1988 USC Trojans football team

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1988 USC Trojans football
1988 USC Trojans football
Pac-10 champion
Rose Bowl, L 14–22 vs. Michigan
Conference	Pacific-10 Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 9
AP	No. 7
Record	10–2 (8–0 Pac-10)
Head coach	Larry Smith (2nd season);
Offensive coordinator	Chuck Stobart (2nd season)
Captain	Rodney Peete
Home stadium	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
	Seasons ← 1987 1989 →

1988 Pacific-10 Conference football standings
v t e	Conf					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
No. 7 USC $	8	–	0	–	0	10	–	2	–	0
No. 6 UCLA	6	–	2	–	0	10	–	2	–	0
No. 16 Washington State	5	–	3	–	0	9	–	3	–	0
Arizona	5	–	3	–	0	7	–	4	–	0
Arizona State	3	–	4	–	0	6	–	5	–	0
Washington	3	–	5	–	0	6	–	5	–	0
Oregon	3	–	5	–	0	6	–	6	–	0
Oregon State	2	–	5	–	1	4	–	6	–	1
Stanford	1	–	5	–	2	3	–	6	–	2
California	1	–	5	–	1	5	–	5	–	1

$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

The 1988 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California (USC) in the 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their second year under head coach Larry Smith, the Trojans compiled a 10–2 record (8–0 against conference opponents), won the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) championship, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 370 to 184.^[1]

The Trojans won their first 10 games of the season, running the conference table and beating third-ranked Oklahoma at home. They were ranked second in the nation before their match with number-one ranked Notre Dame. After losing to the Fighting Irish in their final regular-season game, they faced Michigan in the Rose Bowl, losing 14–22.

Quarterback Rodney Peete led the team in passing, completing 223 of 359 passes for 2,812 yards with 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Aaron Emanuel led the team in rushing with 108 carries for 545 yards and eight touchdowns. Erik Affholter led the team in receiving yards with 68 catches for 952 yards and eight touchdowns.^[2]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	4:30 p.m.	at Boston College*	No. 8	Alumni Stadium Chestnut Hill, MA	ESPN	W 34–7	32,000
September 10	12:30 p.m.	at Stanford	No. 6	Stanford Stadium Stanford, CA (rivalry)	ABC	W 24–20	59,000
September 24	12:30 p.m.	No. 3 Oklahoma*	No. 4	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA	ABC	W 23–7	86,124
October 1	6:30 p.m.	at Arizona	No. 3	Arizona Stadium Tucson, AZ		W 38–15	52,314
October 8	1:30 p.m.	No. 18 Oregon	No. 3	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA		W 42–14	63,452
October 15	12:30 p.m.	No. 16 Washington	No. 3	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA	ABC	W 28–27	62,974
October 29	1:00 p.m.	at Oregon State	No. 3	Parker Stadium Corvallis, OR		W 41–20	31,117
November 5	3:30 p.m.	California	No. 2	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA	Prime	W 35–3	73,937
November 12	12:30 p.m.	at Arizona State	No. 2	Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, AZ	ABC	W 50–0	72,023
November 19	12:30 p.m.	at No. 6 UCLA	No. 2	Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA (Victory Bell)	ABC	W 31–22	100,741
November 26	12:30 p.m.	No. 1 Notre Dame*	No. 2	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA (Jeweled Shillelagh)	ABC	L 10–27	93,829
January 2, 1989	2:00 p.m.	vs. No. 11 Michigan*	No. 5	Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA (Rose Bowl)	ABC	L 14–22	101,688
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Personnel

