A Thrilling But Rarely Discussed USC vs. No. 1 Opponent Game

USC.IOWA.1961I’ve never heard anyone mention this game to me before but in 1961, USC played No. 1-ranked Iowa at the Coliseum. The Trojans trailed 21-0 before quarterback Bill Nelsen scored on a keeper. USC cut the lead to 21-14 on a keeper by QB Pete Beathard.  Nelsen threw a TD pass to left end Phil Hoover to tie the game, 21-21, before Iowa scored two touchdowns to lead 35-21.

Nelsen then threw a 71-yard TD pass to wide receiver Hal Bedsole. Nelsen and Bedsole connected on a 5-yard TD pass with 48 seconds left in the game to make it 35-34. John McKay then elected for a 2-point conversion. Nelson passed again to Bedsole, who is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. The pass was incomplete and Iowa hung on for the 35-34 victory.

Two notes: The game was on national TV, which explains to me why the Trojans wore their numbers on their helmets (see fullback Ben Wilson below). When USC played in the 1963 Rose Bowl, it was asked to wear numbers on the helmets for identification purposes. Also, the crowd was just 30,263. For a game against a No. 1 team?

BEN.WILSON.1961

27 thoughts on “A Thrilling But Rarely Discussed USC vs. No. 1 Opponent Game

  1. HAHAHAH! way to go for 2 at the wrong time, McKay!!

    EVERYONE knows you go for the TIE at home! What an IDIOT!!

    No one goes for 2pt conversion at home in win lose situation! you have the HOME FIELD advantage!! what a bow-ner!!!! Hah Hah Hah!!! CHOKA-CHOKA!

    #ChokaChokaU

    • He did the same in the 1968 Rose Bowl against Purdue and Bob Griese – USC scored late in the game to pull to 13 – 14. McKay attempted a 2 point conversion – it failed and they lost.

      In the locker room after the game the sports writers asked him why he went for two McKay replied “You’re tied when you go out there to play…I want to win!”

      • Another screw up. It’s well known McKay was an intellectually stupid man. That’s why he was the biggest flop in NFL history. He was simply unable to master the complexity of the NFL game.

        • Yeah tapet(e but at least he had the stones to coach in the big league unlike cheatin jonnie the peckerhead. “Oh Nellie someone is questioning my genius!”

          The peckerhead…the gutless cheatin’ peckerhead…bye bye Own

          • Can you imagine NBA players being forced to be taught how to tie their shoes properly? Plus Sammy “The Cash Cow” Gilbert wouldn’t have been there to guarantee Johnny W had better players. A no-brainer for Cheatin’ Johnny.

          • Thanks for sticking up for me Avacado, everybody makes fun of my Ugh-A-Mug!! Why can’t I be cool and loved by everyone like Rosen? I can tell you are my only friend.

            Yours,
            FrankenFace

  2. Does anyone know what happened to that moron Owns? I heard he’s trying to copy someone else’s avatar cause he’s too dumb to come up with his own ideas…

        • Hmmm the stench of ‘festiveness’ once again drifts from the corpse of bel-air tech…..

          “If only….why? Now we even can’t win at basketball…..if jonnie were still alive he’d know what to do……gone are the days….JD ragging on the refs……nellie going apoplectic as Mack Calvin hits the dagger into the peckerhead’s thick skull…..

          We’re like NYY fans…..always waxing on about Ruth, Gehrig, Joey D and the Mick… kareem of wheat, bill waltoon, walt the ‘fire’ hazzard…why are we a joke? jonnie will know…..time for vespers at the jonnie ‘man/woman’ cave……

          (chanting is heard)…”Oh mag day poway san diego……show us the way to pala casino …. let us wet our tongues on some liquor…….and cast our hopes on your boney back end woodie the peckerhead…..”

  3. I remember the ’61 team and 2 qb’s ,like ’62 that won national championship; Iowa was good, but as your description exposes,not really #1 team, they lost 4 or5 I think later…SC was still rebuilding.I went to the home games that year, I think attendance was usually 40-50,000.I think McKay was in his 2nd or 3rd year…

    • I was at that game – long long time ago – it was McKay’s 2nd year – he took over from Don Clarke after the 1959 season. I swore the crowd was bigger than >30K but facts are facts.

      • ME TOO, WE WENT TO ALL THE HOME GAMES ,EVEN ROSE BOWLS ; started WITH 1951 team,’52 MY FAVORITE TEAM FOR SOME REASON and that ’53 rose bowl my favorite…did those home games into the mid 60’s early70’s ,then work,life etc… made me watch mostly on tv or listen on radio; went to a few in 80’s and 90’s…still love my Trojans at 73…that 1959 Clark team was great until last 2 games

        • Way before me New haven-CT….still in grammar school when I was at the IA game but I still swear there were more than 30K there.

  4. Those were the days when a tie was worse than a loss. Going for 2 was a trademark of McKay. Nowadays they go for a tie hoping to win in OT

    • ??? what days were these where a tie is worse than a loss??? McKay blew it! common stragtegy and he blew it. the facts of the game are Southern Cal just shredded the Iowa defense for two late TD’s….they has all the momentum!!

      Mckay did Iowa a HUGE favor!! what is with this history of boneheaded plays in big games???

      #OhNo!

      #4th&2

      • Bruins’ stupidity never fails to amaze

        There were 48 second left, Pilgrim. You are either going to go for the tie, or the win, because you ain’t gonna get the ball back (onsides kicks reap a 10% or less success rate).

        Most Trojans loved that decision, and McKay parlayed it into some pretty exciting finishes in his SC career.

  5. I recall that game because I was in a sugar haze, going from one sugar store to another. Later I learned my dad was trying to reach me to tell me he had an extra ticket for that game.

    Never forgot that. But he was quite excited McKay went for the win. And it turned out to be a good philosophy because he won a national championship in 1974 in the Rose Bowl when he went for the victory over Oho St.

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