The 1972 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California during the 1972 college football season .
Schedule [ ]
Date Opponent Rank Site Result Attendance September 9 at No. 4 Arkansas * No. 8 W 31–1054,461
September 16 Oregon State No. 1 W 51–656,305
September 23 at Illinois * No. 1 W 55–2061,277
September 30 Michigan State * No. 1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA W 51–663,934
October 7 at No. 15 Stanford No. 1 W 30–2184,000
October 14 California No. 1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA W 42–1456,488
October 21 No. 18 Washington No. 1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA W 34–759,151
October 28 Oregon No. 1 W 18–032,000
November 4 vs. Washington State No. 1 W 44–346,000
November 18 at No. 14 UCLA No. 1 W 24–782,929
December 2 No. 10 Notre Dame * No. 1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA (Jeweled Shillelagh ) W 45–2375,243
January 1, 1973 vs. No. 3 Ohio State * No. 1 W 42–17106,869
*Non-conference game HomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
Game summaries [ ]
Arkansas [ ]
by Quarter
1
2
3
4
Total
• USC
0
3
14
14
31
Arkansas
3
0
0
7
10
Scoring summary
Q1
ARK Bolton 27-yard field goal ARK 3–0
Q2
USC Rae 26-yard field goalTie 3–3
Q3
USC Rae 5-yard run (Rae kick) USC 10–3
Q3
USC McNeill 18-yard run (Rae kick)USC 17–3
Q4
USC McNeill 3-yard run (Rae kick) USC 24–3
Q4
ARK Richardson 1-yard run (Bolton kick) USC 24–10
Q4
USC Cunningham 18-yard run (Rae kick)USC 31–10
Tailback Rod McNeill , who sat out the previous year with a hip injury, led the Trojans with 117 yards on 28 carries while Mike Rae , a backup for two seasons, completed 18 of 24 passes for 269 yards and in the second half completed nine straight passes at one point in his first start.
[1]
Oregon State [ ]
by Quarter
1
2
3
4
Total
Oregon St
0
6
0
0
6
• USC
7
13
17
14
51
Scoring summary
Q1
11:20
USC McNeill 14-yard run (Rae kick) USC 7–0
Q2
14:37
USC McNeill 2-yard run (Rae kick) USC 14–0
Q2
9:40
ORST Morris 10-yard run (kick failed) USC 14–6
Q2
7:35
USC McNeill 5-yard run (kick failed) USC 20–6
Q3
8:48
USC Rae 20-yard field goal USC 23–6
Q3
3:11
USC Young 37-yard pass from Rae (Rae kick) USC 30–6
Q3
1:32
USC McKay 3-yard pass from Rae (Rae kick) USC 37–6
Q4
4:19
USC Haden 10-yard run (Rae kick) USC 44–6
Q4
:55
USC Washmara 1-yard run (Rae kick) USC 51–6
[2]
Illinois [ ]
by Quarter
1
2
3
4
Total
• USC
7
13
15
20
55
Illinois
7
7
6
0
20
Scoring summary
Q1
4:26
ILL Hayes 5-yard run (Rucks kick) ILL 7–0
Q1
USC Garrison 58-yard pass from Rae (Rae kick) Tie 7–7
Q2
ILL Uremovich 5-yard run (Rucks kick) ILL 14–7
Q2
USC Davis 2-yard run (Rae kick) Tie 14–14
Q2
:21
USC McKay 31-yard pass from Rae (kick failed) USC 20–14
