Surf Wiki
Save to docs
sports

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

1979 USC Trojans football team

American college football season

American college football season

FieldValue
year1979
teamUSC Trojans
sportfootball
conferencePacific-10 Conference
short_confPac-10
CoachRank2
APRank2
record11–0–1
conf_record6–0–1
head_coachJohn Robinson
hc_year4th
captainDennis Johnson
captain2Charles White
stadiumLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum
championNational champion (Football Research)
Pac-10 champion
Rose Bowl champion
bowl[Rose Bowl](1980-rose-bowl)
bowl_resultW 17–16 vs. [Ohio State](1979-ohio-state-buckeyes-football-team)

Pac-10 champion Rose Bowl champion

The 1979 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California (USC) in the 1979 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their fourth year under head coach John Robinson, the Trojans compiled an 11–0–1 record (6–0–1 against conference opponents), won the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) championship, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 389 to 171. The team was ranked #2 in both the final AP Poll and the final UPI Coaches Poll.

Quarterback Paul McDonald led the team in passing, completing 164 of 264 passes for 2,223 yards with 18 touchdowns and six interceptions. Charles White led the team in rushing with 332 carries for 2,050 yards and 19 touchdowns. Danny Garcia led the team in receiving with 29 catches for 492 yards and three touchdowns.

The team was named national champion by the College Football Researchers Association, an NCAA-designated major selector.

Schedule

|{{CFB schedule entry | w/l = w |{{CFB schedule entry | w/l = w |{{CFB schedule entry | w/l = w |{{CFB schedule entry | w/l = w |{{CFB schedule entry | w/l = w |{{CFB schedule entry | w/l = t |{{CFB schedule entry | w/l = w |{{CFB schedule entry | w/l = w |{{CFB schedule entry | w/l = w |{{CFB schedule entry | w/l = w |{{CFB schedule entry | w/l = w |{{CFB schedule entry | w/l = w

Game summaries

At Texas Tech

At Oregon State

Paul McDonald completed eight of nine passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns in just one half of action while Charles White watched from the sidelines with an injured shoulder. McDonald led the Trojans to touchdowns on their first five possessions before he and the rest of USC starters sat for the second half.

Minnesota

At LSU

Washington State

Stanford

  • Charles White 32 rushes, 221 yards

At Notre Dame

;First quarter

  • No scoring ;Second quarter
  • USC – Garcia 12-yard pass from McDonald (Hipp kick). USC 7–0.
  • ND – Ferguson 1-yard run (Male kick). Tie 7–7. ;Third quarter
  • USC – White 3-yard run (Hipp kick). USC 14–7
  • USC – White 1-yard run (Hipp kick). USC 21–7.
  • ND – Ferguson 21-yard run (Male kick). USC 21–14. ;Fourth quarter
  • USC – Williams 12-yard pass from McDonald (Hipp kick). USC 28–14.
  • ND – Stone 2-yard run (kick failed). USC 28–20.
  • USC – White 1-yard run (Hipp kick). USC 35–20.
  • USC – White 1-yard run (Hipp kick). USC 42–20.
  • ND – Male 42-yard field goal. USC 42–23. ;Top rushers
  • USC – Charles White – 44 rushes, 261 yards, 4 TD

At California

;First quarter

  • USC – James Hunter 3-yard pass from Paul McDonald (Eric Hipp kick). USC 7–0. ;Second quarter
  • CAL – Darnell Chapman 74-yard blocked field goal return (Mick Luckhurst kick). Tie 7–7. ;Third quarter
  • No scoring ;Fourth quarter
  • USC – Charles White 2-yard run (Eric Hipp kick). USC 14–7.
  • CAL – Matt Bouza 13-yard pass from Rich Campbell (Mick Luckhurst kick), 5:24. Tie 14–14.
  • USC – Eric Hipp 45-yard field goal, 2:46. ''USC 17–7. '''Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards.'''''
  • USC – Charles White 5-yard run (Eric Hipp kick), 0:02. USC 24–7. ;Top passers
  • USC – Paul McDonald – 15/35, 212 yards, TD
  • CAL – Rich Campbell – 24/40, 266 yards, TD ;Top rushers
  • USC – Charles White – 44 rushes, 198 yards, 2 TD
  • CAL – Paul Jones – 13 rushes, 36 yards ;Top receivers
  • USC – Ray Butler – 4 receptions, 56 yards
  • CAL – Matt Bouza – 7 receptions, 101 yards, TD

Arizona

At Washington

;First quarter

  • WASH – Lansford 30-yard field goal. Washington 3–0. ;Second quarter
  • USC – Garcia 8-yard pass from McDonald (Hipp kick). USC 7–3.
  • USC – Hipp 31-yard field goal. USC 10–3. ;Third quarter
  • USC – K. Williams 19-yard pass from McDonald (Hipp kick). USC 17–3.
  • WASH – Flick 1-yard run (Lansford kick). USC 17–10. ;Fourth quarter
  • WASH – Skansi 12-yard pass from Flick (Lansford kick). Tie 17–17.
  • USC – M. Allen 10-yard run (Hipp kick). USC 24–17. ;Top rushers
  • USC – Charles White – 38 rushes, 243 yards

