FOOTBALL

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

So Husan Longstreet finally entered the transfer portal. Honestly, I don’t really care.

But I’m consistent. I don’t go crazy when someone commits either. Especially quarterbacks in the current environment.

This is why: First, they told us JuJu Lewis was the savior; then they said Husan Longstreet was better. Now they say to rally around Jonas Williams. Then they go to the portal and sign someone else.

Look at the four teams in the College Football Playoff. They all had transfer portal quarterbacks. So does USC, of course.

A year from now, USC can go get the best QB out there. And a new coach, too. If it is smart.

  • As for Longstreet, if he is smart he will go anywhere that guarantees him the starting spot. He needs to play for a year and then transfer again. Maybe back to USC.
  • USC women’s basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb knew this season was a free hit when JuJu Watkins got hurt but blowing a big lead against Oregon at the Galen Center is unacceptable. And the Big Ten is going to be extremely rugged.
  • The Raiders deserved their miserable season after letting Pete Carroll hire his sons to the coaching staff.
  • And now for some history:

THE OLD TROJAN MINDSET

Here is what John McKay said in 1969 about the USC’s traditionally tough non-conference schedules:

“We pride ourselves on playing teams like Notre Dame outside the conference. Sometimes we’re playing over our heads.”

  • What would Lincoln Riley and Jen Cohen have done if they were working at USC in 1954? The Trojans faced No. 2-ranked UCLA on Nov. 20; No. 4-ranked Notre Dame on Nov. 27 and then played No. 1-ranked Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.

Do you think Marv Goux, who was a two-way starter on the team, complained the schedule was too tough?

  • In 1966, the football publication Kickoff rated USC’s schedule as the third-toughest in the nation. The Trojans’ non-conference opponents were Texas, Wisconsin, Clemson, Miami and Notre Dame.
Ray May
  • USC defensive end Ray May got so mad one day while he was attending L.A. City College that he said he felt like he could lift a car. So he walked across the street and lifted his car.

May was first-team All-Pac-8 in 1966 and played in the NFL from 1967-75. He was part of a great linebacker corps with the Baltimore Colts with himself, Ted Hendricks and Mike Curtis.

He was named NFL Man of the Year in 1971 and raised three adopted kids as a bachelor while with the Colts.

  • USC has had some great defensive lines like the Wild Bunch and Wild Bunch II. But people forget about the Golden Wall. That was the nickname of the 1959 defensive line of Ron Mix, Mike and Marlin McKeever and Gary Finneran.
  • USC said that 10,504 students attended the UCLA game in November, and that it set a top-five attendance record in USC football’s student section history.

It’s worth pointing out that in 1978, 13,000 USC students applied for tickets to the UCLA game but in those days, the student section was only granted 10,000 seats.

  • Does anyone remember W.A. Goodman & Sons sporting goods in Vernon? They used to make USC football uniforms, Dodgers uniforms and outfitted countless other major league baseball teams.

I have no idea how many teams they did uniforms for but it seemed like a lot of teams used them, especially in the 1970’s and 80’s. At some point they went out of business.

PICTURES OF THE WEEK

Olivia Hussey

Shima Iwashita

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

    2. KAM:WINNING!! SCOTUS just banned men from women’s sports – 9-0. It’s a great day for women’s sports!!

      DON: Bad day for T r a n n y loving Democrats!

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      1. “2025 Was the Worst Non-Recession Year for Jobs Growth Since 2003”

        Jobs this past year grew at a rate 70 percent slower than the year before the orange cheeto took office

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  3. DON: In the last 7 minutes of that Mississippi-Miami playoff game last night there were 4 lead changes. I thought I was watching the SC defense over and over.

    KAM: First it was Miami that lost the lead, then Mississippi, then Miami again, and finally Mississippi to wrap it up

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    1. KAM: Experts are stunned as U.S. economic productivity surges 4.9%, marking its highest level in nearly six years.

      DON: It’s going to be a great new year!

      Liked by 3 people

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      1. JOE: “Sounds like the orang guy is cooking the books again. You have 1% wage growth and 3% inflation; 34X is failing. Where is this new healthcare plan he promised while campaigning against me? I only hear crickets

        KAM: If the election were today, I would beat him in a landslide

        Like

      3. JOE: “Sounds like the orange guy is cooking the books again. You have 1% wage growth and 3% inflation; 34X is failing. Where is this new healthcare plan he promised while campaigning against me? I only hear crickets

        KAM: If the election were today, I would beat him in a landslide

        FEEL BETTER?

