1939 USC Trojans football team

In this article, we will explore the fascinating history of 1939 USC Trojans football team, exploring its origins, its impact on today's society, and its evolution over time. From its beginnings to the present, 1939 USC Trojans football team has played a crucial role in various aspects of human life, from politics to culture, technology and science. Throughout these pages, we will examine the many facets of 1939 USC Trojans football team, from its most controversial aspects to its most notable contributions, with the aim of fully understanding the importance of 1939 USC Trojans football team in the contemporary world.

1939 USC Trojans football
National champion (Dickinson System)
PCC champion
Rose Bowl champion
Rose Bowl, W 14–0 vs. Tennessee
ConferencePacific Coast Conference
Ranking
APNo. 3
Record8–0–2 (5–0–2 PCC)
Head coach
CaptainJoe Shell
Home stadiumLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Seasons
← 1938
1940 →
1939 Pacific Coast Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 3 USC $ 5 – 0 – 2 8 – 0 – 2
No. 7 UCLA 5 – 0 – 3 6 – 0 – 4
Oregon State 6 – 1 – 1 9 – 1 – 1
Washington 4 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 1
Oregon 3 – 3 – 1 3 – 4 – 1
Washington State 3 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Montana 1 – 2 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
California 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
Stanford 0 – 6 – 1 1 – 7 – 1
Idaho 0 – 3 – 0 2 – 6 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1939 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 1939 college football season. In their 15th year under head coach Howard Jones, the Trojans compiled an 8–0–2 record (5–0–2 against PCC opponents), shut out six of ten opponents, won the PCC championship, and outscored all opponents by a total of 181 to 33. They won the PCC championship.[1]

In the final AP poll released on December 9, 1939, USC was ranked No. 3 with 891 points, 200 points behind No 1 Texas A&M.[2] However, in the Dickinson System rankings released three days later on December 12, USC was ranked No. 1 with a 25.73 point rating, edging out Texas A&M by three tenths of a point.[3] The Trojans were awarded the Knute Rockne Memorial Trophy for the national championship as awarded by the Dickinson system.

After the final rankings were released, the Trojans defeated No. 2 Tennessee, 14–0, in the 1940 Rose Bowl. Tennessee had not given up any points prior to the Rose Bowl and had won 23 consecutive games.[4] The AP did not conduct a poll after the bowl games.

USC guard Harry Smith was a consensus first-team pick on the 1939 All-America college football team.[5] Smith was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.[6] Quarterback Grenny Lansdell was chosen as a first-team All-American by the Central Press Association and as a third-team All-American by the Associated Press.[7][8] Smith, Lansdell, and tackle Phil Gaspar were also selected as first-team players on the 1939 All-Pacific Coast football team.[9][10]

USC recognized the 1939 team as National Champions in 2004 based on their #1 ranking in the contemporary Dickinson System. USC saluted the surviving members of the squad on the field at their October 16 home game versus Arizona State.[11]

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 30Oregon
T 7–741,000[12]
October 7Washington State
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA
W 27–045,000[13]
October 14Illinois*
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA
W 26–060,000[14]
October 28CaliforniaNo. 8
W 26–046,000[15][16]
November 4vs. No. 11 Oregon StateNo. 7
W 19–732,611[17]
November 11StanfordNo. 4
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA (rivalry)
W 33–050,000[18]
November 25at No. 7 Notre Dame*No. 4
W 20–1254,799[19]
December 2WashingtondaggerNo. 1
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA
W 9–744,760[20]
December 9at No. 9 UCLANo. 3
T 0–0103,303[21]
January 1, 1940vs. No. 2 Tennessee*No. 3
W 14–092,200[22]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

1940 NFL draft

The following players were drafted into professional football following the 1939 season.

