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USC Trojans to Wear Throwback Uniforms for Homecoming This Saturday

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Good morning, Uni Watchers, and a Happy Humpday to all.

Yesterday the University of Southern California (USC) Trojans announced they’ll wear 1972 “retro” uniforms when the team takes on new B1G rival Nebraska, and the school celebrates homecoming this Saturday afternoon.

There are still a handful of what can be called “traditional” schools when it comes to uniforms, and USC is certainly among those select few. They don’t wear alternates, they don’t wear NOB, they still wear black cleats and low white socks, and they don’t really change their uniforms. When they do alter their unis, they generally don’t change them for years…decades even.

So even when the team wears a throwback, it will look very much like the team’s current uniforms. Such is the case with the throwbacks the team is wearing this weekend.

Even the “hype” video is retro. While I will often post video reveals, I rarely ask you guys to actually watch them. But not only is this one very well done and slickly produced, it was actually shot entirely on Super 8 film, which was of course pretty much top of the line way back in 1972. The school enlisted the assistance of running back Woody Marks, receiver Duce Robinson, cornerback Jaylin Smith and offensive lineman Emmanuel Pregnon for the video and photo shoot. Let’s check out the video now.

And here are some views of the throwback uniform.

The jersey is the most “different” look of the throwback.

The sleeves have a modified Northwestern stripe pattern of white/gold/white.

The main difference between the throwback and the current jersey is the sleeve cap — the current uniforms have TV numbers on the caps, while the shoulders have a half-moon stripe. Numbers on the current jerseys are also quite thick.

The throwback jerseys have no TV numbers, and front and rear numbers are narrower. And those are pretty much the only differences between what they will wear on Saturday, and what they’ve been wearing since the early years of the twenty-first century.

The rear of the jersey is NNOB, as it is on today’s uniforms.

The helmet is unchanged, consisting of a cardinal shell with a Trojan head logo on the side. Facemasks are gray.

The pants are gold, with two cardinal stripes running down the sides.

The Trojans wore the modified Northwestern stripe on their sleeves from 1972 through 2002. They were changed by then-Coach Pete Carroll in 2003 to the current style.

Here’s a look at the 1972-2002 uniform. The current trojan head logo was first added in 1972.

And what did the Trojans wear before the 1972 change?

The Trojans wore that style from 1958 through 1970 — the same style as they currently wear. When Pete Carroll oversaw the change in 2003, he was actually throwing back to the style worn 30+ years earlier.

So you can see USC has a thing with tradition!

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The Trojans will no doubt be playing with somewhat heavy hearts this weekend, as legendary coach John Robinson passed away on Monday, at the age of 89. He was an assistant coach from 1972-74 (when the throwback uniforms to be worn on Saturday were introduced), and had two stints as Head Coach: 1976-82 and 1993-97, all of which took place while USC wore the uniforms with the Northwestern striping. Obviously the team had planned to wear these before Robinson’s untimely passing, but perhaps it’s fitting the team will be sporting the unis they wore when he was their coach.

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Growing up on Long Island, in the shadow of New York City, college football wasn’t (and still isn’t) big — at the time we had eight pro teams across the four major sports, so I got into college football relatively later than pro sports, around the time I was ten or eleven years old. One of my first memories of the college game was the USC Trojans’ victory in the 1978 Rose Bowl over the Michigan Wolverines. That team was coached by John Robinson. My high school’s nickname was also “Trojans,” so the Southern Cal team immediately became one of my rooting interests based on that fact alone. And of course, the uniforms the USC team wore in the 1978 game were what they’ll be wearing this Saturday. Obviously, I’m a big fan.

[Interesting side note: my high school football team wore uniforms that were virtually identical to Alabama. Everything was the same, except our school colors were maroon and gray, so the jerseys were slightly darker than the crimson ones worn by the Tide. Based on that fact, Alabama also became one of my rooting interests early on, and I still think they have the best uniforms in College Football.]

I’m very much looking forward to seeing the throwbacks in action against Nebraska. USC’s transition from the PAC-12 to the B1G has been somewhat mixed, as they currently sit at 4-5 overall and 2-5 in B1G conference play. The Trojans need to win two of their final three games to become bowl-eligible. Hopefully the uniforms will provide a spark. I’m sure the Trojans will also have some sort of memorial for John Robinson as well, and no doubt he’ll be “looking down” on the game and seeing USC in basically the “same” uniforms as they wore when he coached them.

You can see a few more photos below:

You can also see a LOT more photos here.

In a time when universities are constantly introducing alternate jerseys or entirely new designs (many of which are for one game only), USC is one of the few teams that has stayed true to the school’s traditional uniforms. Are you a fan of sticking with tradition? Obviously I love the Oregon Ducks and their uniform machinations, but I also love the Alabamas, Penn States and USCs of the world, whose uniforms almost never change. Do you appreciate seeing a team wearing virtually the same uniforms as they wore when you were a kid?

