FOOTBALL

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

USC baseball defeated Oregon, 2-1, in 11 innings last night in a big road victory for the Trojans. Isaac Cadena homered in the 11th for the Trojans and Mason Edwards struck out 12 in six shutout innings.

Edwards finished the regular season with an 8-0 record, 1.49 ERA, 154 K’s and 37 BB in 84.1 innings.

The victory was USC’s first Quad 1 win of the season. They are 1-8 in Quad 1 games.

  • USC water polo player Emily Ausmus has won the Cutino Award, which is water polo’s version of the Heisman Trophy.
  • Former USC wide receiver Marqise Lee is among those graduating from USC this weekend.
  • Former USC defensive lineman Kenechi Udeze was inducted into the ring of honor at his alma mater, Verbum Dei High School, on Thursday night.
  • And now for some history:
  • I wanted to honor USC tight end Charles Young with another photo and here he is taking the field with his teammates in 1970 against Alabama. Young is No. 89, Dick Ruppert (73), Steve Pultorak (90), Bruce Rollinson (31), Ron Preston (51) and John Grant (94). Also in the photo is USC assistant coach Marv Goux.
  • Do we have time for another John Hubbard story? In 1976, he threatened to withdraw USC from the Pac-8 Conference if the conference did not admit Arizona and Arizona State.

The Pac-8 required unanimous approval to add members and despite a priminary agreement, Stanford and Washington reversed course at the official meeting to admit the Arizona schools. Hubbard was furious at what he viewed as “academic snobbery” of Stanford and Washington.

He made his threat and UCLA quickly decided it would follow USC out of the Pac-8 if the Trojans left. Stanford and Washington immediately backed down and the Pac-8 became the Pac-10.

  • This photo was taken May 11, 1964, almost 62 years ago to the day. USC QB Craig Fertig throws a pass over defensive end John Thomas at the USC spring game, which was played on campus before a crowd (some wearing ties).
  • Ricky Bell gained 193 yards vs. Oregon in 1976.
  • USC forward Barry Brooks is an underappreciated Trojan. He averaged 13.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game during the 1980-81 season. He is doing well and visited the USC campus last week.
Claudine Longet and Charles Weedman
  • You probably read singer/actress Claudine Longet died Thursday at age 84. Naturally there was a USC connection.

Carolyn Knight, a USC student and the daughter of California governor Goodwin Knight, married another USC student, Charles Weedman, in the Governor’s Mansion in 1955. She committed suicide in 1970.

Weedman became an attorney and gained international fame in 1977 when he represented Longet in the shooting death of her boyfriend, ski champion Spider Sabich, in Aspen, Colo.

Weedman argued the shooting was an accident and called Longet and her ex-husband, singer Andy Williams, to testify.

The jury convicted Longet of a lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide, a misdemeanor, and she served 30 days. Longet later married the local co-counsel on the case, Ron Austin. They remained married until her death.

PICTURES OF THE WEEK

Scilla Gabel

Nadia Cassini

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

  3. Hubbard accuses Stanford and Washington of “academic snobbery” and threatens to leave the PAC 8 unless they admit ASU and Arizona. Beautiful move by Hubbard. That is what USC should have done years ago when the conference demanded that all teams share revenues equally even though USC generated the most revenues by far. The more I read about Hubbard the more I respect the man.

    Nikias and Folt were both academic snobs who accomplished nothing outside of the university and weaken the university from within.

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  7. That 1970 team beat Alabama 42-21. That was Sam Cunningham’s big game.

    Congratulations to the Trojans on their 1st game victory in baseball last night in Eugene. Mason Edwards is elite.

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  8. EVERYTHING has a USC connection, Wolfman!!

    Because as we all know, there are only two kinds of people: Trojans. And those who wish they were!

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  10. Coach McKay was known for his wisecracks, but Craig Fertig was his rival. Fertig became SCs quarterback in 1964 after trying out other positions. He contends that he once tried to block the ferocious linebacker Dick Butkus at Illinois and it was at that moment he decided quarterback was for him

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    1. Nice story, doubt it’s true. Fertig played DB and punted, how he would block Butkus is hard to imagine, but Fertig was a boozer so maybe his brain was pickled.

      This is from a writer who covered OSU when Fertig coached them

      ” When I lived in Corvallis and covered Oregon State’s football team, Beavers coach Craig Fertig would often miss Tuesday practices because he would drive to Portland for a weekly luncheon with OSU boosters. Fertig was all personality; a cigar-smoking, story-telling former USC quarterback who was the life of the party.

      In those days, when reporters would regularly stand on the sideline, thoroughly bored by every football practice, the only drama was whether Fertig would make it back from Portland in shape to coach his team. “

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  11. Craig Fertig was the uncle of Todd Marinovich. One was a crazy story teller and the other was just crazy

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  12. awl u magats hait dei cuz u jussed tryin tuu keap me end tha crazey angrey reetardid laydey frum getin jahbs cuz u awl ain’t wun us tu havv nun ov tha munneys,smdh

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