The big USC Associates booster group pre-game picnic on campus drew less than 400 people at the San Jose State game. Usually, the smallest crowd of the season for the picnic is between 800-900.
- A Saturday noon kickoff in boiling heat and a Friday night kickoff in Week 2. Is this the most fan unfriendly start to a USC season? Not to mention the opponents.
- USC women’s volleyball opened the season with an impressive sweep of No. 12-ranked Arizona State but has since lost to No. 13-ranked Creighton and No. 9-ranked Texas. Unlike Lincoln Riley, these Trojans play a tough non-conference schedule.
- Presley Kiffin, the daughter of Lane Kiffin, is not listed on the current USC women’s volleyball roster.
- Fresno State features two former USC players — defensive lineman Deijon Laffitte and offensive lineman Gino Quinones.
Believe it or not, this is Quinones’ eighth season of college football. His USC recruiting class including Drake London, Drake Jackson and Kedon Slovis. London is about to begin his fifth year in the NFL.
You know who the special teams coach is at Fresno State? The infamous John Baxter, who had two stints at USC. And then there is Fresno State coach Matt Entz, who was linebackers coach at USC.
- Ezra Frech, a Paralympian high jumper and long jumper who was on the USC track team in 2025, is one of the guest dancers on the new season of “Dancing With The Stars.”
- And now for some history:
USC-FRESNO STATE 2005
Will any USC-Fresno State game ever top this?
Even though Fresno State was ranked No. 16, this game was considered another routine victory.
But Fresno State led 21-13 at halftime. USC then looked like it put the game away with 21 straight points to start the second half for a 34-21 advantage. Fresno State then came back and led 42-41 with nine minutes left.
But this was perhaps the greatest individual performance in NCAA history as Reggie Bush accounted for 513 all-purpose yards, rushing for 294. USC won, 50-42.
“That game went 15 rounds,” Fresno State coach Pat Hill said. “That was a 15-rounder. It wasn’t a TKO in the first round.”
The craziest aspect was the impact of the game on Fresno State, which nearly record its biggest win ever. Instead the Bulldogs lost nine of the their next 10 games.
USC-FRESNO STATE 1992
If the 2005 game was a near-disaster, the 1992 Freedom Bowl was a disaster.
USC took a 7-0 lead before Fresno State scored 24 straight points before a robust crowd (50,xxx) at Anaheim Stadium.
“Names and logos don’t mean anything,” USC coach Larry Smith said. “You don’t beat someone just because of your name and logo.”
Three days later, Smith was fired.
PICTURES OF THE WEEK
Barbara Bouchet
Sharon Tate with young model named Tom Selleck.
InsideUSC with Scott Wolf 
I would not call the Fresno St game an uninteresting matchup
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KAM: All you care about is the Nine Layer dip at the pre-game tailgate party, Cowardly Sparrow Gabby.
DON: Instead of playing Notre Dame and Ole Miss we get San Jose State and Fresno State!
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And Louisiana
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This guy prides himself as some kind of ‘insult artist, but he should check out the street vendors on the New York streets if you rub them the wrong way
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Sharon Tate, now there was a looker
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Those 1992 and 2005 games went down in Trojan lore
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After 5 years, Riley actually believes he is doing well. Jen really needs to set him straight.
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Is Ed your daddy, aka Carl?
Who knew?…….only the word-salad guy and our beloved slo pa-troll
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Hey, Barbara, it looks like the turkey is done.
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Looks like Tom was getting a mouthful!
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John Baxter! The bad penny returns! I wonder if Fresno State has a homeless dude fielding punts and using the jacuzzi.
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well Patterson gets to face another QB with one start under his belt again tonight. will he suddenly remind everyone of Joe Monatana?? Dante Moore will probably watch the video breakdown of these first two SC games, and i think it’s safe to say he will be getting that “tingly” feeling.
#LikeMeWhenWolfmanIsOnRadioOrTV
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I hear our own Ken “Kenny Boy” Hart gives Donte a “tingly” feeling
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Larry Smith was asking for it. “Names and logos (I thought it was “mascots”) don’t win games” is like giving your employer a middle finger. Another head coach who was never a Trojan.
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It is not an insult to USC, to say that the history of our football program will not beat other teams. (Essentially what he was saying.) It’s the truth!
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Exactly right – believe a near exact quote included in SI article (think it was after defeating Oklahoma in 1988) explaining Smith’s attitude to resurrecting the program after the Tollner years was “You don’t win games walking around flashing ‘V’ signs.”
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PC and McKay weren’t Trojans but they got it
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SC Coach Larry Smith had his moments–
1987– Beats ucla and goes to Rose Bowl with newbie Rodney Peete
1988– Beats ucla again, but an injured Peete loses to ND; team goes to Rose Bowl again
1989– Goes to Rose Bowl for 3rd straight time and gets victory
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We were at this game, “But this was perhaps the greatest individual performance in NCAA history as Reggie Bush accounted for 513 all-purpose yards, rushing for 294. USC won, 50-42.” It was amazing to watch.
We were also at the 2005 game at Angels stadium as my wife’s work has a suite there. #LuckilyThereWasAlcoholInTheSuite!
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