1952 USC Trojans football team

Category:Use mdy dates from August 2023 Category:Use American English from February 2026Category:All Wikipedia articles written in American English

1952 USC Trojans football
PCC champion
Rose Bowl champion
Rose Bowl, W 7–0 vs. Wisconsin
ConferencePacific Coast Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 4
APNo. 5
Record10–1 (6–0 PCC)
Head coach
Home stadiumLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Seasons
← 1951
1953 →
1952 Pacific Coast Conference football standings
    		Conf.Overall
    TeamW L TW L T
    No. 5 USC $6–0–010–1–0
    No. 6 UCLA5–1–08–1–0
    Washington6–2–07–3–0
    California3–3–07–3–0
    Washington State3–4–04–6–0
    Stanford2–5–05–5–0
    Oregon2–5–02–7–1
    Idaho1–3–04–4–1
    Oregon State1–6–02–7–0
    • $ – Conference champion
    Rankings from AP Poll

    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.

    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.[1]

    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).[2][3][4] Sears and Wilhoite were also consensus All-Americans.[5]

    Schedule

    DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
    September 19vs. No. 15 Washington StateNo. 16
    		W 35–758,288[6]
    September 26Northwestern*No. 16
    • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
    • Los Angeles, CA
    		W 31–059,756[7]
    October 4Army*No. 7
    • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
    • Los Angeles, CA
    		W 22–048,433[8]
    October 10San Diego NTC*No. 7
    • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
    • Los Angeles, CA
    		W 20–640,137[9]
    October 18vs. Oregon StateNo. 7
    		W 28–617,438[10]
    October 25No. 4 CaliforniadaggerNo. 7
    • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
    • Los Angeles, CA
    		W 10–094,677[11]
    November 8at StanfordNo. 6
    		W 54–745,000[12]
    November 15No. 17 WashingtonNo. 5
    • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
    • Los Angeles, CA
    		W 33–035,852[13]
    November 22at No. 3 UCLANo. 4
    		W 14–1296,869[14]
    November 29at No. 7 Notre Dame*No. 2
    		L 0–958,394[15]
    January 1, 1953vs. No. 11 Wisconsin*No. 5
    		W 7–0101,500[16]
    • *Non-conference game
    • daggerHomecoming
    • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
    • Source: [17]
    Category:Pages using CFB schedule with named parameters

    Players

    The following players were members of the 1952 USC Trojans football team.[18]

    • 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

    References

    1. ↑ "1952 Southern California Trojans Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
    2. ↑ "The A.P. All-Pacific Coast Football Stars". The Kansas City Times. November 27, 1952.
    3. ↑ "I.N.S. Selects 1952 All Pacific Coast Grid Team". The Tyrone (PA) Daily Herald. November 25, 1952. p. 4.
    4. ↑ "All-Coast Conference Team". Nevada State Journal. December 3, 1952. p. 9.
    5. ↑ "2014 NCAA Football Records: Consensus All-America Selections" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2014. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 22, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
    6. ↑ "Trojans crush Cougars, 35–7". The Honolulu Advertiser. September 20, 1952. Retrieved January 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
    7. ↑ "Southern Cal tramples Northwestern by 31 to 0". The Duluth News Tribune. September 27, 1952. Retrieved January 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
    8. ↑ "Mighty Trojans stagger Army in last half, 22–0". Omaha World-Herald. October 5, 1952. Retrieved January 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
    9. ↑ "Trojans score another 'defensive' victory". Valley Times. October 11, 1952. Retrieved January 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
    10. ↑ "Sears sparks Troy over Oregon, 28–6". Pasadena Star-News. October 19, 1952. Retrieved January 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
    11. ↑ "94,677 see mighty USC defense rock California 10–0". Minneapolis Sunday Ttibune. October 26, 1952. Retrieved January 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
    12. ↑ "Trojans rip Stanford by 54–7 score". The Houston Chronicle. November 9, 1952. Retrieved January 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
    13. ↑ "Trojans take 33–0 tilt from Huskies". The Salt Lake Tribune. November 16, 1952. Retrieved January 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
    14. ↑ "Trojans roll over Uclans, 14–12". San Antonio Sunday Light. November 23, 1952. Retrieved January 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
    15. ↑ "Irish 'spoilers' blank bowl-bound Trojans, 9–0". The Daily Argus-Leader. November 30, 1952. Retrieved January 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
    16. ↑ Braven Dyer (January 2, 1953). "Trojan Horse in Winner's Circle, 7-0: SC Finally Halts Big 10 Win Streak; Jubilant Troy Rooters Tear Down Goal Posts After Rugged Victory". Los Angeles Times. pp. 1, 2 (part 4) – via Newspapers.com.
    17. ↑ "1952 USC Trojans Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved January 17, 2026.
    18. ↑ Player names and details are taken from the 1953 USC yearbook, known as the "El Rodeo", at pages 234-257.
    19. 1 2 1953 El Rodeo (USC yearbook), p. 232.
    20. ↑ 1953 El Rodeo (USC yearbook), pp. 23.
    21. ↑ 1953 El Rodeo (USC yearbook), pp. 230-231.
    Category:1952 Pacific Coast Conference football season#USC Category:USC Trojans football seasons Category:Pac-12 Conference football champion seasons Category:Rose Bowl champion seasons Category:1952 in sports in California#USC%20Trojans%20football
    Category:1952 Pacific Coast Conference football season Category:1952 in sports in California Category:All Wikipedia articles written in American English Category:Articles with short description Category:Pac-12 Conference football champion seasons Category:Pages using CFB schedule with named parameters Category:Rose Bowl champion seasons Category:Short description matches Wikidata Category:USC Trojans football seasons Category:Use American English from February 2026 Category:Use mdy dates from August 2023