File:1888-USC-football-team.gif The first USC football squad (1888).
From its inaugural season in 1888 until the school dropped football for rugby from 1911 to 1913, the University of Southern California football team was known as the Methodists or Wesleyens . Most seasons the Methodists played without a head coach and most coaches served only one year, with Harvey Holmes serving the longest for four seasons. The team played nearly all its games in Southern California, with no games outside California . After USC played rugby for three seasons, during which they gained the nickname "Trojans", the university again fielded a football team in 1914 under the supervision of Ralph Glaze .
1888 [ ]
1888 USC Methodists football
Conference
Independent
1888 record
2–0
Head coach
Henry Goddard , Frank Suffel
Seasons
Date
Opponent
Site
Result
November 14
Alliance AC
USC Campus • Los Angeles, CA
W 16–0
January 19
vs. Alliance AC
Downtown lot • Los Angeles, CA
W 4–0
1889 [ ]
1889 USC Methodists football
Conference
Independent
1889 record
2–0
Head coach
No Coach
Seasons
1891 [ ]
1891 USC Methodists football
Conference
Independent
1891 record
1–2
Head coach
No Coach
Seasons
Date
Opponent
Site
Result
November 26
Olive Club
Los Angeles, CA
L 12–16
January 23
SC Academy
Los Angeles, CA
W 34–0
February 22
Loyola
Los Angeles, CA
L 2–10
1893 [ ]
1893 USC Methodists football
Conference
Independent
1893 record
3–1
Head coach
No Coach
Seasons
Date
Opponent
Site
Result
Attendance
January 14
Chaw-sir Club
Los Angeles, CA
W 14–2
200
November 18
at Throop
Pasadena, CA
W 22–12
–
December 11
at Chaffey College
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
L 6–32
–
December 22
Throop
Los Angeles, CA
W 14–4
100
1894 [ ]
1894 USC Methodists football
Conference
Independent
1894 record
1–0
Head coach
No Coach
Seasons
1895 [ ]
1895 USC Methodists football
Conference
Independent
1895 record
0–1–1
Head coach
No Coach
Seasons
1896 [ ]
1896 USC Methodists football
Conference
Independent
1896 record
0–3
Head coach
No Coach
Seasons
Date
Opponent
Site
Result
Attendance
October 24
Whittier Reform
Los Angeles, CA
L 0–30
–
October 31
vs. Los Angeles AC
Athletic Park • Los Angeles, CA
L 0–22
1,500
November 14
vs. Throop
Athletic Park • Los Angeles, CA
L 0–22
–
1897 [ ]
1897 USC Methodists football
Conference
Independent
1897 record
5–1
Head coach
Lewis Freeman
Seasons
Date
Opponent
Site
Result
Attendance
–
Loyola
Los Angeles, CA
W 34–0
–
November 6
vs. Los Angeles High School
Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA
W 10–0
500
November 13
vs. Chaffey
Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA
W 38–0
250
November 25
at Pomona
Claremont, CA
W 6–0
–
December 25
at San Diego YMCA
San Diego, CA
L 0–18
–
January 1
at Ventura
Ventura, CA
W 12–0
–
1898 [ ]
1898 USC Methodists football
Conference
Independent
1898 record
5–1–1
Head coach
No Coach
Seasons
Date
Opponent
Site
Result
October 15
vs. Los Angeles High School
Athletic Park • Los Angeles, CA
T 0–0
October 22
Pasadena AC
Los Angeles, CA
W 17–0
November 19
vs. Los Angeles High School
Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA
L 0–6
November 24
vs. Pomona
Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA
W 14–11
November 26
vs. Company F, 1st Battalion, 7th Regiment, California National Guard
Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA
W 34–0
December 3
vs. Phoenix Indian School
Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA
W 27–11
January 2
at Santa Barbara AC
Santa Barbara, CA
W 5–0
1899 [ ]
1899 USC Methodists football
Conference
Independent
1899 record
2–3–1
Head coach
No Coach
Seasons
Date
Opponent
Site
Result
Attendance
October 21
Whittier
Los Angeles, CA
W 11–0
–
November 4
at Santa Ana High School
Santa Ana, CA
L 0–11
–
November 8
Occidental
Los Angeles, CA
W 11–0
–
November 15
Occidental
Los Angeles, CA
T 0–0
–
November 30
at Pomona
Pomona, CA
L 0–12
2,000
January 1
at Santa Barbara AC
Santa Barbara, CA
L 0–10
–
1900 [ ]
1900 USC Methodists football
Conference
Independent
1900 record
1–1–1
Head coach
No Coach
Seasons
Date
Opponent
Site
Result
Attendance
November 10
at Occidental
Los Angeles, CA
W 5–0
–
November 24
vs. Los Angeles High School
Washington Park • Los Angeles, CA
T 0–0
–
November 29
vs. Pomona
Washington Park • Los Angeles, CA
L 0–11
1,200
1901 [ ]
1901 USC Methodists football
Conference
Independent
1901 record
0–1
Head coach
No Coach
Seasons
Date
Opponent
Site
