FOOTBALL

USC Morning Buzz: Gary Patterson Inherits Already Built Culture?

This comment from Lincoln Riley on Gary Patterson caught my eye.

“His impact will be immediate, elevating our defense and strengthening the culture we’ve built,” Riley said.

The culture we’ve built? What’s that? Giving up a 35-yard touchdown pass in the Alamo Bowl on third-and-20? Giving up 500 yards to Illinois? Letting Notre Dame rush for more than 300 yards? Letting Tyler Warren catch 17 passes for 224 yards? Letting Dalton Kincaid catch 16 passes for 234 yards?

  • Patterson was the TCU defensive coordinator when the Horned Frogs defeated USC in the 1998 Sun Bowl.
  • Sam Darnold will be the first USC QB to start in the Super Bowl. Few remember that former USC QB Bill Nelsen took the Cleveland Browns to the 1968 NFL championship game vs. the Baltimore Colts.

If the Browns won, they would have played the New York Jets in the Super Bowl and Nelsen would have been the first Trojan signal-caller to start a Super Bowl. But the Colts won to set up the famous 1969 Super Bowl with the Jets.

15 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: Gary Patterson Inherits Already Built Culture?”

  1. Sammy replayed the 2017 Rose Bowl, without needing the last second heroics. Superb game, throwing for 350 yards, 3 TD, and no picks.

    Several USC players in the SB, all from the Helton days. Brandon Pili, Velus Jones (who never played much (go figure), but did earn a degree before transferring to Tennessee, I believe another one or two.

    For the first time in a while, I have a definite favorite.

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  2. KAM: Yes but the questions is: Did any Trojan QBs start and play in the NFL championship game in the pre- Super Bowl era (from 1920-1966)?

    DON: Anyone? Anyone?

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  4. After reading Scott’s summary of dubious defensive achievements over the last few years, I am convinced that Lynn’s decision to move on is a good thing. We need a fiery defensive coach and one with lots of experience developing defensive backs. I really like our young players – R.J. Sermons, Chase Johnson, Elbert Hill, Alex Graham, Williams, Rubin, ect. At least a few guys should emerge as all conference players in this group.

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  5. Two issues regarding the defense that struck me last season:

    The D-line was either hot or cold. No consistency. Not sure why, maybe injuries?

    The secondary played so far off receivers, even receivers who were not burners. Why?

    Penn State obviously thinks Lynn is the guy, he improved USC, but not nearly enough.

    If Lynn succeeds at a high level at Penn State, then it will seem obvious that the reason USC D didn’t get better is because of culture and related issues that start and end with the head coach.

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  6. wolfman, glad you brought up superbowl QB’s!!! everyone knows UCLA leads the universe with EIGHT QB’s who played on Superbowl teams, including the great Troy “Three Outta Four” Aikman!!! wolfman, this raises serious questions about an alleged “football” school having their rival running circles around them when it comes to QB’s on superbowl teams!!!

    #SuperBowlGlory

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    1. And yet, the great Troy couldn’t beat USC…even in the Peete “Measles Game.” I met Troy once at a business function, very nice gentleman, he is enormous, must be one of the largest guys ever to play NFL QB , literally linebacker size, the losses to USC continue to eat away at him.

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      1. at UCLA we only care about Nattys and Champeeenships. we didn’t really think much of it when we cranked out 8 in a row against you Dummies right after i left campus. you think Troy cares about some Penny Ante college league game when he’s got all those SB rings jingle-jangling on his digits??

        #GrowUpAlready

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      2. Troy: “It will always bug me we couldn’t beat USC. They had our number. I felt like we let down the entire ucla community.”

        Chuck, keep enjoying women’s water polo and soccer “champeenships”. I am afraid that is all you are ever going to see.

        Next time, I will tell you about how Gary Beban feels about the current athletics program.

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      3. KAM: I bet Troy feels much better now that the football program has been in a shambles since Brad Melsby’s fumble against Miami in 1998… The Melsby Curse lives on!

        DON: That’s 28 years ago! 28 years of promises, heartbreak, failure and incompetency…now Bruin Fan looks back to 1987-88 as the Good Ole Days of UCLA Football. They filled the Rose Bowl and were competitive before DEI hire Dan Guerrero destroyed the program and then had himself put in the UCLA Hall of Fame.

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  7. Scooter,

    Correct me if I am wrong, but didn’t Mike Rae play for the Raiders when they won a superbowl? He did not start nor play in the game, but he was on the ’76 team as a back up qb

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  9. Scooter,

    You gotta start hyping the SC baseball team. They open up against Pepperdine on Friday 2/13/26 at 7 pm. Tickets are free this season. They play on Saturday at 6:30 pm and on sunday at 1 pm. Im going to the season opener and Sunday’s game.

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