Southern California Trojan Football

Disappointement?

2007-11-09T13:43:00.000-08:00

Not Quite What We Expected….

Entering the 2007/2008 College Football Season, the Southern California Trojans Were regarded as one of the best teams in the country and a prime candidate to play in the National Championship Game. Although several key players were lost to the NLF, such as Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith, the team returned a great defense. Along with the incredible defense that USC had coming back, the Trojans had one of the top recruiting classes in the country coming in, including top recruit Joe McKnight. Ranked as the top team in the pre season polls, the Trojans kept their fist place spot for 4 weeks before they slipped down the polls. Not dominating teams like everyone thought they would, the Trojans were struggling to get their inexperienced talent to live up to potential. These players showed a flash of how great they are when USC played on the road against the storied program that is the Nebraska Cornhuskers and crushed them. USC seemed to regaining their dominance, but this came crushing down when the Trojans lost to the Stanford Cardinals, which was the only Trojan loss at home in over 3 years. This lost definitely crushed the dreams of a National Championship Game. At this point in the season, the Trojans have a record of 7-2 and are getting better as the season is coming to and end. Many people want to believe that the USC Dynasty in college football is coming to an end, but don’t bet on it. The Trojans are a great football team, with incredible talent in the program and coming into it. Don’t be surprised if next season the Trojans are once again atop the polls.

Fight On Traveler Fight On

2007-10-25T09:35:00.000-07:00

Mascot…

Every sports team from the high school level to the college level to the professional level has one thing in common. The thing they share is a mascot. Mascots are almost as important as the players on the team. They celebrate when the team scores and pump up the crowd. The Southern California Trojan mascot is a white horse whose name is Traveler. Traveler is ridden by a rider wearing the outfit of a Trojan warrior. Traveler and its Trojan rider travel the sidelines whenever the Trojans score a touchdown or field goal. Travel made its debut in 1961 when Southern Cal played the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Traveler not only makes appearances at the Coliseum when the Trojans play, but also at other events including the Rose Parade. There has been several horse over the years that played the role of the mascot, all having the same name, the current being Traveler VII. The breeds of horses that have been Trojan mascots include everything from Tennessee Walking horse to Arabian horses. Traveler VII is a Spanish Andalusian horse,

Fight Song….

The fight song for the Southern California Trojans is called “Fight On” and was created in 1922. The creator, Milo Sweet, wrote it for a spirit competition. This song is played by the Southern Call Marching Band, the Spirit of Troy. The lyrics of the fight song are:

Fight on!
for ol' SC
Our men Fight on,
to victory.
Our Alma Mater dear,
looks up to you!
Fight on and win
For ol' SC
Fight on!
To victory
Fight on!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight_On

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traveler_%28mascot%29

Trojan Stars

2007-10-16T18:48:00.000-07:00

Famous Trojans…

Along with a wining tradition at Southern California, Trojan fans have been treated to great players through out the years. The following are a few:

Marcus LeMarr Allen: His career at USC was from 1978-1981. During his senior season in 1981, Allen became the first player in NCAA history to rush for more that 2,000 miles as he rushed for 2,342 yards. That year he won the Heisman Trophy Award, the Walter Camp Award (player of the year) and was also the Pac-10 player of the year. Allen was drafted by the Los Angeles Raiders in 1982 and became the Rookie of the Year. In 1993, Allen played for the Kansas City Chiefs and won the NLF Comeback Player of the Year. With this 74-yard touchdown in Super Bowl XVIII, Allen holds the second longest run in Super Bowl history. Marcus Allen ended his football career when he retired in 1997.

Carson Palmer: As only the second true freshman to start at quarterback at USC when he first started in the 9^th game of the 1998 season. During his senior season at USC, Palmer had a breakout year that lead to becoming the Heisman Trophy Award winner in 2002. During the 2003 NLF Draft, Carson Palmer was the first draft choice of the Cincinnati Bengals. As a Cincinnati Bengal, Carson Palmer was the 2007 Pro Bowl MVP.

Reginald "Reggie" Bush: Current Playing for the New Orleans Saints. In 2005, Bush won the Heisman Trophy, which is the award giving to the best player in the country, and also won the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation’s best running back. Leading up to the 2006 NLF Draft, Reggie Bush was considered the best player in the draft. Even though almost everyone would project him as the number one pick, he went to the New Orleans Saints as the second pick. “ESPN commentator Len Pasquarelli claimed that Houston selecting Williams ahead of Bush was one of the biggest mistakes made in NFL Draft history”. That year Bush help lead the Saints to the NFC Championship Game, where they loss to the Chicago Bears.

