More Iconic USC Plays

dickerson-catchAfter last night, I started thinking of more iconic USC plays: Craig Fertig to Rod Sherman to beat Notre Dame in 1964; Jimmy Jones to Sam Dickerson in 1969 to beat UCLA (pictured), George Achica blocks FG against UCLA in 1982; Mark Cusano blocks Ron Powlus pass in OT to snap USC losing streak to Notre Dame in 1996. What else?

41 thoughts on “More Iconic USC Plays

  1. All the plays listed by SW were iconic, the pass to ML, not so much. Gimmicky yes, iconic , no

  2. Iconic games by a player: Anthony Davis, vs Notre Dame 1974,
    Cody Kessler, 7TD passes vs Colorado, 2014

  3. Several that come to mind:

    #62 catch – 1939 v Duke in the Rose Bowl

    #11 to #8 – 2005 at Notre Dame

    #10 to #25 – 1975 v OSU in the Rose Bowl
    #10 to #26 – 1975 v OSU in the Rose Bowl

    #12 for 1 yard TD 1980 v OSU in the Rose Bowl
    (Also #12 for 1 yard “TD” 1979 v Mich in the Rose Bowl)

  4. 4th and 9 is the most iconic play in USC history, a play so iconic it needs no introduction or set up.

    • I told my wife, who is only a fan because I am, to come into the t.v. room because SC’s 33 or 34 game streak, whatever it was, was in real jeopardy. And then THE pass to Jarrett, and my wife let out the most primal scream I can ever recall. What a moment!

    • I was there–I had to bar tend on campus immediately after the game and I was supposed to leave at the beginning of the 4th quarter. I just could not do it! I stood in tunnel 24, watched the pass and hauled butt on my beater bike back to the post game party. I was there before any of the alumni arrived at the post game cocktail reception. I guess no one else wanted to leave the game early! I didn’t lose my gig! Ah! The memories of youth!

  5. How about the two field goals from Frank Jordan in 1978 to beat both UCLA and Notre Dame in the final seconds.

  6. Rob Johnson not punching it in from the 2 for 4 downs in 93 sending UCLA to the Rose Bowl.

  7. How about Charles White in the 1980 Rose Bowl, seemingly destroying the OSU defense by himself. Over the top TD with seconds left.

    • That was mythical, mathenyc. You had to be in the stadium to fully appreciate it, but run after run after run by White, and you just knew he and SC were going to do it. And they did. The Buckeyes’ coach Woody Hayes was said to have chewed out some of his defensive linemen for a long time after that series (and game!).

  8. I WAS THERE 1952 USC and UCLA’s Paul Cameron with ucla leading throws a pass…Elmer Wilhoite ,USC lineman intercepts and rumbles 72 yards…SC wins 14-12, goes to Rose Bowl(1953),my first as they upset Wisconsin and Alan ‘the horse’ Ameche on a Rudy Bukich pass to Al Carmichael….ICONIC …first win over Big 10 for a PCC team in the RoseBowl….

  9. Other big plays that quickly come to mind:

    1967 – OJ Simpson’s 13 yard touchdown run against UCLA.

    1969 – Ron Ayala’s last second field goal against Stanford.
    1969 – Charlie Weaver’s hit of UCLA’s Dennis Dummit.

    1970 – Ron Ayala (again) interception against Notre Dame’s Joe Thiesmann to seal a major upset by SC.
    1973 – A great Rose Bowl game, capped by Sam Cunningham diving for a touchdown, again.
    1974 – David Lewis’ drilling the Notre Dame kick-off returner at the 7 yardline, after AD’s kick-off return.
    2001 – Antuan Simmons’ pick six against UCLA – an incredible interception. I had to watch on film several times before I could tell how he did it.

  10. I have a few to add and a bit of amplifying some that have already been mentioned as follows:

    1987 Peete running down the SUCLA interceptor about 80 yards to prevent a touchdown right before the half and keep a tough game winnable

    1963 Rose Bowl game with Wisconsin scoring 23 unanswered points in the 4th quarter to pull within 42-37, and as SC punts the ball only to the Badgers’ 40 yard line the gun goes off. And I start breathing again

    Prior to the Jones to Dickerson 1969 winner, the 4th down interference call on a poor SUCLA to keep the game alive

    1974 and ND has come back to make the game only 25-23 SC, and then Anthony Davis takes his second kickoff all the way

    Prior to the winning field goal in the 1978 SC-ND Joe Montana comeback game, Paul McDonald passed 35 yards to set it up

    Matt Leinart’s td pretty much put the 2004 Rose Bowl game away, gave SC its first national title since 1988, and that play relieved me of the anxiety I was feeling all day at the granddaddy stadium

    The Oregon game in Eugene in 2005 that SC had to have to set up a possible 3 straight years national championship run, and Reggie Bush gets the block he needs to ice the game with a t.d. As I walked out of Autzen Stadium with still 5 minutes to go I told the hostile crowd “That is what a No. 1 team looks like,” and I hastily got the heck out of there.

    1980 and SC is going for 5 in a row over SUCLA when a batted ball is intercepted and SUCLA wins. (Oops, how did that get in here?)

    P.S. The lowest point I can recall that I was depressed over for months was the 1979 Stanford game that Stanford came from behind to win and deprive SC of 2 national titles in a row.

  11. Marinovich to Johnnie Morton in 1990 with seconds remaining to beat UCLA 45 – 42.

    FYI, that 4th quarter had 21 points each scored by both USC and UCLA.

    If the 1967 game is not considered the greatest in the rivalry, then this game is the choice for the top spot.

    • I don’t know, the Cade McNown come from behind overtime win was one juicy UCLA rivalry victory. If Fat John could, I’m pretty sure he’d agree with me.

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