Q3
USC Davis 2-yard run (McKay pass from Davis) USC 28–14
Q3
ILL Hayes 1-yard run (run failed) USC 28–20
Q3
USC Cunningham 2-yard run (Rae kick) USC 35–20
Q4
USC Sims 35-yard blocked punt return (Rae kick) USC 42–20
Q4
USC McKay 6-yard pass from Haden (Rae kick) USC 49–20
Q4
USC Carter 1-yard run (kick failed) USC 55–20
[3] [4]
Michigan State [ ]
by Quarter
1
2
3
4
Total
Michigan St
0
6
0
0
6
• USC
14
7
3
27
51
Scoring summary
Q1
USC Swann 92-yard punt return (Rae kick)USC 7–0
Q1
USC McNeill 8-yard run (Rae kick)USC 14–0
Q2
USC McKay 9-yard pass from Rae (Rae kick)USC 21–0
Q2
MSU Werner 1-yard run (pass failed) USC 21–6
Q3
USC Rae 20-yard field goal USC 24–6
Q4
USC Wood 25-yard interception return (Rae kick)USC 31–6
Q4
USC Moore 9-yard pass from Haden (kick failed) USC 37–6
Q4
USC Carter 21-yard run (Limahelu kick) USC 44–6
Q4
USC Swann 30-yard pass from Haden (Limahelu kick) USC 51–6
[5]
Stanford [ ]
by Quarter
1
2
3
4
Total
• USC
13
7
3
7
30
Stanford
10
3
0
8
21
Scoring summary
Q1
STAN J. Ferguson recovered fumble in end zone (Garcia kick) STAN 7–0
Q1
USC Davis 8-yard run (Rae kick) Tie 7–7
Q1
STAN Garcia 49-yard field goal STAN 10–7
Q1
USC Cunningham 2-yard run (kick failed) USC 13–10
Q2
STAN Garcia 35-yard field goal Tie 13–13
Q2
USC Davis 1-yard run (Rae kick) USC 20–13
Q3
USC Rae 37-yard field goal USC 23–13
Q4
5:40
USC Swann 4-yard pass from Haden (Rae kick) USC 30–13
Q4
STAN Cross 30-yard pass from Boryla (Stone pass from Boryla) USC 30–21
[6]
California [ ]
by Quarter
1
2
3
4
Total
California
0
0
7
7
14
• USC
14
7
14
7
42
Scoring summary
1
USC Cunningham 1-yard run (Rae kick) USC 7-0
1
USC Rae 10-yard run (Rae kick) USC 14-0
2
USC Cunningham 1-yard run (Rae kick) USC 21-0
3
CAL Schmidt 3-yard pass from Cruze (Wersching kick) USC 21-7
3
USC Rae 8-yard run (Rae kick) USC 28-7
3
USC Young 40-yard pass from Haden (Rae kick) USC 35-7
4
USC Young 9-yard pass from Haden (Rae kick) USC 42-7
4
CAL Youngblood 1-yard run (Wersching kick) USC 42-14
[7]
Washington [ ]
by Quarter
1
2
3
4
Total
Washington
0
0
0
7
7
• USC
7
13
14
0
34
Scoring summary
Q1
USC Cunningham 2-yard run (Rae kick) USC 7–0
Q2
USC Davis 44-yard run (Rae kick) USC 14–0
Q2
USC Rae 22-yard field goal USC 17–0
Q2
USC Rae 26-yard field goal USC 20–0
Q3
USC Davis 14-yard run (Rae kick) USC 27–0
Q3
USC Cunningham 1-yard run (Rae kick) USC 34–0
Q4
WASH Fitzpatrick 10-yard run (Wiezbowski kick) USC 34–7
[8]
Oregon [ ]
by Quarter
1
2
3
4
Total
• USC
0
0
12
6
18
Oregon
0
0
0
0
0
Scoring summary
Q3
6:06
USC Davis 48-yard run USC 6–0
Q3
3:58
USC Davis 55-yard run USC 12–0
Q4
5:45
USC Cunningham 2-yard run USC 18–0
On a very rainy and cold day, the Trojans were held to their lowest score of the season.
