Back in 1967, not that I was paying that much attention yet, Syracuse fullback Larry Csonka ran for over 1,100 yards for the season. Michigan running back Ron Johnson barely topped 1,000 yards and Buddy Gore from Clemson ran for 1,045 yards. At Texas, Chris Gilbert just got over that barrier of a 1,000 yards on the ground, but little known Mercury Morris had over 1,400 yards at little West Texas State.
But, the real deal was in Los Angeles and playing for the Trojans of USC. Junior College transfer O.J. Simpson surprised nearly everybody by the level of his talent and he ran for over 1,500 yards. That doesn’t sound like an incredible amount of yardage in the current football world, but it was really good in the time period. Heisman Trophy-winning running back Mike Garrett was really the first of the line of great tailbacks at USC, but that was before my time. O.J. was the first one that these eyes viewed.
The USC Trojans won the national title in 1967 when they beat crosstown rivals UCLA and then Indiana in the Rose Bowl. UCLA’s Gary Beban won the Heisman that season, but it really should
have gone to Simpson of USC.
O.J. smashed his 1967 rushing total with 1,880 yards and then got his Heisman Trophy. That dude might be more insane than a rabid dog, but he sure could play some football.
The Trojans were probably the class of college football back in these years and they won with talent. 5 first round draft picks in 1968 was proof of their superb physical specimens.
These are the rest of their 1,000-yard rushers after OJ Simpson rode off into the wrong direction for the sunset. Maybe he went east because after some really great years on the field and in Hollywood, this guy lost his marbles.
There was no need for tears and USC in the same sentence because there was more talent to come.
The first season after he was gone, Clarence Davis came out of East LA Junior College in 1969 to replace OJ. Davis ran for 1,357 yards to finish 4th nationally behind Leon Burns of Long Beach State and Heisman winner Steve Owens from Oklahoma. Future Hollywood actor Ed Marinaro of Cornell was amazing and finished with 1,409 yards and just ahead of Davis. Davis 1969 Marinaro
The glamorous Trojans lost their glitter in the 1970 and 1971 seasons before they boomeranged to form in 1972. There were many great players on that 1972 team, but their leading warrior at tailback was Anthony Davis. Freshmen weren’t legal in college football until Davis was a sophomore, or the Trojans might have been better in 1971.
The USC Trojans had one of their better all-time teams in 1972. Led by quarterback Mike Rae, tailback Anthony Davis, fullback Sam ‘Bam’ Cunningham wide receivers Lynn Swan and head coach John McKay’s son JK McKay. The defense was led by linebacker Richard ‘Batman’ Wood, who was a multi-year All American.
The Trojans finished the season undefeated at 12-0 and our guy Davis led the team in rushing with just under 1,200 yards.
As a junior, in 1973, Davis ran for just over 1,100 yards to help the Trojans to a 9-2-1 record after starting the season ranked number 1.
Anthony Davis’ most famous game came against Notre Dame in 1974 when the Trojans staged a huge comeback after being down 6-24. Davis scored 4 touchdowns in this game but had scored 6 in the 1972 game against the Irish. Davis took the opening kickoff of the second half back for a touchdown and the comeback was on. The comeback turned into a route when the Trojans finished with 55 points and the Irish didn’t score again. Comeback Game
Davis had his best season as a Trojan in 1974 running for 1,421 yards in leading the Trojans to a 10-1-1 record and a share of a national title.
He was drafted in the 2nd round by the New York Jets and was basically a bust in the NFL and played only 4 seasons.
The Trojans lost a lot of talent after the 1974 season and they fell to 8-4 in 1975. But, junior tailback Ricky Bell led them in rushing with a very impressive 1,957 yards. Archie Griffin won the Heisman
in 1975, but honestly, it probably should have gone to Ricky Bell.
The Trojans bounced back to their normal 11-1 record in 1976 with Vince Evans’ improvement at quarterback. Bell ran for just over 1,400 yards and then was the first player picked in the 1977 NFL draft just ahead of Hall of Fame member Tony Dorsett. There were 3 USC players taken in the first 5 picks of the 1977 draft.
Charles White was next in line to the throne after running for over 850 yards as a true freshman. With Ricky Bell gone, White moved to the front of the line and ran for 1,478 yards for another rebuilding Trojan team in 1977.
The 1978 and 1979 Trojans may have been the most talented of their teams over the years. With guys like Anthony Munoz, Keith Van Horne, Brad Budde, Pat Howell, and others in the offensive line and the defensive players like Ronnie Lott, Dennis Smith, Riki Gray, and Chip Banks among so many others, these teams were just absolutely loaded.
Finishing with a 12-1 record in 1978, USC split the national championship with Alabama who they had beaten early in the season in Birmingham.
