Trojans 1972: an Immortal Team of Mortal Men

By Bill Block

Bill Blocks Trojans 1972: An Immortal Team of
Mortal Men captures the story of 47- USC football
players, beyond their glory days on campus
and into their everyday lives as men. The 1972
Trojans are considered one of the greatest teams
in the history of college football. They defeated
Ohio State 42-17 in the 1973 Rose Bowl to
complete an undefeated 12-0 season and were
crowned national champions. Each chapter is
a mini biography told through the eyes of each player. Each and every
player from that 72 team whether as powerful as fullback Sam Bam
Cunningham, as intellectually gifted as defensive back Marvin Cobb, or as
massive as offensive lineman Pete Adams, eventually became one of us. A
mortal. Youll fi nd humor; youll fi nd sorrow; and youll fi nd football. Most of all youll fi nd lessons about being mortal.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 20, 2009
• ISBN: 9781477164433

Bill Block

Bill Block graduated from USC with an MBA in fi nance and a bachelor’s degree in business. He managed the USC track team for three years and was part of the team that won the 1961 NCAA track and fi eld championship. Bill has been an avid Trojan football fan for more than fi fty years. He has not missed a home game when he has been in California. Trojans 1972: An Immortal Team of Mortal Men is Bill’s fi rst book. Bill has spent more than forty years on Wall Street as an investment analyst. In 1997, Bill formed W.A.B. Capital, which provides in-depth research of micro cap stocks.

Book preview

Copyright © 2009 by Bill Block.

Front Cover Picture-Trojans Preparing for Battle - Courtesy of Wali Abdul

Malik.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2009906070

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4415-4779-8

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4415-4778-1

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4771-6443-3

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Author’s Comments—Bill Block

Section I

Chapter 1

1973 Usc Rose Bowl Roster

Chapter 2

Overview Of The 1972 Season

Section II

Chapter 3

Pete Adams

Chapter 4

Dave Brown

Chapter 5

Chris Chaney

Chapter 6

Cliff Culbreath

Chapter 7

Sam Cunningham

Chapter 8

Steve Fate

Chapter 9

George Follett

Chapter 10

Allan Graf

Chapter 11

John Grant

Chapter 12

Charles Hinton

Chapter 13

Karl Lorch

Chapter 14

Al Pekarcik

Chapter 15

Ron Preston

Chapter 16

Mike Rae

Chapter 17

Mike Ryan

Chapter 18

Jeff Winans

Chapter 19

Charle Young

Section III

Chapter 20

Overview Of The

1973-1975 Seasons

Section IV

Chapter 21

Charles Anthony

Chapter 22

Tom Bohlinger

Chapter 23

Dave Boulware

Chapter 24

Jim Lee

Chapter 25

Dean Lingenfelter

Chapter 26

Rod Mcneill

Chapter 27

Manfred Moore

Chapter 28

Steve Riley

Chapter 29

Ray Rodriguez

Chapter 30

Bob Shaputis

Chapter 31

Lynn Swann

Chapter 32

Ray Washmera

Section V

Chapter 33

Rob Adolph

Chapter 34

John And Phil Cantwell

Chapter 35

Allen Carter

Chapter 36

Marvin Cobb

Chapter 37

Anthony Davis

Chapter 38

Ken Gray

Chapter 39

Pat Haden

Chapter 40

Wali Abdul Malik (Ed Powell)

Chapter 41

J. K. Mckay

Chapter 42

Dale Mitchell

Chapter 43

Charles Phillips

Chapter 44

Richard Wood

Section VI

Chapter 45

Kevin Bruce

Chapter 46

Eugene Lawryk

Chapter 47

Jim Lucas

Chapter 48

Kenny Randle

Chapter 49

Danny Reece

Acknowledgments

Several people have contributed to the success of Trojans 1972: An Immortal Team of Mortal Men. I would like to thank my son, Carson, who critiqued many of these chapters, assisted with the editing and created the website for the book. I want to give special thanks to Dave Brown who provided me with an incite into the 1972 season.

Dave along with Tom Bohlinger, Kevin Bruce, Ron Guss, Allan Graf, Ray Washmera, Richard Wood, Rod Sherman and Bill Cunerty assisted me on contacting several members of the 1972 team. Without their help, I would not have been able to write this book.