Player Position Round Pick Franchise
Doyle Nave Back 1 6 Detroit Lions
Grenny Lansdell End 1 10 New York Giants
Bill Fisk End 3 21 Detroit Lions
Harry Smith Guard 5 36 Detroit Lions
Bobby Winslow End 7 56 Detroit Lions
Bob Hoffman Back 9 78 Washington Redskins
Howard Stoecker Tackle 11 98 Washington Redskins
Phil Gaspar Tackle 12 109 Green Bay Packers

[23]

References

  1. ^ "1939 USC Trojans Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  2. ^ "Writers Pick Texas Aggies As No. 1 Football Team". The Bristol News Bulletin. December 12, 1939. p. 2. Archived from the original on April 5, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Pacific Coast Football Best". The Bristol News Bulletin. December 12, 1939. p. 2. Archived from the original on April 5, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "U.S.C. wins 14–0 over Tennessee". Los Angeles Times. January 2, 1940. Archived from the original on August 8, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 22, 2017. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  6. ^ "Harry Smith". National Football Foundation. Archived from the original on January 29, 2019. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  7. ^ Walter Johns (December 10, 1939). "South Dominates Captains' All-American". Wisconsin State Journal.
  8. ^ "The 1939 A.P. All America". San Antonio Express. December 9, 1939.
  9. ^ "All-Coast Eleven Rates As 'Dream Team'". The San Bernardino Daily Sun. December 8, 1939. p. 21. Archived from the original on April 5, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  10. ^ James A. Sullivan (December 5, 1939). "1939 United Press All-Pacific Coast Team – Kenny Washington Considered Outstanding Back". United Press – San Francisco. Archived from the original on June 18, 2015. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  11. ^ "USC Now Will Recognize Its 1939 Football Team As A National Champion" (Press release). University of Southern California Athletics. July 26, 2004. Archived from the original on March 24, 2007. Retrieved April 12, 2022. USC now will recognize its 1939 football team as a national champion, giving the Trojan program 10 national titles in the sport, Trojan athletic director Mike Garrett announced. USC will salute the surviving members of that 1939 squad at its Oct. 16 home game against Arizona State.
  12. ^ Paul Zimmerman (October 1, 1939). "Doyle Nave Stars as Trojans Tie Oregon by 7-7 Score: Webfooters in Surprise; Southern California Comes From Behind to Get Even Break". Los Angeles Times. pp. II-11, II-15. Archived from the original on April 5, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Paul Zimmerman (October 8, 1939). "Trojan Machine Rolls to 27-0 Victory Over Cougars: Lansdell Stars in Triumph; Jones Uses Nearly Everybody on Squad as 45,000 Fans Watch". Los Angeles Times. p. II-9. Archived from the original on April 5, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Paul Zimmerman (October 15, 1939). "Troy's Thundering Herd Swamps Outclassed Illini, 26 to 0: Nave Opens Scoring Spree". Los Angeles Times. p. II-11 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Paul Zimmerman (October 29, 1939). "Trojans Crush Bears, 26-0, to Break Jinx of Cal Bowl". Los Angeles Times. p. II-13. Archived from the original on April 5, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ USC Football 2017 Media Guide (PDF). University of Southern California Athletics. p. 70. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
  17. ^ Paul Zimmerman (November 5, 1939). "Trojans Aerial Attack Bombs Beavers, 19 to 7". Los Angeles Times. pp. II-13, II-14. Archived from the original on April 5, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Paul Zimmerman (November 12, 1939). "Powerful Trojans Smother Stanford Indians by 33-0: Worst Licking in Long Series". Los Angeles Times. pp. 17, 20. Archived from the original on April 5, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ Jack Ledden (November 26, 1939). "Trojans Humble Irish, 20-12: 55,000 Thrill To Long Runs in Fast Game". The South Bend Tribune. p. 1. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved December 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Paul Zimmerman (December 3, 1939). "Trojan Pass Conquers Washington in Last Two Minutes, 9-7". Los Angeles Times. p. II-11. Archived from the original on April 5, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ Dick Hyland (December 10, 1939). "Trojans and Bruins in 0-0 Tie Before 103,300: Foes Battle to Standstill". Los Angeles Times. p. II-11. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved December 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ Paul Zimmerman (January 2, 1940). "U.S.C. Wins 14–0 Over Tennessee: Mighty Men of Troy Crush Volunteers Before 90,000 Rose Bowl Fans". Los Angeles Times. pp. 1, 13. Archived from the original on August 8, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "1940 NFL Draft". Pro Football Archives. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2022.