1988 USC Trojans football team roster

Players

Coaches

Offense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
WR	`42`	Erik Affholter	Sr
WR	`88`	Gene Arrington	Sr
G	`68`	Dan Barnes	Jr
RB	`43`	Jeff Brown	Sr
RB	`24`	Aaron Emanuel	Jr
RB	`34`	Ricky Ervins	So
RB	`44`	Derrick Gachett	Jr
TE	`86`	Scott Galbraith	Jr
TE	`17`	Paul Green	Sr
TE	`87`	Frank Griffin	So
OT	`61`	John Guerrero	RSr
RB	`21`	Calvin Holmes	Fr
RB	`39`	Leroy Holt	Jr
WR	`80`	Travis Konx	Jr
WR	`1`	John Jackson	Jr
C	`63`	Brad Leggett	Jr
RB	`40`	Scott Lockwood	So
QB	`13`	Todd Marinovich	Fr
QB	`4`	Pat O'Hara	So
OT	`71`	Brent Parkinson	Jr
QB	`16`	Rodney Peete (C)	Sr
QB	`2`	Dave Powroznik	Sr
WR	`5`	Marc Rodgers	Fr
G	`75`	Mark Tucker	So
WR	`27`	Marlon Washington	Jr
RB	`25`	Steven Webster	Sr
WR	`83`	Gary Wellman	So

Defense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
LB	`98`	Kurt Barber	Fr
S	`7`	Mark Carrier	So
LB	`53`	Delmar Chesley	Jr
S	`8`	Cleveland Colter	Jr
LB	`48`	Matt Gee	Fr
DL	`92`	Don Gibson	So
CB	`2`	Chris Hale	Sr
DT	`93`	Pat Harlow	So
LB	`40`	Craig Hartsuyker	So
DT	`90`	Dan Owens	Jr
LB	`35`	Scott Ross	So
DT	`99`	Tim Ryan	Jr
LB	`55`	Junior Seau	So
CB	`3`	Ernest Spears	Jr
LB	`56`	Brian Tuliau	So
LB	`57`	David Webb	Fr
DL	`54`	Michael Williams	Jr

Special teams

Pos.	#	Name	Class
K	`11`	Quin Rodriguez	So
P	`15`	Chris Sperle	Sr

Head coach

Larry Smith

Coordinators/assistant coaches

John Matsko

Legend

(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible

Injured
Redshirt

Rankings

Ranking movements
**Legend:** ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Final
AP	6 (3)	8 (1)	6 (1)	5 (1)	5 (1)	3 (2)	3 (2)	3 (3)	3 (5)	3 (5)	2 (11)	2 (15)	2 (18)	2 (22)	5	5	7
Coaches	8	8	6	5	4	3 (1)	3	3	3 (2)	3	2 (16)	2 (14)	2 (13)	2 (16)	6	5	9

^[3]

Game summaries

At Boston College

^[4]

At Stanford

^[5]

Oklahoma

#3 Oklahoma Sooners (2–0) at #5 USC Trojans (2–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Oklahoma	0	0	7	0	7
USC	7	13	0	3	23

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

Date: September 24, 1988
Game attendance: 86,124
TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson and Bob Griese

Game information

First quarter

USC – Aaron Emanuel 5-yard run (Quin Rodriguez kick). USC 7–0.

Second quarter

USC – Quin Rodriguez 33-yard field goal. USC 10–0.
USC – Aaron Emanuel 6-yard run (Quin Rodriguez kick). USC 17–0.
USC – Quin Rodriguez 23-yard field goal. USC 20–0.

Third quarter

OU – Leon Perry 2-yard run (R.D. Lashar kick). USC 20–7. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards.

Fourth quarter

USC – Quin Rodriguez 25-yard field goal. USC 23–7.

Top passers

OU – Jamelle Holieway – 4/9, 96 yards, INT
USC – Rodney Peete – 16/34, 198 yards, INT

Top rushers

OU – Anthony Stafford – 9 rushes, 28 yards
USC – Aaron Emanuel – 10 rushes, 46 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

OU – Eric Bross – 4 receptions, 84 yards
USC – Erik Affholter – 8 receptions, 94 yards

^[6] ^[7] ^[8]

At Arizona

Oregon

Washington

At Oregon State

California

At Arizona State

At UCLA

USC Trojans at UCLA Bruins

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
USC	7	14	7	3	31
UCLA	3	13	0	6	22

at Rose Bowl • Pasadena, California

Date: November 19
Game attendance: 100,741
Gainesville Sun. 1988 Nov 20.