I want to thank the former Trojan players who took the time to be interviewed. They include Pete Adams, Dave Brown, Chris Chaney, Cliff Culbreath, Sam Cunningham, Steve Fate, George Follett, Allan Graf, John Grant, Charles Hinton, Karl Lorch, Al Pekarcik, Ron Preston, Mike Rae, Mike Ryan, Jeff Winans, Charle Young, Charles Anthony, Tom Bohlinger, Dave Boulware, Jim Lee, Dean Lingenfelter, Rod McNeill, Manfred Moore, Steve Riley, Ray Rodriguez, Bob Shaputis, Ray Washmera, Rob Adolph, John and Phil Cantwell, Allen Carter, Marvin Cobb, Anthony Davis, Ken Gray, Sam Cunningham, Pat Haden, Wali Abdul Malik, J. K. McKay, Dale Mitchell, Charles Phillips, Richard Wood, Kevin Bruce, Eugene Lawryk, Jim Lucas, Kenny Randle and Danny Reece.

I would also like to give a special thanks to Brandi Winans, author of The Flip Side of Glory. She gave me an incite into the way the NFL treats former NFL players who seek disability compensation.

Several people contributed photos for 1972 Trojans: An Immortal Team of Mortal Men. They include Pete Adams, Charles Anthony, Dave Brown, Kevin Bruce, Allen Carter, Marvin Cobb, George Follett, Ken Gray, Linda Kamen, daughter of Marv Goux, Jim Lee and Dale Mitchell.

I also want to give thanks to Athena Mallen and Marian Lumayag of Xlibris for coordinating the publishing of the book.

Author’s Comments—Bill Block

Collin Ashton, USC linebacker from 2002 through 2005, can claim to be a Trojan for life. As an infant, he attended USC football games with his parents, who have been longtime season ticket holders. Allegedly, he has never missed a USC home football game. I cannot make that claim. I was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, and lived there until I was eleven years old. I did not become a die-hard USC fan until I enrolled there as a sophomore in September 1958.

My first exposure to USC came in 1948, when Michigan trounced them 49-0 in the Rose Bowl. I was nine years old, and I remember listening to the game on the radio, with my parents, by the fireplace at our home. Since I lived in what was then Big Nine territory, I was elated that Michigan won.

I never liked Notre Dame. The next time I heard USC play was against Notre Dame at the Coliseum in December 1948. Notre Dame was riding a twenty-one-game winning streak and was heavily favored. Although I had no real feelings toward USC at that time, I badly wanted to see the Trojans win.

Late in the fourth quarter, USC was on the verge of an upset as they were leading 14-7. Notre Dame was driving. Notre Dame quarterback Bob Williams threw a pass into the end zone intended for Terry Brennan. The pass was broken up, but the Trojans were guilty of pass interference. The ball was placed on the 1-yard line, and the Irish scored with 35 seconds left in the game, which ended in a 14-14 tie. I was greatly disappointed that USC did not win. After listening to the game, I realized that USC and Notre Dame were fierce rivals.

In August 1949, my family and I moved to Sacramento, California, which is eighty miles east of Berkeley. I became a California Bears football fan. The Bears were in the process of going undefeated for three and one-half regular seasons. Because of my allegiance to the Bears, I began rooting for the Pacific Coast Conference.

In 1951, I attended the USC game against California at Berkeley. Both teams were undefeated. Although California led 14-0 at halftime, they suffered a heartbreaking 21-14 defeat, thanks to a 70-yard punt return by Frank Gifford. Like most fans in attendance, I was crushed by USC’s victory.

By 1952, Cal had become an average team. USC was the powerhouse of the Pacific Coast Conference. I attended the 1953 Rose Bowl that USC won 7-0 over Wisconsin. This was the first time that a Pacific Coast Conference team had defeated a Big Nine school since the pact had been signed in 1946. USC was now my favorite team next to California.

After I graduated from high school, I decided to return to my Midwestern roots by attending Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. It took one semester for me to realize that I wanted to move back to California for college. I decided to transfer to a school in California before the start of my sophomore year.

I applied to USC because it was located in Los Angeles (I wanted to live in Southern California); it offered a good education; I liked its athletic tradition; and, lastly, it was a good way to develop a business career in Los Angeles.