        Like

      7. KAM: Why does Cowardly Gabby lies so much?

        DON:Search Assist

        In 2025, real wages in the U.S. increased by an average of 2.5%, with nominal wages rising by 4.2% compared to inflation at 2.7%. States like Idaho and Mississippi experienced the highest wage growth, with increases of 6.7% and 5.0%, respectively.

        Liked by 1 person

  4. KAM: How is your annexation of Venezuela coming along?

    DON: I think I have a better shot at reeling in Greenland

    KAM: Whatever happened to the Puerto Rico idea?

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    1. KAM: Democrats Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass were notably absent as thousands of Pacific Palisades residents gathered in protest to mark the one-year anniversary of the deadly wildfire — ducking in and out of private events and sealing themselves off from the public. If Governor Hairgel couldn’t be bothered to show up these last twelve months, what did you expect he’d do? Show up NOW? That’s not how he rolls. He only rolls if he can be very on-camera ready.

      As for Karen Bass… she knows she f*ck’d up. Which is why she also is doing her damndest to avoid all the spotlight. Keep in mind, there are only a pittance of homes being built right now.Because home rebuilds are facing the onerous regulations of ‘climate change’ crap. Which makes every build twice as expensive. Especially when you add in the permitting costs. Pacific Palisades — once one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in Los Angeles, home to celebs like Tom Hanks and Ben Affleck — still looks like a war-zone a year after wildfires leveled much of it.

      DON: Only a handful of the nearly 7,000 destroyed homes have been rebuilt, and outraged residents say Mayor Karen Bass and city bureaucracy have failed them every step of the way. Building permits have been issued for just 686 of the roughly 6,800 homes and businesses destroyed after the Palisades Fire sparked on Jan. 7 and raged for nearly three weeks, LA city data shows.

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      1. ugh, so tiresome the nabobs who claim anyone F’d-up the Palisades fire. many unbiased experts (even Dum Joe Rogan) have conceded that you could have had fire hydrants in front of every house and you still could not stop hurricane winds pushing a fire in a dry area with houses so close together. we know some weirdos try to politicize any disaster, but this has got to be one of the stupidest “causes” i’ve ever heard. in 30 years, when 1/4 of Florida is knee deep in saltwater, who ya gonna blame??

        #Can’tAbideTheDummiesNoMore

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      2. New evidence shows the cause of the fire was the failure to fully extinguish the earlier fire of January 1, 2025. Firefighters left the scene with grasses still smoldering and when the winds kicked up a few days later it ignited this horrific blaze. So incompetence is a key factor. Not having water is the reservoirs/hydrants to fight the fire is another factor. Empty hydrants don’t help. Some homeowners were able to successfully fight the fire with their pool water so the claim that there was nothing they could do because of the wind does not apply to everyone who lost a home. And my personal favorite, firefighters are now claiming that they cannot fully extinguish fire in state of California owned lands because a new law requires them to get archaeologist approval before using pressurized water. The government does not want the firefighters to potentially harm the plant life or artifacts when putting out the fire. Can’t make this stuff up. Gavin for President in 2028.

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      3. Why did Palisades Fire spread so quickly?

        It quickly spread due to a combination of severe drought in Southern California (the driest 9-month period on record), and a worsening Santa Ana wind event, which created wind gusts up to 80 mph (130 km/h).

        In other words, it was a Mother Nature issue.

        seems you’re always trying to blame the left for “EVERYTHING”

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      4. KAM: According to a Los Angeles Times article last week, LAFD’s performance could have been considerably better. In fact, the reporting indicates that infrared technology wasn’t even needed to determine that the fire was extinguished, because according to the Times, fire crews at the site of the Lachman Fire on January 2 sent text messages to their battalion chief saying the ground was still hot to the touch and smoldering.

        Despite firefighters’ messages that the fire was not extinguished, according to the Times, the chief allegedly ordered the crew to leave the site of the Lachman Fire, even after one firefighter allegedly indicated it was “a bad idea” to leave.

        Just a few days later, it is now believe that strong Santa Ana winds turned the apparently still smoldering Lachman Fire into the Palisades Fire.

        One firefighter wrote afterwards: “And the rest is history.”