Game information

UCLA - Velasco 46 yard FG
USC - Emanuel 4 yard run (Rodriguez kick)
USC - Affholter 29 yard pass from Peete (Rodriguez kick)
UCLA - Velasco 27 yard FG
UCLA - Velasco 25 yard FG
USC - Peete 1 yard run (Rodriguez kick)
UCLA - R. Moore 10 yard pass from Aikman (Velasco kick)
USC - Emanuel 3 yard run (Rodriguez kick)
USC - Rodriguez 21 yard FG
UCLA - McCracken 26 yard pass from Aikman (Velasco kick)

USC

Peete
16/28, 189 Yds, TD
Emanuel
27 Rush, 113 Yds, 2 TD
Affholter
3 Rec, 60 Yds, TD

UCLA

Aikman
32/48, 317 Yds, 2 TD, INT
B. Brown
12 Rush, 59 Yds
M. Farr
9 Rec, 75 Yds

The Measles Game

^[9]^[10]

Notre Dame

#1 Notre Dame at #2 USC

	1	2	3	4	Total
• No. 1 Fighting Irish	14	6	0	7	27
No. 2 Trojans	0	7	3	0	10

Date: November 26
Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum,
Los Angeles, CA
Game start: 3:30 EST
Game attendance: 93,829
Referee: Bill Richardson
TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson, Bob Griese, and Mike Adamle

Notre Dame and USC entered the game undefeated and ranked number one and two respectively for the first time ever in their storied series. It was also the 24th time No. 1 faced No. 2 in college football history.^[11] The Trojans were having a great season under head coach Larry Smith and standout quarterback Rodney Peete.^[11] The Irish came into the game as underdogs, but spectacular play of defensive end Frank Stams and cornerback Stan Smagala aided the Irish offense, led by Tony Rice, to an Irish victory. The sellout crowd of 93,829 was the largest in this rivalry since 1955.^[11]

Vs. Michigan (Rose Bowl)

Rose Bowl

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Michigan	3	0	6	13	22
USC	0	14	0	0	14

Date: January 2
Location: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
Game attendance: 101,688
Referee: Gordon Riese
TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson, Bob Griese

Team players drafted into the NFL

The following players were claimed in the 1989 NFL draft.

Player	Position	Round	Pick	NFL club
Erik Affholter	Wide receiver	4	110	Washington Redskins
Rodney Peete	Quarterback	6	141	Detroit Lions
Chris Hale	Defensive back	7	193	Buffalo Bills
Paul Green	Tight end	8	208	Denver Broncos
Derrell Marshall	Tackle	12	332	Buffalo Bills

^[12]

Awards and honors

Rodney Peete, Second in Heisman Trophy voting
Rodney Peete, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award^[13]

References

^ "Southern California Yearly Results (1985-1989)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
^ "1988 Southern California Trojans Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
^ "USC 1988 AP Football Rankings". collegepollarchive.com. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
^ "Peete, Trojans Roll, 34-7, Over Boston College". Los Angeles Times. September 2, 1988. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
^ "Peete, USC Pass Stanford Near Finish for 24-20 Win". Los Angeles Times. September 11, 1988. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
^ "Oklahoma Feels Crunch of U.S.C." The New York Times. September 25, 1988. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
^ SoonerStats.com - 1988 Oklahoma at USC
^ Gainesville Sun. p. 10C. 1988 Sep 25. Retrieved 2022-Dec-16.
^ "Peete Leads U.S.C. to Rose Bowl Berth". The New York Times. November 20, 1988. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
^ Telander, Rick (November 28, 1988). "On Top in L.A." Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c "2006 USC Media Guide: USC Football History" (PDF). USC Trojans. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 24, 2008. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
^ "1989 NFL Draft Listing - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 21, 2007.
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 16, 2007. Retrieved January 2, 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[1] "Southern California Yearly Results (1985-1989)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2015.

[2] "1988 Southern California Trojans Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 21, 2015.

[3] "USC 1988 AP Football Rankings". collegepollarchive.com. Retrieved August 26, 2018.

[4] "Peete, Trojans Roll, 34-7, Over Boston College". Los Angeles Times. September 2, 1988. Retrieved November 23, 2019.