When I submitted my application to USC, I had to get a letter of recommendation from the dean of men at Cornell. The dean showed me the letter he wrote on my behalf. In one paragraph, he stated that although I was a good student, my chapel attendance left a lot to be desired. I used to joke that my poor chapel attendance record convinced USC that I would be an ideal fit.

I had been on the Cornell College freshman tennis team, but when I enrolled at USC in September 1958, I knew my college athletic career was over. USC had one of the top collegiate tennis programs in the country. Their number one player, Alex Olmedo, had led the United States to a Davis Cup championship.

During my first week at USC, I decided I would like to continue to be involved in sports. I went to the athletic department and introduced myself to Gerri Davidson, the administrative assistant to athletic director Jess Hill. I told her I had played sports in high school and at Cornell College, and that even though I did not have the ability to compete at a high level, I still wanted to be active in sports. I wanted to become a manager of the football team. Gerri recommended I consider becoming a manager for the track team. The senior manager was graduating in 1959, and he was looking for an assistant. If I did well, I would become the senior manager the following year. Since I was going to graduate in 1961, I would be the senior manager for two years. Gerri also told me, if I lettered for three years, I would get a life pass that would entitle me to one free ticket to all USC home athletic events. Furthermore, USC was still the dominant collegiate track team, and I had a chance to be part of a national championship team. I thought this was a great idea and accepted the job.

While at USC, I never missed a home game. The most disappointing year was 1960, Coach McKay’s first year as head football coach. Playboy magazine rated us number 1 in the country at the start of the season. We finished a dismal 4-6 with the highlight being an upset victory over UCLA. That year, I was part of the chain gang at the USC-Notre Dame game that was played in a downpour. On the first play of the game from scrimmage, Notre Dame’s quarterback rolled out and was tackled near the sideline. The players skidded out of bounds, and I ended up on top of the pile. I looked great when I saw a replay of the game the next day on television. Notre Dame beat us that day for only its second victory of the year. I went into Notre Dame’s locker room after the game. On the chalkboard, they declared themselves champions of California. Their only two wins that year were against California teams.

I had more fun with the UCLA rivalry than most students ever did. Three weeks prior to the 1960 USC-UCLA football game, my good friend Roger Weinert and I planned to steal the UCLA football victory banner that flew over the UCLA campus. We cased the flagpole and thus knew what time each night the banner was removed.

Roger and I arrived at UCLA at mid afternoon to execute our plan. Our strategy was to casually take the banner down in broad daylight. It must have been comical to see us fumbling our way to removing the banner—it was much harder than it looked. We looked like Laurel and Hardy or two of the Three Stooges in action. A few students walking by asked us why we were taking the flag down so early. Our reply was, Hal’s sick today and asked us to fill in. We’re going to a party later, so we’re getting it now.

We finally removed the UCLA victory banner, wrapped it up, and nonchalantly walked across the campus with it to my car. Later that day, when it was discovered the UCLA victory banner was missing, students from the various fraternities began futilely searching for it. They looked high and low throughout the night, using flashlights. Meanwhile, the banner was safely secured in the closet of my apartment.

On the day of the game, Roger and I strolled over to the Coliseum with the UCLA football victory banner. Approximately forty-five minutes prior to the game, Roger and I displayed the UCLA football victory banner to the students in the USC section, who cheered wildly. We then took the banner to the peristyle end of the Coliseum and unfurled it. Half of the UCLA rooting section came charging across the field like a pack of ravenous wolves to reclaim the banner. Roger and I, to a cacophony of cheers, safely returned to the USC side of the field.

Prior to the start of our senior year (1960-1961) at USC, Roger and I spent an evening on fraternity row at UCLA. It was Rush Week, and we thought that it would be fun to attend the fraternity parties. Roger and I claimed we had transferred from Glendale Junior College, so we were first-semester juniors. Later in the evening, Roger and I ended up at the Phi Delta Theta house. We started talking to a number of the actives. There was a Ping-Pong table on the patio, and several people were playing. Roger and I were reasonably good players, and we challenged these guys to matches. Roger and I wiped them out. The Phi Delta Theta brothers were so impressed with our skills and our concocted backgrounds that we received and accepted pledge pins on-site. Needless to say, Roger and I were never seen again at the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house.