These are some of the most famous and talented players in both College and Professional Football and the USC Trojans can call them “theirs”.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USC_Trojans_football#200

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggie_Bush

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carson_Palmer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Allen

Trojan Home Games

2007-10-08T19:06:00.001-07:00

Home Sweet Home…..

The Southern California Trojans call the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum their home. The L.A. Coliseum opened in 1923, becoming the largest stadium in Los Angeles. Through out the years, the Coliseum has been a host to the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympic Games, the 1959 World Series and All-Star Game and the very 1^st Super Bowl along with the 1973 Super Bowl. Just like the USC Trojans, teams like the Los Angeles Raiders, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the UCLA Bruins have also called the L.A. Coliseum home. The Coliseum has also made appearances in Budweiser commercials, the movie Forrest Gump and the TV Show 24. Filled to capacity, which is 101,574, Trojans fans make it difficult for opposing teams to get a win against their USC Trojans.

What about practice…?

Located on campus at the University of Southern California, Howard Jones Field is the facility where the Trojans prepare themselves for the weekend battle. Brian Kennedy Field was added to the complex in 1998 and in 1999, Goux's Gate was built at the entrance of the field. This practice field has been the place where players such as Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart have developed NLF skills and where players like Keith Rivers and Brian Cushing prepare for their NFL careers.

Information provided by Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USC_Trojans_football#200

OF COURSE THERE HAS TO BE SOME OF THESE

2007-10-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

Rivalries…

The rivalries with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the UCLA Bruins are the two biggest for the Southern Cal Trojans.

The Trojans and Irish rivalry started back in 1926. When the Trojans and the Irish play a game, they battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh. The Jeweled Shillelagh is a Gaelic war club. A Trojan head adorned with rubies is added to the club when Southern Cal wins and when the Irish win, a clover adorned with emeralds is added. These are marked with the date and the score of the game. Before the Jeweled Shillelagh started being the hardware given to the winner in 1952, the winner received medallions. Unfortunately for the Trojans, the Irish have won more games (42) than Southern Cal (31) and there has been 5 draws, but the Trojans have won the last five meetings between them.

The rivalry with the Bruins is inedible for the simple reason that they are located in the same city (Los Angeles) and are only separated by 10 miles. When these two school play, they battle for the Victory Bell and city bragging rights for the entire year. When the Trojans have the Victory Bell, it is placed outside the stadium and fans are allowed to ring it. During the game the Victory Bell is rang every time the Trojans score. The same thing takes place when the Bruins have the Victory Bell. It is placed in front of the student section and is ringed when the Bruins score and at halftime, while the band performs, the Bell is there too. The series advantage goes to the Trojans with 41 wins while the Bruins have 28 and with 7 ties.

Information provided by Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USC_Trojans_football#2000-Today

2007-08-31T15:11:00.000-07:00

Trojan Football Basic Information

2007-08-31T13:51:00.001-07:00

One of the most exciting and talented teams of Division I College Sports (NCAA) is the University of Southern California Trojan football team. Established in 1888, the Trojans have been a powerhouse in the NCAA compiling various conference and national championships. To be exact, the Trojans have won 36 Pacific Ten Conference Titles and 11 National Championships. Along with their team titles, the Southern California Trojans can boast about 7 Heisman Trophy Winners and 144 All-Americans. The Southern California Trojans play their home games at the Los Angeles Coliseum where they can brag about a 33 game winning streak. Under Coach Pete Carroll, the USC Trojans have had a record of 65 wins and 12 losses in his 6 years at the helm. This stat goes to prove how much of a powerhouse they really are. In the long and rich history of the USC Trojans, it was inedible that rivalries would form. The fight for the Jeweled Shillelagh against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the fight for the Victory Bell against cross town rival UCLA are the two biggest rivalries for the Trojans.

With the 2007 College Football Season starting soon, the USC Trojans prepare once more to capture their 12^th National Championship. Not surprisingly, the Trojans start their season ranked as the number 1 team on the polls. With such great expectations, the 2007 Trojans embark on a journey to continue the legacy left behind by greatly talented teams before them.