[9]
Washington State [ ]
by Quarter
1
2
3
4
Total
• USC
3
14
7
20
44
Washington State
3
0
0
0
3
Scoring summary
1
USC Rae 23-yard field goal USC 3-0
1
WSU Danelo 50-yard field goal Tied 3-3
2
USC Rae 11-yard run (Rae kick) USC 10-3
2
USC Davis 3-yard run (Rae kick) USC 17-3
3
USC Davis 6-yard run (Rae kick) USC 24-3
4
USC Davis 14-yard run (Rae kick) USC 31-3
4
USC Moore 1-yard run (kick failed) USC 37-3
4
USC Powell 21-yard interception return (Rae kick) USC 44-3
[10]
UCLA [ ]
by Quarter
1
2
3
4
Total
• USC
10
7
7
0
24
UCLA
7
0
0
0
7
Scoring summary
Q1
USC Rae 32-yard field goal USC 3–0
Q1
USC Davis 23-yard run (Rae kick) USC 10–0
Q1
UCLA McAlister 2-yard run (Herrera kick) USC 10–7
Q2
USC McNeill 1-yard run (Rae kick) USC 17–7
Q3
USC Rae 7-yard run (Rae kick) USC 24–7
Anthony Davis 25 Rush, 178 Yds
[11]
Notre Dame [ ]
by Quarter
1
2
3
4
Total
Notre Dame
3
7
13
0
23
• USC
19
0
13
13
45
Scoring summary
1
USC Davis 97-yard kickoff return (kick failed) USC 6-0
1
ND Thomas 45-yard field goal USC 6-3
1
USC Davis 1-yard run (Rae kick) USC 13-3
1
USC Davis 5-yard run (kick failed) USC 19-3
2
ND W. Townsend 5-yard pass from Clements (Thomas kick) USC 19-10
3
USC Davis 4-yard run (run failed) USC 25-10
3
ND Diminick 11-yard pass from Clements (Thomas kick) USC 25-17
3
ND Creaney 10-yard pass from Clements (pass failed) USC 25-23
4
USC Davis 96-yard kickoff return (Rae kick) USC 32-23
4
USC Davis 8-yard run (Rae kick) USC 39-23
4
USC Cunningham 1-yard run (kick failed) USC 45-23
[12]
Rose Bowl [ ]
by Quarter
1
2
3
4
Total
Ohio St
0
7
3
7
17
• USC
7
0
21
14
42
Scoring summary
Q1
USC Swann 10-yard pass from Rae (Rae kick) USC 7–0
Q2
OHST Keith 1-yard run (Conway kick) Tie 7–7
Q3
USC Cunningham 2-yard run (Rae kick) USC 14–7
Q3
OHST Conway 21-yard field goal USC 14–10
Q3
USC Davis 20-yard run (Rae kick) USC 21–10
Q3
USC Cunningham 1-yard run (Rae kick) USC 28–10
Q4
USC Cunningham 1-yard run (Rae kick) USC 35–10
Q4
USC Cunningham 1-yard run (Rae kick) USC 42–10
Q4
OHST Bledsoe 5-yard run (Conway kick) USC 42–17
[13]
References [ ]
↑ "Rae leads Southern Cal to 31-10 rout of Arkansas."
↑ Eugene Register-Guard. 1972 Sept 17.
↑ "USC Buries Illinois." 1972 Sept 24.
↑ "Trojans Rip Illinois." Palm Beach Post. 1972 Sept 24.
↑ "Top-rated Trojans blitz Sparts, 51–6." Eugene Register-Guard. 1972 Oct 1.
↑ "USC gets revenge as Cards halted." Eugene Register-Guard. 1972 Oct 8.
↑ Eugene Register-Guard. 1972 Oct 15.
↑ "Trojans overpower Washington by 34-7." Eugene Register-Guard. 1972 Oct 22.
↑ Eugene Register-Guard. 1972 Oct 29.
↑ [1]
↑ "Trojans roll past Bruins, 24-7." Eugene Register-Guard. 1972 Nov 19.
↑ "Davis' spree leads USC to 45-23 rout." Eugene Register-Guard. 1972 Dec 3.
↑ "It's 'bring on Miami' after USC wins easily." Eugene Register-Guard. 1973 Jan 2.
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