I managed the track team for three years and was the senior manager for two years. It was three of the most enjoyable years of my life. During my time with the track team, we had a number of Olympians: Charlie Dumas, the first person to break the seven-foot barrier in the high jump; Dallas Long, world record holder in the shot put; and Rex Cawley, world-record holder in the 400-meter low hurdles.

My first year as a track manager, USC was ineligible to compete in the NCAA track-and-field meet because of recruiting irregularities involving the football program. As luck would have it, we were the number 1 track team in the country.

As I had hoped, I became the senior manager of the track team. Since I was traveling with the team, I received a blue blazer with a block SC inscribed on the pocket (I still have my blazer). We had another strong team. I will never forget one meet that USC participated in that year—the West Texas Relays held in Odessa, Texas. After totally dominating the meet, the team partied until 3:00 a.m., Sunday. It was a weary group that made an 8:00 a.m. flight back to Los Angeles.

The NCAA track-and-field championships were held three months later in Berkeley, California. We were favored to win the meet. However, we were upset by Kansas and finished in second place. The team was in a state of shock. Coach Jess Mortensen, who was visibly upset, blamed the loss on the team’s escapades following the West Texas Relays. We were invited back to the West Texas Relays the following year. The hospitality committee said they would even throw a party for us after the meet. Coach Mortensen declined the invitation, much to the disappointment of the members of our team. Coach Mortensen told the hosts, The last thing the team needed was a party.

In my senior year, USC had another strong track team. The NCAA track-and-field championships were held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We proceeded to capture the team championship. For me, it was a fitting end to my career as the senior track manager. It was the crowning achievement for three years of fun and hard work. I received a watch from USC for being a member of the team.

One of my teammates had been good-naturedly giving me the business that week. He claimed several times that I would not know what to do with a woman if I had a chance to be with one. Following the track meet, he, several teammates, and I went to a bar.

At the bar, he met an attractive girl and bragged to the rest of us that he was going to go back home with her. During the course of the evening, the girl ordered two champagne cocktails. Her bill came to $5, which was a lot of money in 1961. Unbeknownst to my teammate, this woman was a bargirl.

My teammate balked at paying the bill. A burly bouncer came over to persuade him otherwise. The rest of us saw this happening. We had several guys in there who were bigger than the bouncer. We surrounded him and convinced him to make a payment exception for our teammate. Needless to say, my teammate did not make any more wisecracks to me about my sexual prowess with women.

The following day, we flew to New York to participate in the AAU track meet. We spent one week in New York, staying at a men’s dormitory on the New York University campus in the Bronx. One day, a group of us were walking on a street in the Bronx. We were wearing shorts. Some Bronx girls saw us and started referring to us as sissies for wearing shorts. We told them we were from Los Angeles and that was the way people dressed in the summer. They were in awe and probably had never been west of the Bronx. During that week, I became friends with a number of runners and coaches from other universities. Many of my teammates did well in the AAU meet. We flew back to Los Angeles on a Sunday. It had been a great time, but I was sad that it was the end of my career as track manager.

I have two degrees from USC. In 1961, I received my bachelor of science degree in marketing; and in 1965, I received my MBA in finance. In 1965, I moved to New York to pursue a career on Wall Street. I lived on the East Coast for thirty-two years. In 1997, I returned to Los Angeles and established WAB Capital, an investment research firm specializing in microcap research.

Over the past fifty years, whenever I have been in Los Angeles County, I have never missed a USC home football game. When I lived on the East Coast, I saw an average of two games per season in person.

I have attended all six of Rod Sherman’s Trojan Flashback Football fantasy football camps. This gave me an opportunity to meet several of the former Trojan greats such as Sam Cunningham, John Vella, Rod Martin, and Rodney Peete. I have also had an opportunity each year to interact with Pete Carroll and his coaching staff.

This is the first book I have authored. The 1972 USC football team is one of the greatest teams in the history of collegiate football. It has been more than thirty-five years since this team dismantled Ohio State 42-17 in the 1973 Rose Bowl. I was curious as to what had happened to these players since their playing days. There were sixty-three players on the Rose Bowl roster. Seven players have passed away. I was able to locate fifty-three of the fifty-six players who are still living. Forty-seven players agreed to be interviewed. Many of the players interviewed enjoyed reminiscing about their times at USC.

