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Game 1: Southern California

September 6
Los Angeles Memorial Stadium
Los Angeles, CA

General Information

Location: Los Angeles, CA
Stadium: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (92,000)
Surface: Natural Grass
Enrollment: 27,970
Founded: 1880
Colors: Cardinal & Gold
Nickname: Trojans
Conference: Pacific-10
Offensive System: Multiple (2-back)
Defensive System: 4-3 (Multiple)
1996 Record: 6-6
1996 Conference Record/Finish: 3-5/T-5th
President: Dr. Steven Sample
Athletic Director: Mike Garrett
Sports Publicist: Tim Tessalone
Assistant Publicists: Nancy Mazmanian; John Tamanaha; Paul Goldberg
SID Mailing Address: USC Sports Information, Heritage Hall 103, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0601

Coaching Staff

Head Coach: John Robinson (Oregon '58)
Record at SM: 98-30-4 (11 years)
Overall Record: 98-30-4 (11 years)
Assistant Coaches: Mike Barry (Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line); Keith Burns (Defensive Coordinator/Secondary); Hue Jackson (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks); Jeff McInerney (Defensive Line); David Robinson (Linebackers); Doug Smith (Offensive Line); Dennis Thurman (Secondary); Charles White (Running Backs); Mike Wilson (Wide Receivers)

Player Information

Lettermen Returning: (O) 18, (D) 20
Lettermen Lost: (O) 8, (D) 8
Starters Returning: (O) 8, (D)6
Starters Lost: (O) 3, (D) 5
Specialists Returning/Lost: 3/2
Offensive Starters Returning: Delon Washington (TB); Chris Brymer (OG); Travis Claridge (OG); Jonathan Himebauch (C); Ken Bowen (OT); Rome Douglas (OT); Rodney Sermons (FB); LaVale Woods (FB); Mike Bastianelli (WR); Billy Miller (WR)
Defensive Starters Returning: Daylon McCutcheon (CB); Brian Kelly (CB); Chris Clairborne (LB); George Perry (DE); Mark Cusano (LB); Grant Pearsall (S)
Specialist Returning: Jim Wren (P); Adam Abrams (PK)
All-Star Candidates: Daylon McCutcheon (CB); Jim Wren (P); Brian Kelly (CB); Chris Brymer (OG); Travis Claridge (OG); Chris Clairborne (LB)

Game Notes

For the first time since FSU's 1993 National Championship season, the Seminoles will open up the season playing a non-conference opponent (Kansas in '93)...this is the first meeting between FSU and Southern Cal...it is also the first meeting between former national championship winning head coaches Bobby Bowden ('93) and John Robinson ('78)...both coaches have five conference titles each, Bowden five ACC's and Robinson five PAC-10's...this will be FSU's first PAC-10 opponent in 15 seasons...the Seminoles last played and defeated Arizona State 52-44 in Tempe on November 3, 1984...Bowden is 3-0 against the PAC-10 conference while at FSU, defeating the Sun Devils three times ...in fact, Bowden has only played one other PAC-10 foe, splitting a two-game series with California while at West Virginia...John Robinson has 98 total victories as a head coach of the PAC-10 USC Trojans, Bobby Bowden's 98th victory was against PAC-10 Arizona State in '79...FSU has not lost a season-opening game since a 1989 upset by Southern Miss and Brett Favre 30-26... Bowden is 18-3 in season-opening games while at FSU...USC's 1997 recruiting class received a No. 5 rating by the National Recruiting Advisor, FSU was No. 1...Assistant Coach Chuck Amato spent 1980-82 with PAC-10 Arizona as their Linebackers/Defensive Coordinator just prior to coming to Tallahassee...USC is one of six former national champions on FSU's 1997 schedule, including all three non-conference schools ...the USC roster has one player from Florida, senior tackle Ken Bowen of Orlando.

TROJAN Schedule & Results

1997 Schedule

September   6  FLORIDA STATE
September  13  WASHINGTON STATE
September  27  at California
October     4  UNLV
October    11  at Arizona State
October    18  at Notre Dame
October    25  OREGON
November    1  at Washington
November    8  STANFORD
November   15  at Oregon State
November   22  UCLA

1996 Results (6-6)

                   USC-OPP
PENN STATE            7-24
at Illinois           55-3
OREGON STATE         46-17
at Houston            26-9
CALIFORNIA           15-22
ARIZONA               14-7
at Arizona State     35-48
at Washington State  29-24
WASHINGTON           10-21
at Stanford          20-24
at UCLA              41-48
NOTRE DAME           27-20

All-Time Series

First Meeting