Charles White ran for 1,859 yards and finished second in the 1978 Heisman voting to Billy Sims of Oklahoma. But, White ran for over 2,000 yards and won his Heisman.
Even though Charles White to this day is still the 7th all-time career leading rushers in the nation, it is possible to do better. While White was running wild in 1978 and 1979, the incredible Marcus Allen was his fullback. Even though Allen blocked for White, he still had 171 yards rushing as a freshman and then 649 yards rushing as a sophomore.
After taking over the starting tailback position in 1980, Marcus Allen proceeded to run for over 1,500 yards. But, it was his senior season that made Marcus Allen truly famous. During the Trojan’s 9-3 season of 1981, Marcus Allen ran for a phenomenal 2,427 yards and 22 touchdowns to capture the Heisman Trophy that season.
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After USC, Marcus Allen was a first-round draft pick by the Raiders and had a Pro Football Hall of Fame career. After Marcus Allen, the great Trojan tailbacks became hit and miss.
It was 1984 before USC had another 1,000-yard tailback and that was Fred Crutcher who romped for over 1,100 that season. Ted Tollner was the coach and the Trojans finished 9-3 and ranked 10th.
By the time that Steven Webster topped the 1,000-yard barrier, it was 1987 and Larry Smith was the USC head coach.
In 1989, Smith was still the coach when robo quarterback Todd Marinovich was throwing the ball all over the place. Ricky Ervins did the Trojans proud that season and ran for almost 1,400 yards.
USC stayed hot for a short period with Mazio Royster cranking out over 1,100 in 1990. But, USC had one of their worst seasons ever in 1991, cratering to 3-8.
John Robinson had been the USC coach after John McKay went off to the NFL, but Robinson also went to the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams. Robinson came back in 1993 for his second stint at USC.
Sometimes, you just can’t go back.
The Trojans did have a decent season in 1995 finishing with a 9-2-1 record and another name to add to the Trojan 1,000-yard rusher club in Delon Washingon.
Robinson’s return was brief and by 1998, the Trojans had hired Paul Hackett. Chad Morton almost surpassed the goal in Hackett’s first season, only to fall 15 yards short at 985.
But, Morton did run for over 1.100 yards in 1999 only to see the Trojans continue to struggle and
finish 6-6.
Hackett would only get 3 seasons at USC when his team finished 5-7 in 2000. However, Sultan McCullough ran for 1,163 yards. The Trojans had a young quarterback tossing the ball around by the name of Carson Palmer who would become the next USC Heisman winner soon.
Pete Carroll arrived on the scene after the 2000 season and Hackett was let go. It was time for USC to be USC again and maybe even the best yet.
Even so, it was still a few years before the Trojans had another 1,000-yard rusher and even then it was more of a fullback type with big Lendale White running for 1,103 yards. The much more celebrated Reggie Bush ran for 908 yards that year, but his day was coming. The Trojans had split the 2003 national title with LSU, but in 2004 there were no questions asked outside of Auburn, Alabama. USC crushed Oklahoma in the national title game and Auburn thought they belonged there.
White topped 1,000 yards again in 2005, but it was Reggie Bush that blew everyone away with 1,740 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns to win the 2005 Heisman Trophy after USC quarterback Matt Leinert had won it the year before. Lendale White ran for 1,302 yards and an amazing 24 touchdowns.
I’m sure that Reggie Bush and Lendale White would trade all the yards and trophies back if only somebody could have tackled Texas quarterback Vince Young and they had captured the national championship in one of the greatest games ever played.
After 2005, USC became running back by committee with guys like Chauncey Washington, CJ Gable, Emmanuel Moody, Joe McKnight, and Stafon Johnson being productive, but none topping the 1,000-yard mark.
But, it wouldn’t last forever with Joe McKnight finally running for 1,014 yards in Pete Carroll’s last season as the Trojan coach.
Under new coach Lane Kiffin, the Trojans had a good season in 2011 with Curtis McNeal barely surpassing the 1,000-yard barrier with 1,005 yards and USC finished 10-2.
Kiffin’s days were numbered as the Trojans dipped to 7-6 in 2012. He was fired after the Arizona State Sun Devils embarrassed the Trojans 41-62 in Tempe.
The Trojans recovered after the firing of Kiffin and finished with 10 wins on the season.
Javorius ‘Buck’ Allen was next under new coach Steve Sarkisian who was also a short term coach. In 2014, Allen ran for 1,489 yards.
More recently, talented and speedy Ronald Jones topped 1,000 yards in 2016, and 2017.
As you can see, USC used to manufacture great running backs year after year. incredible players like O.J. Simpson, Marcus Allen, Charles White, and Ricky Bell were the best of the best in college football. Things have a way of changing sometimes, and old Tailback U just ain’t what she used to be.