SECTION I

Chapter 1

1973 USC ROSE BOWL ROSTER

Players Interviewed

Jersey

Players Contacted Who Would Not Grant Interviews

Players Who Could Not Be Located

Deceased Players

Chapter 2

OVERVIEW OF THE 1972 SEASON

The 1972 USC football team is considered one of the greatest teams in the history of college football. The Trojans, with a 12-0 record, were undefeated and finished the season by annihilating Ohio State 42-17 in the 1973 Rose Bowl. During the season, USC never trailed a team in the second half of a game. The Trojans dominated their opponents. Stanford, which lost 30-21, was the only opponent that did not lose by at least 17 points. Except for UCLA, which lost by 17 points, and Oregon, which lost by 18, the Trojans defeated each of its remaining nine opponents by at least three touchdowns.

The Trojans played the toughest schedule of any team in the country. Six of the twelve wins came against nationally ranked teams. Arkansas ranked fourth, Stanford fifteenth, Washington eighteenth, UCLA fourteenth, Notre Dame tenth, and Ohio State third.

USC excelled on both offense and defense. The Trojans averaged 39 points per game, a team record until 2003, when Pete Carroll’s national championship team averaged 41 points per game. What makes the length of this record remarkable is that USC averaged only 23 passes per game. USC had a stingy defense that allowed its opponents only 11 points per game.

The seeds for the 1972 season were sown in 1971. At midseason, the Trojans were 2-4 and had lost three consecutive games. Their next game was against undefeated Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, where they were a 13-point underdog. The team was in the process of underachieving for a second consecutive year.

A quarterback controversy involving Caucasian backup quarterback Mike Rae and senior African American Jimmy Jones divided the team. Many of the African American players felt Jimmy should be the quarterback because he was a senior and had been the starting quarterback on the 1969 team that finished third in the country. Jimmy ran well but was a below-average passer—completing less than 50 percent of his passes during his career. Mike was an excellent passer. To add fuel to the fire, in the previous week, when USC had lost to Stanford, Mike played the fourth quarter and threw for two touchdowns.

According to various members of the 1972 team, several players on the 1971 team seemed more interested in their personal statistics and future careers in the NFL rather than winning; there was no strong senior leadership; and several players appeared more interested in partying than in competing.

Two events took place during the week, leading up to the Notre Dame game. Coach McKay decided to give Jimmy and Mike equal playing time in each game for the remainder of the season. He also granted Dave Brown, Mike Ryan, and a few other players permission to organize the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) as long as it was voluntary. The purpose of the FCA was to make a commitment to God, discourage negativism, and to unify the team.

The Trojans pulled together and upset the Irish 28-14. Both Mike and Jimmy played well that day. The formula worked as the Trojans won four straight games before tying UCLA in the last game of the season and finishing with a 6-4-1 record, the same record as in 1970.

USC and Washington were co-favorites to win the Pac-8 title in 1972. Coach McKay quipped, That means we have slipped. It used to be that we were the only team favored. That shows you what 6-4-1 does. The Trojans entered the 1972 campaign with a potentially explosive offense, but a young and inexperienced defense. The offensive line, comprised entirely of seniors, was the team’s strong suit. All-American candidates Charle Young (tight end) and Pete Adams (weak side tackle) were the mainstays. Also returning were Dave Brown (center), Allan Graf (left guard), and Mike Ryan (right guard). Allen Gallaher, the right guard, suffered a season-ending knee injury prior to the opening game against Arkansas. His replacements were juniors Steve Riley and Booker Brown. The former six players had played together for three years and worked well as a unit.

Unlike in 1971, the Trojans had breakaway speed at tailback. Sophomores Anthony Davis and Allen Carter had been clocked at 9.8 seconds and 9.4 seconds, respectively, in the 100-yard dash. Also, Rod McNeill, who suffered a hip injury in spring practice and was red shirted in 1971, was returning. After playing tailback in 1971, Sam Cunningham, an outstanding blocker and power running back, returned to fullback.

