The 1974 USC Trojans football team was an American football team that represented the University of Southern California (USC) as a member of the Pacific-8 Conference during the 1974 NCAA Division I football season. In their 15th year under head coach John McKay, the Trojans compiled a 10âÂÂ1âÂÂ1 record (6âÂÂ0âÂÂ1 in conference games), won the Pac 8 championship, and outscored their opponents by a total of 363 to 142. They lost the season opener on the road against No. 20 Arkansas and went undefeated the rest of the season, including a week 2 victory over No. 8 Pittsburgh and a comeback victory over No. 5 Notre Dame in which they scored 55 unanswered points after trailing 24âÂÂ0. They concluded the season with an 18âÂÂ17 victory over No. 3 Ohio State in the 1975 Rose Bowl, converting a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter for the win.
USC was ranked No. 1 in the final United Press International (UPI) poll, receiving 27 of the 34 first-place votes from the coaches panel. The Trojans were ranked No. 2 in the final AP poll, trailing Oklahoma; Oklahoma was not included in the UPI poll as the school was on probation for recruiting violations.
Running back Anthony Davis tallied 1,354 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, finished second behind Archie Griffin in the Heisman Trophy voting, and won the W. J. Voit Memorial Trophy as the outstanding college football player on the Pacific Coast. Davis and linebacker Richard Wood were consensus first-team picks on the 1974 All-America college football team. Tight end Jim Obradovich and guard Bill Bain also received first-team All-America honors from one or more selectors.
Running back Anthony Davis led the team with 1,354 rushing yards on 288 carries during the regular season for an average of 4.7 yards per carry. He added 67 yards on 13 carries in the 1975 Rose Bowl. Davis also led the team with 15 touchdowns for 90 points scored. He also ranked third nationally with 1,908 all-purpose yards, including pass receptions and kickoff and punt returns.
Against UCLA, he broke O. J. Simpson's Pac-8 career rushing record. He concluded the 1974 regular season with career totals of 52 touchdowns, 314 points scored, and 3,657 rushing yards.
He also set a national career record with six touchdowns on kickoff returns and a single-season record with three kickoff returns for touchdown during the 1974 season.
The team's leading rushers following Davis were Allen Carter (505 yards, 5.4 yards per carry), Ricky Bell (261 yards, 6.7 yards per carry), Pat Haden (240 yards, 2.6 yards per carry), Dave Farmer (204 yards, 7.6 yards per carry), and Vince Evans (201 yards, 4.8 yards per carry).
Quarterback Pat Haden completed 58 of 127 passes (45.7%) for 807 yards, 11 touchdowns, nine interceptions, and a 113 passer rating. Backup Vince Evans completed six of 16 passes (37.5%) for 113 yards.
The team's leading receivers were J. K. McKay (29 receptions for 446 yards and seven touchdowns), Anthony Davis (14 receptions for 87 yards and two touchdowns), and Shelton Diggs (eight receptions for 200 yards and two touchdowns). Diggs caught the game-winning two point conversion in the 1975 Rose Bowl.
Running back Anthony Davis received numerous awards and honors for his performance during the 1974 season, including the following:
Davis was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005.
Linebacker Richard Wood, sometimes known as "Batman", was a consensus first-team All-American, receiving first-team honors from multiple selectors, including the AP, UPI, and Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA). It was Wood's third consecutive year as an All-American. Wood was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2007.
In addition to Davis and Wood, three other USC players received first-team All-America honors from one or more selectors:
Twelve USC players received first-team honors from the AP or UPI on the 1974 All-Pacific-8 Conference football team: Davis (AP-1, UPI-1); Obradovich (AP-1, UPI-1); Wood (AP-1, UPI-1); Bain (AP-1); Phillips (AP-1); safety Marvin Cobb (AP-1, UPI-1); tackle Marvin Powell (AP-1); defensive lineman Gary Jeter (AP-1); defensive lineman Art Riley (AP-1); linebacker Ed Powell (AP-1); defensive back Danny Reece (AP-1); and placekicker Chris Limahelu (AP-1). Five others received second-team honors: quarterback Pat Haden (AP-2); tackle Steve Knutson (AP-2); wide receiver J. K. McKay (AP-2); defensive lineman Otha Bradley (AP-2); linebacker Dale Mitchell (AP-2).