# 1970 USC Trojans football team

The 1970 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California (USC) in the 1970 NCAA University Division football season. In their 11th year under head coach John McKay, the Trojans compiled a 6–4–1 record (3–4 against conference opponents), finished in a tie for sixth place in the Pacific-8 Conference (Pac-8), and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 343 to 233. The team was ranked #15 in the final AP Poll and #19 in the final Coaches Poll.
On September 12, 1970, USC opened the season visiting the University of Alabama under coach Bear Bryant and became the first fully integrated team to play in the State of Alabama. The game, scheduled by Bryant, resulted in a 42–21 win for the Trojans. More importantly, all six touchdowns scored by USC team were by African-American players, two by USC running back Sam "Bam" Cunningham, against an all-white Crimson Tide team. The game hastened the racial integration of football at Alabama and in the American South.
Jimmy Jones led the team in passing, completing 121 of 234 passes for 1,877 yards with 10 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Clarence Davis led the team in rushing with 214 carries for 972 yards and nine touchdowns. Bob Chandler led the team in receiving with 41 catches for 590 yards and three touchdowns.

## Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 12 | vs. No. 16 Alabama* | No. 3 | Legion FieldBirmingham, AL | W 42–21 | 72,175 |
| September 19 | No. 9 Nebraska* | No. 3 | Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumLos Angeles, CA | T 21–21 | 73,768 |
| September 26 | at Iowa* | No. 7 | Iowa StadiumIowa City, IA | W 48–0 | 56,131 |
| October 3 | Oregon State | No. 5 | Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumLos Angeles, CA | W 45–13 | 57,769 |
| October 10 | at No. 12 Stanford | No. 4 | Stanford StadiumStanford, CA (rivalry) | L 14–24 | 86,000 |
| October 17 | Washington | No. 11 | Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumLos Angeles, CA | W 28–25 | 56,166 |
| October 24 | at Oregon | No. 10 | Autzen StadiumEugene, OR | L 7–10 | 34,000 |
| October 31 | California | No. 18 | Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumLos Angeles, CA | L 10–13 | 54,750 |
| November 7 | vs. Washington State | | Joe Albi StadiumSpokane, WA | W 70–33 | 14,500 |
| November 21 | at UCLA | | Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumLos Angeles, CA (Victory Bell) | L 20–45 | 78,773 |
| November 28 | No. 4 Notre Dame* | | Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumLos Angeles, CA (rivalry) | W 38–28 | 64,694 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the game |||||||

## Game summaries
### Alabama

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • USC | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 42 |
| Alabama | 0 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 21 |

### Iowa

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • USC | 7 | 27 | 14 | 0 | 48 |
| Iowa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

### Oregon State

Jimmy Jones 15/21, 304 Yds, 3 TD, rush TD

### Notre Dame

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Notre Dame | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| • USC | 21 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 38 |

## 1970 team players in the NFL

The following players were claimed in the 1971 NFL draft.
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL club |
| Marv Montgomery | Tackle | 1 | 12 | Denver Broncos |
| Tody Smith | Defensive tackle | 1 | 25 | Dallas Cowboys |
| Charles Weaver | Defensive end | 2 | 48 | Detroit Lions |
| Sam Dickerson | Wide receiver | 3 | 55 | San Francisco 49ers |
| Gerry Mullins | Tight end | 4 | 86 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Clarence Davis | Running back | 4 | 97 | Oakland Raiders |
| Greg Slough | Linebacker | 6 | 149 | Oakland Raiders |
| Herman Franklin | Wide receiver | 6 | 152 | Detroit Lions |
| Bob Chandler | Wide receiver | 7 | 160 | Buffalo Bills |
| Charles Evans | Running back | 14 | 356 | New York Giants |