The defense was Coach McKay’s greatest concern. Only four lettermen—Charles Anthony (linebacker), John Grant (defensive tackle), Steve Fate (rover), and Artimus Parker (defensive back)—returned from 1971. Although the defense lacked experience, Coach McKay believed this was the fastest defensive group he had ever coached. Most of the starters had never played a single down on defense at USC. Coach McKay believed that as the season progressed, the defense would play an integral role in the team’s success. Sophomore linebacker Richard Wood made an immediate difference in USC’s defense.

The Trojans opened the season on the road against the Arkansas Razorbacks, where the crowd was raucous. Arkansas, ranked number 4 in the country, was a 6-point favorite to defeat the Trojans. Arkansas coach Frank Broyles believed this was the best team he had ever coached. All-American quarterback and Heisman candidate Joe Ferguson, one of the premier passers in college football, led Arkansas.

The Trojans broke a 3-3 tie at halftime by scoring four second-half touchdowns as they won 31-10. The Trojans had a balanced offense as they passed for 269 yards and rushed for 208 yards. Mike Rae completed 18 of 24 passes for 269 yards and also rushed for a touchdown. Rod McNeill gained 117 yards on 28 carries and ran for two touchdowns. In his debut, linebacker Richard Wood had 18 tackles, including two quarterback sacks and one pass interception. Joe Ferguson completed only 10 of 36 passes and had two passes intercepted. Most of his passes were completed after the Trojans had the game won and were protecting against the completion of any long passes. Following the win over Arkansas, the Trojans vaulted into the number 1 spot as UCLA upset number 1 Nebraska, 20-17 that day.

The following week, USC opened at home by beating up on hapless Oregon State. The Trojans gained 670 yards of total offense, scored 7 touchdowns, passed for 316 yards, and rushed for 354 yards. The defense recorded 6 sacks, forced 6 turnovers, and held the Beavers to 92 yards, rushing in a 51-6 victory. Rod McNeill scored 3 touchdowns. Mike Rae completed 12 of 19 passes for 248 yards. Quarterback Pat Haden made his debut and threw a touchdown pass to split end J. K. McKay, the leading receiver with six receptions.

USC’s high-power offense got off to a slow start, and the defense played uninspired football against Illinois. Illinois led twice 7-0 and 14-7. USC led 20-14 at halftime. However, USC erupted for 35 points in the second half as they wore down the Illini to win 55-20. The Trojans had touchdown drives of 78, 80, 49, 64, and 78 yards. Mike Rae completed 9 of 13 passes for 178 yards and 2 touchdowns. Anthony Davis scored his first 2 touchdowns as a Trojan. Coach McKay was upset as the defense allowed Illinois to score touchdowns on drives of 45, 71, and 78 yards.

USC’s next opponent, Michigan State, had a highly touted defense. Spartan coach Duffy Daugherty believed this was his best team since 1966 when they were ranked number 2 nationally. The Trojans prevailed 51-6. However, USC’s offense sputtered while its defense excelled. USC’s defense controlled the Spartan offense and forced 5 fumbles and 3 pass interceptions. Six of Michigan State’s turnovers led to Trojan touchdowns. James Sims led the defense with 11 tackles and 1 fumble recovery. Richard Wood ran an interception back 25 yards for a touchdown. Lynn Swann returned a punt 92 yards for a touchdown. The Trojans only led 24-6 after three quarters but exploded for 27 points in the fourth quarter.

The Trojans traveled to Palo Alto the following week to play Stanford in the Bad Blood Bowl. The two schools had no love for each other. Stanford had won the two previous meetings en route to playing in the Rose Bowl. Stanford’s football team was one of the few teams that talked trash during the game. They would make snide remarks about USC’s football players being dumb jocks, and about how the school was mainly for rich kids. Stanford’s elitist players also made racial remarks about USC’s African American players. They believed they were intellectually superior to USC’s players.

The game was marred by turnovers as a number of scores by both teams were set up by turnovers. The Trojans did not ice the game until midway through the fourth quarter, when Pat Haden threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Lynn Swann to make the score 30-13. Late in the quarter, Stanford scored a meaningless touchdown and made a 2-point conversion to narrow the score to 30-21. USC got the ball back and could have run the clock out. Instead, McKay called a time-out with 4 seconds left in the game, as he was determined to score another touchdown. On the last play of the game, with USC on Stanford’s 19-yard line, Haden was unsuccessful on a pass to J. K. McKay in the end zone.