        DON: A video taken by a hiker on January 2 at the Lachman Fire burn scar apparently shows that it was still smoldering. In addition, LA City Council member Traci Park noted that Palisades residents had reported to her office smoke from the Lachman Fire burn area before the breakout of the Palisades Fire. This suggests that the Palisades Fire may have been preventable had standard safety measures been followed to ensure that its apparent predecessor—the Lachman Fire—was extinguished. But Democrats must defend the indefensible!

        Liked by 1 person

      5. Yes, Plow Horse, hearing about those homeowners who fought the fire with their pool water has me seriously considering a good water pump. Just like our generator & guns…better to have & not need, than need & not have.

        Liked by 2 people

      6. Interesting. Building a home or condo in the burned out area has been sped up by Gavin Newsome, who ordered State Insurance and Building code inspectors to reduce requirements for a rebuild. But that was for political points because Newsome won’t order the State AG to investigate the fires for criminal neglect by elected officials. If the people in Palisades would stop crying about L. A. City and go over to L A County, then they’d see the real problem with getting their clearances to rebuild. The city could help with the cleanup but that money is being spent on keeping homeless away from valley and Venice neighborhoods. Newsome could ask the Legislature for grants and rebates to offset the 200% increase in insurance rates that the few carriers left to do business in California are asking for but they want to tax billionaires a put a larger deficit in the state budget. And finally, why doesn’t the President offer any help? Because he hates Los Angeles in spite of all the money he collected here for his elections. Now everyone can see why places like Paradise in Northern California and other burned areas are being left to fend for themselves at every level of government with disgusting leaders.

        Blame voter neglect.

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    2. Those who aren’t wealthy enough to buy another home during the 10 years it takes to rebuild their old one…. are…. screwed. That’s the play. That’s how blue governments take private property & transform it into public housing: zero fire protection, next to zero rental assistance from blue government-shielded insurance companies and zero competence from building and safety and board of zoning departments.

      #LikeTakingCandyFromABaby

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    1. KAM: Democrat Cover Up: Multiple drafts of the report assessing the LA city’s handling of the Palisades fires were “edited to soften language and reduce explicit criticism of department leadership,” Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Jaime Moore told the city’s Board of Fire Commissioners on Tuesday.

      DON: The LAFD’s final “after-action” report was released in late October 2025 and was overseen by then-interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva. “In one instance, LAFD officials removed language saying that the decision not to fully staff up and pre-deploy all available crews and engines ahead of the extreme wind forecast ‘did not align’ with the department’s policy and procedures during red flag days. Instead, the final report said that the number of engine companies rolled out ahead of the fire ‘went above and beyond the standard LAFD pre-deployment matrix,’” the outlet reported

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    2. I also liked Hussy’s portrayal of Mary in the Jesus of Nazareth film. The film also featured Claudia Cardinale, one of Scott’s favorites, as the women caught in adultery, and Anne Bancroft as Mary Magalene. Three extraordinarily beautiful women in a religious film. Go figure.

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    1. Good hypothetical. Caleb didn’t need a competent O-line. Not sure how Jaxson would have fared with that O-line. Or could have put up 50 points to give the Trojans a chance to win games…but that hypothetical third year with Dart would have been sweet instead of Moss/Maiava.

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  10. Kiff was almost made the biggest dumbbell move ever by a coach, making the cold calculated decision to abandon his team for a better gig, figuring his team could not win the Natty.

    he dodged that bullet, barely, leaving Pete carroll as the biggest screw up in college football. he single handedly blew the 2006 Rose Bowl with a slew of boners unparalleled in champeenship game history. from the wasted timeouts leaving Lienart with no time remaining driving into Tex territory on last drive, to his prideful decision to leave Mr Reggie on the bench for a 4th & 2, to prove Bush was not the reason they would win the Natty. of course Kiff was the OC but the call was Pete’s.

    strangely, Carroll repeated the error in SB 49 when he had Russ Wilson throw an inexplicable pass from the 1 yd line into heavy trffiic while the Beast looked on. don”t think any coach has blown a college Natty and a Super Bowl solely due to his own stubborn pride. reminds one of coach van Brendakoff keeping Wilt on the bench in game 7 vs Celtics in ’69 to show he could win without wilt (he was wrong)

    #PrideGoethBeforeTheFall

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    1. I love you Charlie…but I have a different [& minority] take on those two plays.

