1931_USC_Trojans_football_team

1931 USC Trojans football team

1931 USC Trojans football team

American college football season


The 1931 USC Trojans football team was an American football team that represented the University of Southern California (USC) in the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) during the 1931 college football season. In their seventh season under head coach Howard Jones, the Trojans lost the opening game to Saint Mary's and then won the remaining ten games of the season. They finished the season with a 10–1 record (7–0 against PCC opponents), shut out six of eleven opponents, outscored all opponents by a total of 363 to 52, and won the PCC and national championships.[1]

Quick Facts USC Trojans football, National championPCC championRose Bowl champion ...
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Schedule

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National championship

The Dickinson System rankings were released on December 12, 1931, and ranked USC No. 1 and Tulane Green Wave No. 2.[13][14] The 1932 Rose Bowl matched No. 1 USC against No. 2 Tulane with USC prevailing by a 21–12 score.[12] After their victory in the Rose Bowl, the Trojans were presented with the Albert Russel Erskine Trophy for the 1931 national football championship.[15]

In addition to Dickinson, USC was recognized as the 1931 national champion by the great majority of later rankings and analyses, including the Billingsley Report, Boand System, College Football Researchers Association, Dunkel System, Helms Athletic Foundation, Houlgate System, National Championship Foundation, Poling System, Sagarin Ratings, and Berryman (QPRS).[16]

Awards and honors

Two USC players, fullback Gaius Shaver and guard Johnny Baker, were selected as consensus first-team players on the 1931 All-America college football team.[17][18] Shaver led the team with 938 rushing yards and 90 points scored.[19] Two other USC players received first-team All-America honors from at least one selector: halfback Erny Pinckert (AP, NEA, Liberty) and center Stan Williamson (Liberty).[20][21][22]

Eight USC players received first-team honors on the 1931 All-Pacific Coast football team: quarterback Gaius Shaver (AP-1, UP-1); quarterback Orville Mohler (NEA-1); halfback Erny Pinckert (AP-1, NEA-1, UP-1); ends Ray Sparling (AP-1) and Garrett Arbelbide (NEA-1); tackle Ernie Smith (AP-1); guard Johnny Baker (AP-1, NEA-1, UP-1); and center Stan Williamson (AP-1, NEA-1, UP-1).[23][24][25]

Roster


References

  1. "1931 USC Trojans Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  2. Paul Lowry (October 4, 1931). "Trojans Score 30-0 Win Over Oregon State: Losers Unable To Show Much". Los Angeles Times. p. VI-a-1 via Newspapers.com.
  3. Braven Dyer (October 11, 1931). "Mohler Stars as Troy Wins: Leads S.C. to 38-6 Victory Over Coast Champions". Los Angeles Times. p. VI-a-1 via Newspapers.com.
  4. Braven Dyer (October 18, 1931). "Troy Swamps Oregon: Webfeet Take Bad Thumping". Los Angeles Times. p. VI-a-1 via Newspapers.com.
  5. Paul Lowry (October 25, 1931). "Trojans Beat Bears, 6-0, in Fierce Battle: Ray Sparling Scores Touchdown for Troy". Los Angeles Times. p. VI-a-1 via Newspapers.com.
  6. Braven Dyer (November 15, 1931). "Griffith Stars as S.C. Wins: Montana Gets 69-0 Thumping". Los Angeles Times. p. VI-a-1 via Newspapers.com.
  7. Braven Dyer (November 22, 1931). "Stirring Trojan Rally Upsets Irish, 16 to 14". Los Angeles Times. pp. 1, VI-a-1 via Newspapers.com.
  8. Paul Lowry (December 6, 1931). "Trojans Crush Huskies, 44 to 7". Los Angeles Times. p. Sports 1 via Newspapers.com.
  9. Braven Dyer (December 13, 1931). "Thundering Herd Slaughters Georgia, 60-0: Sheer Power of Trojan Attack Stuns Bulldogs". Los Angeles Times. p. VI-a-1 via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Valiant Tulane Eleven Bows To Troy, 21-12". Los Angeles Times. January 2, 1932. p. 7 via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Dickinson Gives Title to Trojans". Monroe Morning World. December 13, 1931. p. 8 via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Trojans Get Erskine 1931 Grid Award". Los Angeles Times. January 2, 1932. p. 7 via Newspapers.com.
  13. 2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. August 2018. pp. 113, 120. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
  14. "Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. p. 7. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  15. "Shaver, Baker Picked on the All-American". Los Angeles Times. December 6, 1931. p. Sports 1 via Newspapers.com.
  16. "1931 USC Trojans Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  17. "The 1931 All-America Team". The Daily Inter Lake. Associated Press. December 5, 1931. p. 2. Retrieved May 22, 2017 via Newspapers.com.
  18. MacPhail, Larry (December 14, 1931). "NEA Board Names All-America". The Anniston Star. Newspaper Enterprise Association. p. 8. Retrieved May 22, 2017 via Newspapers.com.
  19. ESPN College Football Encyclopedia. ESPN Books. 2005. p. 1163. ISBN 1401337031.
  20. "Trojans Place Five Men on All-Pacific Coast Eleven". The Monroe (LA) News-Star. December 3, 1931. p. 7.
  21. "Presenting NEA's All-Coast Conference Football Team". Santa Cruz News. December 2, 1931. p. 8.
  22. "Southern California Places Five on All-Coast Team". Ames (Iowa) Daily Tribune-Times. December 3, 1931. p. 6.

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