Following the game, the Trojans took a lot of verbal abuse from Stanford’s football fans, as they walked from the football stadium to the locker room, which is one-half mile from the stadium. After the game, Coach McKay made the statement that he was disappointed he could not beat Stanford by 2,000 points. Stanford’s defensive back, Charles McCloud, told a reporter, USC ain’t shit. However, he had more grass stain on the back than on the front of his jersey. Another Stanford player cynically said, You can tell McKay that we’re really happy about the way he tried to pour it on at the end of the game today.

USC’s next game was against California, and they buried them 42-14. USC was never pressed as they led 21-0 halftime. California had a respectable defense, but no running game. The Trojans gained 411 yards in total offense compared to 301 yards of total offense for California. California only rushed for 41 yards. Sam Cunningham and Mike Rae each scored two touchdowns rushing. Pat Haden completed the scoring with two touchdown passes to Charle Young for 40 and 9 yards, respectively.

Prior to the start of the 1972 football season, the game against Washington was expected to determine who would represent the Pac-8 in the Rose Bowl. The Huskies had nineteen of its twenty-two starters returning. However, Washington’s top two quarterbacks were unable to play, and their offensive line was decimated by injuries. Thus, the Husky offense was ineffective. The Trojans led at halftime 20-0, and the Huskies had minus 7 yards in total offense. The Trojans prevailed 34-7 in another dominating performance. Anthony Davis scored two touchdowns on runs of 44 and 14 yards. Mike Rae directed two long scoring drives and Pat Haden one. USC’s defense intercepted five Husky passes that led to four Trojan scores.

Visiting USC was a 21-point favorite against Oregon. The game was played under terrible weather conditions. It was windy, cold, and raining, which made the artificial turf slippery. Anthony Davis’s breakout game against Oregon enabled him to become the starting tailback for the remainder of the season.

Both teams had a difficult time moving the ball in the first half, and at halftime, neither team had scored. The Trojans finally broke the game open, when Anthony Davis had back-to-back touchdown runs of 48 and 55 yards. Davis gained 206 yards on 25 carries. Sam Cunningham scored the third touchdown from 1 yard out. The Trojans won 18-0 but were unable to convert any of their extra points because of the slippery surface. USC fumbled the ball nine times and lost it six times.

The game against Washington State marked Anthony Davis’s debut as the starting tailback. Davis returned the opening kickoff 69 yards. However, the Trojan drive stalled, and Mike Rae kicked a 23-yard-field goal to give the Trojans a 3-0 lead. Davis rushed for 195 yards on 32 carries and scored 3 touchdowns. USC passed only nine times. The Trojans won in convincing style 44-3 as they held the vaunted Cougar passing attack to only 85 yards. After the game, Washington State’s head coach, Jim Sweeney, commented, USC isn’t the top team in the country. The Miami Dolphins are.

The UCLA game was for both the bragging rights of Los Angeles and for the right to represent the Pac-8 in the Rose Bowl. UCLA entered the game, ranked fourteenth in the country, and had a 5-1 record against Pac-8 opponents. UCLA had a strong running attack led by Kermit Johnson and James McAllister and were ranked number 2 in rushing offense in the country, averaging 381.2 yards per game. UCLA averaged 61.5 yards per game passing, which ranked at the bottom of the Pac-8 for passing offense.

The Trojans played a nearly mistake-free game as they only turned the ball over once and were penalized twice. The final score of 24-7 did not reflect USC’s domination of the game. The Trojan defense took away UCLA’s vaunted option outside pitch and forced them to run up the middle with no success. UCLA gained 198 yards rushing, which was 48 percent below its average per game. The Trojan touchdowns came on drives of 76 yards, 80 yards, and 96 yards. Davis, McNeill, and Rae scored USC’s touchdowns. The win was especially satisfying to the seniors, since they had never beaten UCLA.

After the game, Coach McKay cynically proclaimed that the Rose Bowl no longer belonged to Radcliffe (Stanford). No matter what happened in the Notre Dame game, the Trojans would return to Pasadena on New Year’s Day.