Result
December 7
at Pomona
Pomona, CA
L 0–6
1902 [ ]
1902 USC Methodists football
Conference
Independent
1902 record
2–3
Head coach
No Coach
Seasons
Date
Opponent
Site
Result
Attendance
October 11
vs. Loyola
Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA
L 5–6
400
October 25
at Santa Ana
Santa Ana, CA
L 2–5
–
November 7
Santa Ana
Los Angeles, CA
W 6–0
–
November 15
Pomona
Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA
W 16–5
–
November 22
at Sherman Institute
Perris, CA
L 0–28
–
1903 [ ]
1903 USC Methodists football
Conference
Independent
1903 record
4–2
Head coach
John Walker
Seasons
Date
Opponent
Site
Result
Attendance
October 10
Throop
Prager Park • Los Angeles, CA
W 5–0
500
October 17
Los Angeles High School
Prager Park • Los Angeles, CA
W 10–0
500
October 24
Occidental
Prager Park • Los Angeles, CA
L 0–5
600
October 31
Loyola
Prager Park • Los Angeles, CA
W 12–5
–
November 7
Orange AC
Prager Park • Los Angeles, CA
W 31–5
–
November 14
Sherman Institute
Prager Park • Los Angeles, CA
L 0–12
–
1904 [ ]
1904 USC Methodists football
Conference
Independent
1904 record
6–1
Head coach
Harvey Holmes
Seasons
Date
Opponent
Site
Result
Attendance
October 15
vs. Los Angeles High School
Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA
W 42–0
1,600
October 22
Throop
Los Angeles, CA
W 35–0
200
October 29
Occidental
Los Angeles, CA
W 36–4
–
November 5
Loyola
Los Angeles, CA
W Forfeit
–
November 5
USC Prep
Los Angeles, CA
W 26–0
–
November 12
vs. Sherman Institute
Eagle Park • Long Beach, CA
L 0–17
–
November 19
at Whittier
Whittier, CA
W 60–6
–
1905 [ ]
1905 USC Methodists football
Conference
Independent
1905 record
6–3–1
Head coach
Harvey Holmes
Seasons
Date
Opponent
Site
Result
Attendance
October 4
Company F, National Guard
Los Angeles, CA
W 28–0
–
October 4
Harvard School
Los Angeles, CA
W 12–0
300
October 16
Los Angeles Poly High School
Los Angeles, CA
W 27–0
–
October 18
Whittier
Los Angeles, CA
W 75–0
–
November 1
Alumni
Los Angeles, CA
W 63–0
–
November 4
at Stanford
Stanford, CA
L 0–16
–
November 11
at Occidental
Los Angeles, CA
L 0–10
–
November 25
vs. Sherman Institute
Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA
L 0–15
800
December 2
Loyola
Los Angeles, CA
T 0–0
–
December 9
vs. Pomona
Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA
W 6–4
600
1906 [ ]
1906 USC Methodists football
Conference
Independent
1906 record
2–0–2
Head coach
Harvey Holmes
Seasons
Date
Opponent
Site
Result
Attendance
October 6
vs. Los Angeles High School
Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA
T 0–0
–
October 13
Occidental
Los Angeles, CA
W 22–0
4,000
November 17
at Pomona
Pomona, CA
W 14–0
–
November 29
vs. Sherman Institute
Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA
T 0–0
4,000
1907 [ ]
1907 USC Methodists football
Conference
Independent
1907 record
5–1
Head coach
Harvey Holmes
Seasons
Date
Opponent
Site
Result
Attendance
October 12
vs. Los Angeles High School
Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA
W 6–0
2,000
October 16
Whittier
Los Angeles, CA
W 57–0
–
October 26
at Santa Ana High School
Santa Ana, CA
W 51–0
–
November 9
Whittier
Los Angeles, CA
W 46–0
800
November 15
USS Colorado
Los Angeles, CA
W 16–4
1,200
December 25
vs. Los Angeles High School
Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA
L 6–16
2,200
1908 [ ]
1908 USC Methodists football
Conference
Independent
1908 record
3–1–1
Head coach
Bill Traeger
Seasons
Date
Opponent
Site
Result
Attendance
October 10
vs. Los Angeles High School
Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA
L 0–12
2,500
October 17
Whittier
Los Angeles, CA
W 15–0
–
October 24
at Arrowhead AC
–
W 28–0
–
November 7
Occidental
Los Angeles, cA
W 14–0
–
November 14
at Pomona
Pomona, CA
T 6–6
–
1909 [ ]
1909 USC Methodists football
Conference
Independent
1909 record
3–1–2
Head coach
Dean Cromwell
Seasons
1910 [ ]
1910 USC Methodists football
Conference
Independent
1910 record
7–0–1
Head coach
Dean Cromwell
Seasons
Date
Opponent
Site
Result
Attendance
October 5
Long Beach Poly High School
Los Angeles, CA
W 22–6
–
October 8
Chaffey High School
Los Angeles, CA
W 65–6
–
October 15
at Throop Academy
–
W 9–0
–
October 22
at San Diego High School
San Diego, CA
W 32–0
–
October 29
at Redlands
Redlands, CA
W 35–0
–
November 5
Occidental
Los Angeles, CA
W 6–0
5,000
November 12
at Whittier
Whittier, CA
W 11–3
300
November 19
at Pomona
Pomona, CA
T 9–9
4,000
References [ ]