[5] "Peete, USC Pass Stanford Near Finish for 24-20 Win". Los Angeles Times. September 11, 1988. Retrieved November 23, 2019.

[6] "Oklahoma Feels Crunch of U.S.C." The New York Times. September 25, 1988. Retrieved September 1, 2019.

[7] SoonerStats.com - 1988 Oklahoma at USC

[8] Gainesville Sun. p. 10C. 1988 Sep 25. Retrieved 2022-Dec-16.

[9] "Peete Leads U.S.C. to Rose Bowl Berth". The New York Times. November 20, 1988. Retrieved September 1, 2019.

[10] Telander, Rick (November 28, 1988). "On Top in L.A." Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 1, 2019.

[2006_USC_Guide_History-11] "2006 USC Media Guide: USC Football History" (PDF). USC Trojans. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 24, 2008. Retrieved September 1, 2019.

[12] "1989 NFL Draft Listing - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 21, 2007.

[13] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 16, 2007. Retrieved January 2, 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

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v t e USC Trojans football
Venues	Athletic Park (1895–1898) Fiesta Park (1897–1898, 1901–1902, 1904–1906, 1916) Chutes Park (1900) Prager Park (1903) Bovard Field (1904–1910, 1914–1915, 1917–1923) Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (1923–present) Jones Field/Kennedy Field (practice)
Bowls and rivalries	Bowl games Notre Dame Stanford UCLA: Victory Bell
Culture and lore	Traveler George Tirebiter Giles Pellerin "Fight On" Spirit of Troy Student Body Right Tommy Trojan Tribute to Troy Athletics scandal 1967 "Game of the Century" "Bush Push" 2007 Stanford game So This Is College
People	Head coaches Starting quarterbacks NFL draftees Statistical leaders
Seasons	1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911–1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
National championship seasons in bold

v t e Pac-12 Conference football champions
Pacific Coast	Washington (1916) Washington State (1917) California (1918) Oregon & Washington (1919) California (1920) California (1921) California (1922) California (1923) Stanford (1924) Washington (1925) Stanford (1926) Idaho, Stanford, & USC (1927) USC (1928) USC (1929) Washington State (1930) USC (1931) USC (1932) Oregon & Stanford (1933) Stanford (1934) California, Stanford, & UCLA (1935) Washington (1936) California (1937) California & USC (1938) USC (1939) Stanford (1940) Oregon State (1941) UCLA (1942) USC (1943) USC (1944) USC (1945) UCLA (1946) USC (1947) California & Oregon (1948) California (1949) California (1950) Stanford (1951) USC (1952) UCLA (1953) UCLA (1954) UCLA (1955) Oregon State (1956) Oregon & Oregon State (1957) California (1958)
AAWU	UCLA, USC, & Washington (1959) Washington (1960) UCLA (1961) USC (1962) Washington (1963) Oregon State & USC (1964) UCLA (1965) USC (1966) USC (1967)
Pacific-8	USC (1968) USC (1969) Stanford (1970) Stanford (1971) USC (1972) USC (1973) USC (1974) California & UCLA (1975) USC (1976) Washington (1977)
Pacific-10	USC (1978) USC (1979) Washington (1980) Washington (1981) UCLA (1982) UCLA (1983) USC (1984) UCLA (1985) Arizona State (1986) USC & UCLA (1987) USC (1988) USC (1989) Washington (1990) Washington (1991) Washington & Stanford (1992) Arizona, UCLA, & USC (1993) Oregon (1994) USC & Washington (1995) Arizona State (1996) UCLA & Washington State (1997) UCLA (1998) Stanford (1999) Oregon, Oregon State, & Washington (2000) Oregon (2001) USC & Washington State (2002) USC (2003) USC (2004) vacated USC (2005) vacated California & USC (2006) Arizona State & USC (2007) USC (2008) Oregon (2009) Oregon (2010)
Pac-12	Oregon (2011) Stanford (2012) Stanford (2013) Oregon (2014) Stanford (2015) Washington (2016) USC (2017) Washington (2018) Oregon (2019) Oregon (2020) Utah (2021) Utah (2022) Washington (2023)
National championships in bold