Vs. UCLA

;First quarter

  • USC – Charles White 2-yard run (Eric Hipp kick). USC 7–0.
  • USC – Ronnie Lott 30-yard interception return (Eric Hipp kick). USC 14–0. ;Second quarter
  • USC – Charles White 1-yard run (Eric Hipp kick). USC 21–0.
  • USC – Charles White 26-yard run (Eric Hipp kick). USC 28–0.
  • USC – Charles White 2-yard run (Eric Hipp kick). USC 35–0. ;Third quarter
  • UCLA – Jo-Jo Townsell 79-yard pass from Rick Bashore (Peter Boermeester kick). USC 35–7.
  • USC – Vic Rakhshani 5-yard pass from Paul McDonald (Eric Hipp kick). USC 42–7. ;Fourth quarter
  • UCLA – Jo-Jo Townsell 5-yard pass from Rick Bashore (Peter Boermeester kick). USC 42–14.
  • USC – Michael Hayes 54-yard run (Eric Hipp kick). USC 49–14. ;Top passers
  • UCLA – Rick Bashore – 9/17, 224 yards, 2 TD, INT
  • USC – Paul McDonald – 17/23, 199 yards, TD, INT ;Top rushers
  • UCLA – Freeman McNeil – 30 rushes, 120 yards
  • USC – Charles White – 35 rushes, 194 yards, 4 TD ;Top receivers
  • UCLA – Jo-Jo Townsell – 5 receptions, 129 yards, 2 TD
  • USC – Rod Garcia – 3 receptions, 42 yards

Rose Bowl (vs. Ohio State)

  • Charles White 39 rushes, 247 yards

Roster

1979 team players in the NFL

  • Marcus Allen
  • Chip Banks
  • Hoby Brenner
  • Joey Browner
  • Brad Budde
  • Steve Busick
  • Ray Butler
  • Dennis Johnson
  • Myron Lapka
  • Ronnie Lott
  • Jeff Fisher
  • Chris Foote
  • Roy Foster
  • Bruce Matthews
  • Paul McDonald
  • Larry McGrew
  • Don Mosebar
  • Anthony Muñoz
  • Eric Scoggins
  • Dennis Smith
  • Keith Van Horne
  • Charles White

Awards and honors

  • Brad Budde, Lombardi Award
  • Charles White, Heisman Trophy
  • Charles White, Maxwell Award
  • Charles White, Walter Camp Award

References

References

  1. "Southern California Yearly Results (1975-1979)". David DeLassus.
  2. "1979 Southern California Trojans Stats". Sports Reference LLC.
  3. (August 2018). "2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records". National Collegiate Athletic Association.
  4. (September 9, 1979). "White injured early, but Southern Cal wins". Wisconsin State Journal.
  5. (September 16, 1979). "Top-ranked USC destroys Oregon State by 42–5". The Tampa Tribune-Times.
  6. (September 23, 1979). "USC rambles past Minnesota". The Courier-Journal.
  7. (September 30, 1979). "For 59 minutes USC isn't even No. 1 in Baton Rouge". The Los Angeles Times.
  8. (October 7, 1979). "McDonald sparks USC win". Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
  9. (October 14, 1979). "Trojans are left in a daze". The Daily Breeze.
  10. (October 21, 1979). "Southern Cal attack grinds Irish, 42–23". The Cincinnati Enquirer.
  11. (October 28, 1979). "Southern Cal salvages win in late spree". Tallahassee Democrat.
  12. (November 4, 1979). "USC star sets 3 records in 34–7 rout of Arizona". The Kansas City Star.
  13. (November 11, 1979). "USC tames Huskies and smells Roses". Winston-Salem Journal.
  14. (November 25, 1979). "Trojans smash Bruins, 49–14". The San Francisco Examiner.
  15. (January 2, 1980). "White carries Southern Cal over Ohio State". The Pittsburgh Press.
  16. "1979 USC Trojans Schedule and Results". Sports Reference LLC.
  17. Ocala Star-Banner. 1979 Sept 16. Page 2C. Retrieved 2021-Sep-12.
  18. [https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/usctrojans.com/documents/2020/10/6/usc_trojans_football_2020_media_guide_extra_pages.pdf 2020 USC Media Guide Supplement]
  19. [https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/usctrojans.com/documents/2020/10/6/usc_trojans_football_2020_media_guide_extra_pages.pdf 2020 USC Media Guide Supplement]
  20. "Late scores sends Trojans past Bears." Eugene Register-Guard. 1979 Oct 28. Retrieved 2021-Sep-24.
  21. (November 11, 1979). "USC Wins Bowl Berth Unless...". [[The Register-Guard]].
  22. [https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/usctrojans.com/documents/2020/10/6/usc_trojans_football_2020_media_guide_extra_pages.pdf 2020 USC Media Guide Supplement]
  23. "SC Gets Roses, White Wants Trophy." Eugene Register-Guard. 1979 Nov 25. Retrieved 2020-Oct-01.
  24. [https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/usctrojans.com/documents/2020/10/6/usc_trojans_football_2020_media_guide_extra_pages.pdf 2020 USC Media Guide Supplement]
  25. "Heisman.com - Heisman Trophy".
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

1979-pacific-10-conference-football-season usc-trojans-football-seasons pac-12-conference-football-champion-seasons rose-bowl-champion-seasons college-football-undefeated-seasons 1979-in-sports-in-california
Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about 1979 USC Trojans football team — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report