1952 USC Trojans football team

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1952

| team = USC Trojans

| sport = football

| image =

| image_size =

| conference = Pacific Coast Conference

| short_conf = PCC

| CoachRank = 4

| APRank = 5

| record = 10–1

| conf_record = 6–0

| head_coach = Jess Hill

| hc_year = 2nd

| captain =

| stadium = Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

| champion = PCC champion
Rose Bowl champion

| bowl = Rose Bowl

| bowl_result = W 7–0 vs. Wisconsin

}}

The 1952 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California (USC) in the 1952 college football season. In their second year under head coach Jess Hill, the Trojans compiled a 10–1 record (6–0 against conference opponents), won the Pacific Coast Conference championship, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 254 to 47.{{cite web|title=Southern California Yearly Results (1950-1954)|publisher=David DeLassus|work=College Football Data Warehouse|access-date=July 20, 2015|url=http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/s/southern_california/1950-1954_yearly_results.php|archive-date=September 5, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905171449/http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/s/southern_california/1950-1954_yearly_results.php|url-status=dead}}

The Trojans finished the season ranked No. 4 in the final United Press Coaches Poll and No. 5 in the final AP poll. They faced five ranked opponents during the 1952 season and won four of those games: a 10–0 victory over No. 4 California on October 25; a 33–0 victory over No. 17 Washington on November 15; a 14–12 victory over No. 3 UCLA on November 22; a 9–0 loss to Notre Dame on November 29; and a 7–0 victory over Wisconsin in the 1953 Rose Bowl. USC's victory in the Rose Bowl was the first for the Pacific Coast Conference after seven consecutive losses to the representatives of the Big Ten Conference.

Jim Sears led the team in passing with 51 of 105 passes completed for 739 yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. Leon Sellers led the team in rushing with 103 carries for 386 yards and two touchdowns. Leon Clarke was the leading receiver with 25 catches for 372 yards and three touchdowns.{{cite web|title=1952 Southern California Trojans Stats|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|access-date=July 21, 2015|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/southern-california/1952.html}}

Eight Trojans received honors from the Associated Press (AP), United Press (UP), or International News Service (INS) on the 1952 All-Pacific Coast Conference football team: back Jim Sears (AP-1 [safety]; INS-1; UP-1 [halfback]); back Lindon Crow (AP-1 [defensive back]); defensive end Bob Hooks, USC (AP-1); tackle Robert Van Doren, USC (AP-1 [defensive tackle]; INS-1; UP-1); guard Elmer Willhoite, USC (AP-1 [defensive guard]; INS-1; UP-1); guard Marv Goux, USC (INS-1); center Lou Welsh, USC (AP-1); and linebacker George Timberlake, USC (AP-1).{{cite news|title=The A.P. All-Pacific Coast Football Stars|newspaper=The Kansas City Times|date=November 27, 1952|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2579751/1952_ap_all_pcc_football_team/}}{{cite news|title=I.N.S. Selects 1952 All Pacific Coast Grid Team|newspaper=The Tyrone (PA) Daily Herald|date=November 25, 1952|page=4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2579585/1952_ins_all_pcc_football_team/}}{{cite news|title=All-Coast Conference Team|newspaper=Nevada State Journal|date=December 3, 1952|page=9|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2579614/1952_up_all_pcc_football_team/}} Sears and Wilhoite were also consensus All-Americans.{{cite web|title=2014 NCAA Football Records: Consensus All-America Selections|publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)|year=2014|access-date=February 10, 2015|page=6|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2014/Awards.pdf|archive-date=December 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141222163944/http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2014/Awards.pdf|url-status=dead}}

Schedule

{{CFB schedule

| rankyear = 1952

| poll = AP

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = {{dow tooltip|September 19, 1952}}

| w/l = w

| neutral = y

| rank = 16

| opponent = Washington State

| opprank = 15

| site_stadium = Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

| site_cityst = Los Angeles, CA

| score = 35–7

| attend = 58,288

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = {{dow tooltip|September 26, 1952}}

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| rank = 16

| opponent = Northwestern

| site_stadium = Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

| site_cityst = Los Angeles, CA

| score = 31–0

| attend = 59,756

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 4

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| rank = 7

| opponent = Army

| site_stadium = Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

| site_cityst = Los Angeles, CA

| score = 22–0

| attend = 48,433

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = {{dow tooltip|October 10, 1952}}

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| rank = 7

| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1952|school=Naval Training Center San Diego|title=San Diego NTC}}

| site_stadium = Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

| site_cityst = Los Angeles, CA

| score = 20–6

| attend = 40,137

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 18

| w/l = w

| neutral = y

| rank = 7

| opponent = Oregon State

| site_stadium = Multnomah Stadium

| site_cityst = Portland, OR

| score = 28–6

| attend = 17,438

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 25

| w/l = w

| homecoming = y

| rank = 7

| opponent = California

| opprank = 4

| site_stadium = Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

| site_cityst = Los Angeles, CA

| score = 10–0

| attend = 94,677

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 8

| w/l = w

| away = y

| rank = 6

| opponent = Stanford

| site_stadium = Stanford Stadium

| site_cityst = Stanford, CA

| gamename = rivalry

| score = 54–7

| attend = 55,000

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 15

| w/l = w

| rank = 5

| opponent = Washington

| opprank = 17

| site_stadium = Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

| site_cityst = Los Angeles, CA

| score = 33–0

| attend = 35,852

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 22

| w/l = w

| away = y

| rank = 4

| opponent = UCLA

| opprank = 3

| site_stadium = Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

| site_cityst = Los Angeles, CA

| gamename = Victory Bell

| score = 14–12

| attend = 96,869

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 29

| w/l = l

| nonconf = y

| away = y

| rank = 2

| opponent = Notre Dame

| opprank = 7

| site_stadium = Notre Dame Stadium

| site_cityst = Notre Dame, IN

| gamename = rivalry

| score = 0–9

| attend = 58,394

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = {{dow tooltip|January 1, 1953}}, 1953

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| neutral = y

| rank = 5

| opponent = Wisconsin

| opprank = 11

| site_stadium = Rose Bowl

| site_cityst = Pasadena, CA

| gamename = Rose Bowl

| score = 7–0

| attend = 101,500

}}

Players

The following players were members of the 1952 USC Trojans football team.Player names and details are taken from the 1953 USC yearbook, known as the "El Rodeo", at pages 234-257.

