The 1916 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California (USC) as an independent during the 1916 college football season. In their third non-consecutive year under head coach Dean Cromwell (Cromwell was also coach in 1909 and 1910), the Trojans compiled a 5âÂÂ3 record and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 129 to 80. The season featured USC's first game against Arizona, a 20âÂÂ7 victory in Phoenix, its third game against California, a 27âÂÂ0 loss in Los Angeles, and its second game against Oregon Agricultural, a 16âÂÂ7 loss in Los Angeles.