American college football season
1976 USC Trojans football |
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National champion (multiple selectors) Pac-8 champion Rose Bowl champion |
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Conference | Pacific-8 Conference |
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Ranking |
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Coaches | No. 2 |
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AP | No. 2 |
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Record | 11–1 (7–0 Pac-8) |
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Head coach | - John Robinson (1st season)
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Captain | Ricky Bell Vince Evans Eric Williams |
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Home stadium | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum |
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Seasons |
The 1976 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California (USC) in the 1976 NCAA Division I football season. In their first year under head coach John Robinson, the Trojans compiled an 11–1 record (7–0 against conference opponents), won the Pacific-8 Conference (Pac-8) championship, defeated Michigan in the 1977 Rose Bowl, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 386 to 139.[1] The team was ranked #2 in both the final AP Poll and the final UPI Coaches Poll.
Quarterback Vince Evans led the team in passing, completing 95 of 177 passes for 1,440 yards with ten touchdowns and six interceptions. Ricky Bell led the team in rushing with 280 carries for 1,433 yards and 14 touchdowns. Shelton Diggs led the team in receiving with 37 catches for 655 yards and eight touchdowns.[2]
The team was named national champion by Berryman, Billingsley MOV, DeVold, Dunkel, Football Research, and Matthews, all NCAA-designated major selectors.[3]: 114
Schedule
Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
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September 11 | Missouri* | No. 8 | | | L 25–46 | 49,535 |
September 18 | at Oregon | | | | W 53–0 | 40,600 |
September 25 | at Purdue* | No. 19 | | | W 31–13 | 65,425 |
October 2 | Iowa* | No. 13 | - Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
- Los Angeles, CA
| | W 55–0 | 55,518 |
October 9 | at Washington State | No. 11 | | | W 23–14 | 37,268 |
October 23 | Oregon State | No. 7 | - Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
- Los Angeles, CA
| | W 56–0 | 53,216 |
October 30 | California | No. 4 | - Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
- Los Angeles, CA
| | W 20–6 | 60,323 |
November 6 | at Stanford | No. 4 | | | W 48–24 | 76,500 |
November 13 | Washington | No. 3 | - Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
- Los Angeles, CA
| | W 20–3 | 49,264 |
November 20 | vs. No. 2 UCLA | No. 3 | - Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
- Los Angeles, CA (Victory Bell)
| ABC | W 24–14 | 90,519 |
November 27 | No. 13 Notre Dame* | No. 3 | - Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
- Los Angeles, CA (rivalry)
| ABC | W 17–13 | 76,561 |
January 1, 1977 | vs. No. 2 Michigan* | No. 3 | | NBC | W 14–6 | 106,182 |
- *Non-conference game
- Homecoming
- Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
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Roster
1976 USC Trojans football team roster |
Players | Coaches |
Offense | Defense | Special teams | - Head coach
- Coordinators/assistant coaches
- Legend
- (C) Team captain
- (S) Suspended
- (I) Ineligible
- Injured
- Redshirt
Roster Last update: 2021-Jan-04 |
Game summaries
Missouri
At Oregon
At Purdue
Game information |
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter - USC – Ricky Bell 5-yard run (Glen Walker kick). USC 14–7. Drive:
- USC – Simmrin 4-yard pass from Vince Evans (Glen Walker kick). USC 21–7. Drive:
- PUR – Skibinski 1-yard run (kick failed). USC 21–13. Drive:
Fourth quarter - USC – Mosi Tatupu 27-yard run (Glen Walker kick). USC 28–13. Drive:
- USC – Glen Walker 44-yard field goal. USC 31–13. Drive:
| - Top passers
- Top rushers
- USC – Ricky Bell – 37 rushes, 177 yards, TD
- PUR
- Top receivers
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Iowa
At Washington State
#11 USC Trojans (3–1) at Washington State Cougars (1–3)
at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington
- Date: October 9
- Game weather: Indoors (dome)
- Game attendance: 37,268
- [6]
Game information |
First quarter Second quarter - USC – Ricky Bell 1-yard run (Glen Walker kick). USC 7–0. Drive:
- USC – Shelton Diggs 55-yard pass from Vince Evans (Glen Walker kick, 6:23. USC 14–0. Drive:
- WSU – Harold Gillum 4-yard run (Chuck Diedrick kick). USC 14–7. Drive:
Third quarter Fourth quarter - WSU – Brian Kelly 23-yard pass from Jack Thompson (Chuck Diedrick kick). Tie 14–14. Drive:
- USC – Glen Walker 26-yard field goal, 9:26. USC 17–14. Drive:
- USC – Ricky Bell 9-yard run (kick failed). USC 23–14. Drive:
| - Top passers
- USC
- WSU – Jack Thompson – 26/48, 341 yards, TD
- Top rushers
- USC – Ricky Bell – 51 rushes, 346 yards, 2 TD
- WSU
- Top receivers
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Oregon State
California
At Stanford
Washington
Vs. UCLA
Notre Dame
Game information |
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter - USC – Randy Simmrin 63-yard pass from Vince Evans (Glen Walker kick), 13:30. USC 14–0. Drive:
Fourth quarter - ND – Vagas Ferguson 17-yard pass from Rusty Lisch (Dave Reeve kick), 14:06. USC 14–7. Drive: 4 plays, 68 yards.
- USC – Glen Walker 46-yard field goal. USC 17–7. Drive:
- ND – Rusty Lisch 1-yard run (two-point conversion failed). USC 17–13. Drive: 76 yards.
| - Top passers
- Top rushers
- ND
- USC – Ricky Bell – 21 rushes, 75 yards
- Top receivers
- ND
- USC – Randy Simmrin – 6 receptions, 121 yards, TD
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Ricky Bell was held to 75 yards on 21 carries but USC's passing game thrived with Vince Evans completing six of his 14 passes for 106 yards with Randy Simmrin hauling in six passes for 121 yards and Evans' touchdown pass.
[7]
Rose Bowl (vs Michigan)
References
- ^ "Southern California Yearly Results (1975-1979)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
- ^ "1976 Southern California Trojans Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
- ^ 2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). Indianapolis: National Collegiate Athletic Association. August 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
- ^ Eugene Register-Guard. 1976 Sep 26. Retrieved 2018-Sep-23.
- ^ "U.S.C. Crushes Purdue 31-13; Bell 177 yards." New York Times. 1976 Sep 26. Retrieved 2021-Jan-05.
- ^ "Bell runs for 346 as USC clips Cougars." Eugene Register-Guard. 1976 OCt 10. Retrieved 2018-Dec-29.
- ^ "Trojans Trip Up Error-Prone Irish". Ocala Star-Banner. November 28, 1976. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
External links
- Game program: USC vs. Washington State at Seattle – October 9, 1976
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