Charlie Ane Jr., 6'2", 254 pounds, right guard (offense and defense), #60, Honolulu, Hawaii (All-PCC UP-2)
Al Barry, 6'2", 221 pounds, right tackle (offense and defense), #79, Los Angeles (Honorable-mention All-PCC AP)
George Bozanic, 6'2", 207 pounds, quarterback (offense) and linebacker (defense), #38, Lander, Wyoming
Rudy Bukich, 6'1", 186 pounds, left halfback (offense), #18, St. Louis, Missouri (Outstanding Player, 1953 Rose Bowl)
Al Carmichael, 6'0", 185 pounds, right halfback (offense), #21, Hawthorne, California (All-PCC UP-2)
Bob Cox, 5'8", 183 pounds, right guard (offense), #62, Pasadena, California
Lindon Crow, 6'1", 191 pounds, right halfback (offense and defense), #36, Corcoran, California
Aramis Dandoy, 5'11", 182 pounds, right halfback (offense), #27, Torrance, California
Ed Fouch, 6'3", 229 pounds, tackle (offense and defense), #49, Santa Ana, California
Marvin Goux, 5'10", 181 pounds, linebacker (defense), #20, Santa Barbara, California (All-PCC UP-3
Harold Han, 5'9", 189 pounds, fullback and safety, #46, Honolulu, Hawaii
Bill Hattig, 5'9", 164 pounds, left end (offense and defense), #86, Los Angeles
Addison Hawthorne, 5'10", 194 pounds, fullback and safety, #23, Los Angeles
Bob Hooks, 6'3", 206 pounds, right end (defense), #58, Los Angeles (AP All-Coast Defensive Team)
Des Koch, 6'1", 207 pounds, tailback (offense), #43, Shelton, Washington (nation's leading punter with 43.4 yard average)
Ron Miller, 6'4", 204 pounds, left end (offense), #88, Los Angeles
Tom Nickoloff, 6'3", 218 pounds, right end (offense), #80, Los Angeles
Dick Nunis, 6'0", 182 pounds, right halfback (defense), #26, Los Angeles
Dick Petty, 6'0", 190 pounds, center (offense) and end (defense), #54, Los Angeles
Bob Peviani, 6'1", 212 pounds, left guard (defense), #66, Los Angeles (John Dye Memorial Award as the "outstanding lineman")
Jim Psaltis, 6'1", 186 pounds, left halfback, safety (defense), #37, Oakland, California (AP All-Coast Defensive team; led nation with nine interceptions)
Ed Pucci, 6'0", 209 pounds, left guard (offense), #64, Canton, Ohio
Bill Riddle, 6'0", 190 pounds, quarterback (offense), linebacker (defense), #52, El Centro, California
Jim Sears, 5'9", 165 pounds, halfback (offense) and safety (defense), #32 (won W. J. Voit Memorial Trophy; nation's leading punt returner with 15.9 yard average; led the Trojans in total yardage and passes completed; first-team All-American selection by AP, INS, NEA, and Look magazine)
Leon Sellers, 6'0", 194 pounds, fullback (offense), #44, Upland, California
Don Stillwell, 6'0", 183 pounds, left end (offense), #84, San Francisco
Sam "The Toe" Tsagalakis
George Timberlake, 6'0", 207 pounds, linebacker (defense), #56, Long Beach, California (AP All-Coast Defensive Team)
Bob Van Doren, 6'3-1/2", 203 pounds, right tackle (defense) and defensive captain, #75, San Diego (UP All-PCC first team; UP All-American third team)
Chuck Weeks, 6'2", 219 pounds, right tackle (offense), #72, Columbus, Ohio
Harry Welsh, 5'10", 168 pounds, halfback (defense), #25, Akron, Ohio
Lou Welsh, 6'1", 193 pounds, center (offense), #50, Ontario, California(selected as USC's "most inspirational" player)
Elmer Wilhoite, left guard (offense and defense), 6'1", 217 pounds, #73 (first-team All-American pick by UP, INS, NEA, Look magazine, and Collier's Weekly

Coaching staff and other personnel

Head coach: Jess Hill1953 El Rodeo (USC yearbook), p. 232.
Assistant coaches: Mel Hein (line); Joe Muha (backfield); Don Clark (line); Bill Fisk (ends); Walter Hargesheimer (backs); Jess Mortensen (freshman coach)1953 El Rodeo (USC yearbook), pp. 23.
Senior manager: John Broadbent
Yell Kings: Al Gallion, Bob Arnett, Jim Strode, Larry Stone, and Dick Chapman1953 El Rodeo (USC yearbook), pp. 230-231.

References

USC

Category:USC Trojans football seasons

Category:Pac-12 Conference football champion seasons

Category:Rose Bowl champion seasons

USC Trojans football