1972 USC Trojans football team

The 1972 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California (USC) during the 1972 NCAA University Division football season. The Trojans won all twelve of their games, outscored their opponents 467–134, and were consensus national champions.

1972 USC Trojans football
Consensus national champion
Pac-8 champion
Rose Bowl champion
Rose Bowl, W 42–17 vs. Ohio State
ConferencePacific-8 Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 1
APNo. 1
Record12–0 (7–0 Pac-8)
Head coach
  • John McKay (13th season)
Captains
  • Sam Cunningham
  • John Grant
Home stadiumLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Seasons
← 1971
1973 →
1972 Pacific-8 Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 1 USC $ 7 0 0 12 0 0
No. 15 UCLA 5 2 0 8 3 0
No. 19 Washington State 4 3 0 7 4 0
Washington 4 3 0 8 3 0
California 3 4 0 3 8 0
Oregon 2 5 0 5 6 0
Stanford 2 5 0 6 5 0
Oregon State 1 6 0 2 9 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 9at No. 4 Arkansas*No. 8
  • War Memorial Stadium
  • Little Rock, AR
W 31–1054,461
September 16Oregon StateNo. 1
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA
W 51–656,305
September 23at Illinois*No. 1
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
W 55–2061,227
September 30Michigan State*No. 1
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA
W 51–663,934
October 71:30 p.m.at No. 15 StanfordNo. 1
  • Stanford Stadium
  • Stanford, CA (rivalry)
W 30–2184,000
October 141:31 p.m.CaliforniaNo. 1
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA
W 42–1456,488
October 21No. 18 WashingtonNo. 1
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA
W 34–759,151
October 28at OregonNo. 1
  • Autzen Stadium
  • Eugene, OR
W 18–032,000
November 4vs. Washington StateNo. 1
  • Husky Stadium
  • Seattle, WA
W 44–346,500
November 18at No. 14 UCLANo. 1
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA (Victory Bell)
W 24–782,929
December 2No. 10 Notre Dame*No. 1
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA (rivalry)
W 45–2375,243
January 1, 1973vs. No. 3 Ohio State*No. 1
  • Rose Bowl
  • Pasadena, CA (Rose Bowl)
W 42–17106,869
  • *Non-conference game
  • Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Pacific time
  • Source:

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes
Week
PollPre12345678910111213Final
AP81 (13)1 (28)1 (28)1 (36)1 (34)1(28)1 (44)1 (41)1 (40)1 (42)1 (44)1 (46)1 (50)1 (50)
Coaches82 (11)1 (14)1 (20)1 (22)1 (21)1 (22)1 (32)1 (31)1 (27)1 (31)1 (31)1 (31)1 (35)Not released

Game summaries

At No. 4 Arkansas

Team 1 234Total
No. 8 Trojans 0 31414 31
No. 4 Razorbacks 3 007 10
  • Date: September 9
  • Location: War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock, AR
  • Game attendance: 54,461
   

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.

Oregon State

Team 1 234Total
Beavers 0 600 6
No. 1 Trojans 7 131714 51
  • Date: September 16
  • Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
  • Game attendance: 56,305

  • Anthony Davis 25 rushes, 206 yards

At Illinois

Team 1 234Total
No. 1 Trojans 7 131520 55
Fighting Illini 7 760 20
  • Date: September 23
  • Location: Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL
  • Game attendance: 61,277

Michigan State

Team 1 234Total
Spartans 0 600 6
No. 1 Trojans 14 7327 51
  • Date: September 30
  • Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
  • Game attendance: 63,934
     

At No. 15 Stanford

Team 1 234Total
No. 1 Trojans 13 737 30
No. 15 Cardinals 10 308 21
  • Date: October 7
  • Location: Stanford Stadium, Stanford, CA
  • Game attendance: 84,000

California

Team 1 234Total
Golden Bears 0 077 14
No. 1 Trojans 14 7147 42
  • Date: October 14
  • Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum • Los Angeles, California
  • Game attendance: 56,488

No. 18 Washington

Team 1 234Total
Huskies 0 007 7
No. 1 Trojans 7 13140 34
  • Date: October 21
  • Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
  • Game attendance: 59,151

At Oregon

Team 1 234Total
No. 1 Trojans 0 0126 18
Webfoots 0 000 0
  • Date: October 28
  • Location: Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR
  • Game attendance: 32,000

On a very rainy and cold day, the Trojans were held to their lowest score of the season.

Washington State

Team 1 234Total
No. 1 Trojans 3 14720 44
Cougars 3 000 3
  • Date: November 4
  • Location: Husky Stadium, Seattle, WA

At No. 14 UCLA

Team 1 234Total
No. 1 Trojans 10 770 24
No. 14 Bruins 7 000 7
  • Date: November 18
  • Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
  • Game attendance: 82,929
  • TV announcers (ABC): Chris Schenkel, Bud Wilkinson
  

Anthony Davis 25 Rush, 178 Yds

No. 10 Notre Dame

Team 1 234Total
No. 10 Fighting Irish 3 7130 23
No. 1 Trojans 19 01313 45
  • Date: December 2
  • Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
  • Game attendance: 75,243
       

Vs. No. 3 Ohio State (Rose Bowl)

Team 1 234Total
No. 3 Buckeyes 0 737 17
No. 1 Trojans 7 02114 42
  • Date: January 1
  • Location: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
  • Game attendance: 106,869
     
  • John McKay's 100th career victory
  • Anthony Davis 157 Rush Yds
  • Sam Cunningham set Rose Bowl scoring record (previous - 18 by three players)

Roster

1972 USC Trojans football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
QB 10 Pat Haden So
QB 6 Mike Rae Sr
RB Allen Carter So
RB 39 Sam Cunningham Sr
RB 28 Anthony Davis So
RB 27 Rod McNeill Jr
WR 22 Lynn Swann Jr
OT 77 Pete Adams Sr
TE 89 Charle Young Sr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DE John Grant
DT Karl Lorch
DT Greg Marderian
DT Jeff Winans
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
K 6 Mike Rae Sr
Head coach
  • John McKay
Coordinators/assistant coaches
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured
  • Redshirt

Roster: Undefeated University of Southern California football team: John McKay (Head Coach); Willie Brown (Assistant Coach); Anthony Davis #28 A.D.; Danny Reece #46; J.D. Winans #92; Jim Lee #96; Dale Mitchell #85; Rob Adolph #9; Rod McNeill; Chris Vella #81; Ray Rodriguez #52; Steve Fate #47; Manfred Moore #44; Ken Gray #37; J.K. McKay; Chris Chaney #15; Allen Carter #21; Charles Phillips #45; Charlie Hinton #26; Edesel Garrison; Mike Smith; Marvin Cobb #24; Monte Doris #72; Cliff Culbreath #54; Steve Riley; Charles Anthony #55; Wayne Fontes; James Givehand #88; Sam Cunningham #39; Pete Adams #77; Mike Rae; Karl Lorch #79; Mike Hancock #95; Glen Byrd #82; James Psycho Sims #41; George Follett #70; Bob McCaffrey; Mike Ryan #68; Eddie Johnson #11; Alan Pekarcik #48; Booker Brown; Allan Graf #61; Coach Marv Goux; and John Robinson

NFL draft

Ten Trojans were selected in the 1973 NFL draft, with three in the first round.

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