempt proceedings and prosecution.

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  16. KAM: On one side you have Trump reaching across his desk and saying I dont agree with everything you say, but we can find some common ground to make NYC great again.

    On the other side, you have Mainstream Moderate Democrats calling for the military to disobey orders from the president of the United States and refusing to work with him on anything.

    DON: Which message do you think sells better to Cowardly Gabby full mooner nutcases? Which message do you think sells better to normies? Which message do you think sells better to Teamsters? Which message do you think sells better to independents? And at the end of the day which message is better for the country?

    Liked by 1 person

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