Tenth-ranked Notre Dame came to the Coliseum to play the Trojans in the finale of the regular season. The Irish were 9-1 and headed to the Orange Bowl. The Trojans were a 14-point favorite. Anthony Davis spearheaded the attack, which enabled USC to win 45-23. In this game, Davis became a legend as he scored six touchdowns on touchdown runs of 97, 1, 5, 4, 96, and 8 yards.

Led by Davis’s opening kickoff return of 97 yards, USC jumped off to a 19-3 lead after the first quarter. Shortly before halftime, Notre Dame cut the lead to 9 points when quarterback Tom Clements connected on a touchdown pass to Willie Townsend. Chuck Hinton intercepted an Irish pass early in the third that led to a 4-yard run by Davis for a touchdown. A 2-point conversion failed, but USC had a comfortable 25-10 lead. The Irish managed to score 13 unanswered points, which were aided by two Trojan turnovers, to cut the lead to 25-23. After scoring their second touchdown, Notre Dame failed on a 2-point conversion that would have tied the game. Davis then electrified the crowd by returning the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. The Trojans scored two more touchdowns. Sam Cunningham rounded out the scoring with a 1-yard plunge. If Coach McKay had allowed Davis to score the touchdown, he would have tied an NCAA record for most touchdowns scored in a game.

Until 1974, that was Notre Dame coach Ira Parseghian’s worst defeat. In the history of Notre Dame football, only two players had scored four touchdowns in a game against them, and the last time was 1900. Davis established five Trojan records that day: most touchdowns in a game (6), most points in a game (36), most touchdowns in one quarter (3), longest kickoff return (97 yards), and most kickoff return yards in a season (468).

The 1973 Rose Bowl game pitted USC against number 3 Ohio State, which recorded a 9-1 record. Ohio State’s lone loss was to Michigan State, which USC crushed. The Buckeyes’ strong defense only yielded 11.7 points per game, and the offense averaged 26 points per game. The team was young, with only five starting seniors. Archie Griffin was a standout freshman running back. Fullback Harold Henson led the nation in scoring with twenty touchdowns. The offensive line featured all-American tackle John Hicks. The defense included linebacker Randy Gradishar, who would later become an all-American, and George Hasenohrl, who was voted the team’s defensive MVP.

In the weeks leading up to the game, both teams applied different philosophies in their preparations. Ohio State’s head football coach, Woody Hayes, was determined to end a three-game Pac-8 Rose Bowl win streak. Coach Hayes’s team lived at a hotel located in an isolated area, and the players had an early curfew. The Buckeyes held two practices each day that were closed to the public. In addition, there were contact drills during several of the practices. In contrast, USC’s practices, for the most part, were open to the public. There were no scrimmages. The team used only seventeen of its twenty-one practice days. Until a few days prior to the Rose Bowl, the team had a liberal curfew policy.

USC was a heavy favorite to win the game, and the experts felt the only way the Trojans could lose would be if they beat themselves. The Trojans were considered quicker and had a more balanced offense than the Buckeyes.

At halftime, the Trojans did not look like the team everybody thought they were. The team looked lethargic and were tied 7-7. Lynn Swann scored USC’s lone touchdown on a 20-yard pass from Mike Rae, set up by Charles Phillip’s fumble recovery. Ohio State tied the game on a 57-yard scoring drive.

The Trojans had changed their blocking schemes for the game, and they were not working. Ohio State placed eight or nine men on the line, which made it difficult to run against. At intermission, Coaches McKay, Robinson, and Fontes decided to open the game up and throw the ball. It paid off. Ohio State could not stop the pass. Midway through the third quarter, the running game opened up.

The Trojans scored touchdowns on their first five possessions in the second half. Since the Buckeyes were afraid to kick to Anthony Davis, the Trojans started with good field position. Davis scored on a 20-yard run, which gave the Trojans a 14-10 lead. After that, the Trojans never looked back. Sam Cunningham established a Rose Bowl record by scoring four touchdowns. All four touchdowns were scored, as Sam dived over the top of the line into the end zone.

Sam was voted player of the game even though he totaled only 34 yards rushing. His blocking enabled the Trojan offense to open up. Coach McKay said after the game, "I owe Sam something. He was a great runner, but I made