      LenDale White was the better player getting the ball behind scrimmage that day. Pete thought he could continue to power through the Texas line. He bet wrong. But it didn’t look like a bad bet when he made it.

      The pass in the Super Bowl wasn’t a bad idea of & by itself…but Wilson was throwing to a sub-average receiver. The guy put out his hands like he was playing catch in the backyard instead of aggressively taking the ball outta the air.

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      1. MickeyG: brother you gonna wreck your back contorting in such pretzels to defend Petey!! A: you GOT to have reggie on the field, every defenders eyes are on him! you send reggie in motion to the right, (taking a LB and probably one safety leaning that way then run Lendale Student body Left. leaving him off the field is coo-coo crazy but not an oversight, Pete was trying to make a point.

        B: not giving the Beast at least one crack at the goal is just plain madness. again, it was Pete, a disciple of the great John Wooden, ignoring the Pyramid of Success “Team Spirit” block: “the eagerness to sacrifice personal interests of glory for the welfare of the team.”

        #StillAFanOfPetey

        Liked by 2 people

      1. er, per the King James version: “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” i got to go with goeth.

        #SoLetItBeWrittenSoLetItBeDone

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  11. I recall watching the Polynesian Bowl last year. Husan showed off his rocket arm and legs and was named MVP. Matai Tagoa’i had several big hits at linebacker and so did Alex Graham at safety. I thought the future at USC football was very bright with these three studs. We have now lost two of them and Graham has yet to sign. Our former top 15 2025 class has dropped considerably.

    Must be extremely frustrating for coaches to put in the time and effort to recruit and coach these guys only to see them leave just when they are about to become valuable to the team. Husan can save the “thank my coaches and team mates bit.” He has let them down. Had USC known that he was going to bolt, they could have recruited Ryder Lyons. He cost the program millions and contributed nothing.

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    1. KAM: So you are saying the hoopla over high school recruiting is misplaced in this mercenary era of vagabond blue chips jumping from team to team?

      DON: It would be interesting to re-rank all of Riley Coyote’s recruiting classes.

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  12. So far in the playoffs, I have only seen one team with a dominant defense and very good offense and that is Indiana. Finding a great defensive head coach or DC is difficult. If there were a lot of them, we would see them coaching. If USC wants great coaching, them shell out the money for the Indiana staff. Otherwise we are just getting run of the mill coaching. Pete Carroll and Nick Saban had great players and great defensive schemes. Other than Cignetti, we have very good players spread across a lot of teams with average DCs. When you don’t have great players, the average DCs are greatly exposed. Williams was hired for his supposed ability to recruit, but he couldn’t coach. Belk has not shown that he can coach. Any DB who consistently holds should be on the bench and the coach who allows it or doesn’t coach the player not to hold should be fired. Dan, Class of 1962

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  13. I’m looking at all the relevant stats & I don’t see how Oregon can win today…..

    #IfIWereThemI’dPullA”NotreDame”…&NotShowUp…..

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      1. Interesting how you take “someone’s” words out of context……or perhaps that “someone’s” words flew right over your head…..

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  14. I can read the frustrations of everyone on this blog, but remember that alot of players were pushed out of playing time for the past two years by the players who stayed in college football because they were granted a 5th, 6th or even a 7th year of playing football. The reason that a Indiana can go from being blown out by Notre Dame to domination this year is being able to retain most of their roster while other programs became ravaged by NIL. You really think Oregon beats USC if Emanuel Pregnon gets paid the same amount or higher than Elijah Paige, then stays with USC? It’s called changes, folks and for Scott Wolf to continue his myopic hunger for days gone by is plain silly, Pollyanna wishful thinking. Betting Riley’s future on Kalshi is actually thrilling because firing looks more inevitable than Riley winning a national championship at USC.

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    1. KAM: You always lose, Cowardly Gabby.

      DON: You hate it that the private sector saw significant growth with reportsd indicating at over 650,000 jobs for Americans were added.

      KAM: Cowardly Gabby hates it that Democrat voting government workers and illegal aliens lost their jobs!

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    1. 2 things:

      (1) Now that it’s 42 -7, Indiana starters will come out ..and we’ll get to see the team we’ll face in the fall take the field …

      (2) This game is a certified ‘Program Destroyer’ for Oregon…..

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