Weekend editor Jimmer Vilk and I almost never agree on what makes a “top 5” matchup, but I’m going to guess USC/Nebraska will be on the good side of the 5 & 1 (and possibly the No. 1, especially if Nebraska wears red pants, which he also loves). I can dream, at least.

Love to hear your thoughts on the throwbacks and tradition!

 

 
  
 

Guess the Game from the Scoreboard

Guess The Game…

…From The Scoreboard

Today’s scoreboard comes from Ed Bickle.

The premise of the game (GTGFTS) is simple: I’ll post a scoreboard and you guys simply identify the game depicted. In the past, I don’t know if I’ve ever completely stumped you (some are easier than others).

Here’s the Scoreboard. In the comments below, try to identify the game (date and location, as well as final score). If anything noteworthy occurred during the game, please add that in (and if you were AT the game, well bonus points for you!):

Please continue sending these in! You’re welcome to send me any scoreboard photos (with answers please), and I’ll keep running them.

 

 

Guess the Game from the Uniform


Based on the suggestion of long-time reader/contributor Jimmy Corcoran, we’ve introduced a new “game” on Uni Watch, which is similar to the popular “Guess the Game from the Scoreboard” (GTGFTS), only this one asked readers to identify the game based on the uniforms worn by teams.

Like GTGFTS, readers will be asked to guess the date, location and final score of the game from the clues provided in the photo. Sometimes the game should be somewhat easy to ascertain, while in other instances, it might be quite difficult. There will usually be a visual clue (something odd or unique to one or both of the uniforms) that will make a positive identification of one and only one game possible. Other times, there may be something significant about the game in question, like the last time a particular uniform was ever worn (one of Jimmy’s original suggestions). It’s up to YOU to figure out the game and date.

Today’s GTGFTU comes from Pat Broadus.

Good luck and please post your guess/answer in the comments below.

 

 

And finally...

…that’s all for the early lede. I should have a couple more articles today, plus Anthony’s Ticker, so be sure to keep checking back!

Everyone have a good Wednesday, and I’ll see you all tomorrow. Till then…

Peace,

PH

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Illinois Football Unveils Throwback Helmets for Saturday’s Game vs. Purdue

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Purdue Boilermakers Unveil New Football Uniforms for 2024
Comments (0)

    Not a fan of the Trojans but I love these retro uniforms and so do the players, it seems. Cool pics.

    GTGFTS – Though this one might as well be another GTGFTU because of the prominence of these uniforms in the shot. Cowboys at 49ers in the NFC Championship Game at Candlestick Park on January 15, 1995, where the Niners would dethrone the two-time defending champs, 38-28.

    Same! I hate grey face mask with uniforms that otherwise have no grey. I feel like white or cardinal would look really good. I’d prefer white, but either is an upgrade.

    “I hate grey face mask with uniforms that otherwise have no grey. I feel like white or cardinal would look really good. I’d prefer white”

    Fair enough, but the Trojans home uniforms have no white (although the throwbacks do have the two thin white stripes on the sleeve caps). But if you don’t like gray masks with uniforms that have no gray, just curious why you prefer white masks with uniforms that have no white. Unless you’re speaking strictly about the throwback uniforms, in which case that doesn’t apply, as there is a miniscule amount of white. How would you feel if they wore gold cages with the cardinal helmets?

    Wow, that’s a good point about USC having no white on their standard cardinal set. Now I can’t unsee it. Yeah, gold masks could look really good if they can match the colors up. I wouldn’t mind cardinal either.

    I think the main reason I dislike the grey face mask is mostly just how it looks. With the Chiefs for example. Their throwback helmet just looks so much different to me just because of the grey facemask. The white usually just makes them look more “clean” as the youth is saying these days.

    This is what I remember USC looking like growing up. So, pretty glad to see it making a return this weekend. I still like their current set better. But, still will be fun to watch. Wonder if there will be any retro endzone markings?

    I like these, but they look VERY similar to the jerseys Minnesota switched to this season. SC obviously has the historical precedent for the look, but it’s weird to see Southern Cal look like Minnesota in 2024.

    In college, one size definitely does not fit all. I like that certain schools are tradition-minded while others are loose and experimental. P

    As a Trojan alum I like these as a one-off. However, I’d hate if they went back to these full time, since these arm stripes are like way too many other schools. It does seem appropriate to wear these in honor of John Robinson. Fight On!

    The stripes are fine, although the lack of sleeves on modern uniforms makes them look a little silly, like all stripes these days (poor UCLA has been reduced to UCLA epaulets.)

    Refreshing to see an alt that isn’t a designer deciding to create something that has zero connection to the school’s history or colors and then retconning in all sorts of “narrative” details that are absolutely meaningless to even most people who attend that university.

    Love the fact that first year Syracuse coach Fran Brown has eschewed the game-by-game uniform variations under predecessor Dino Babers, by having only one home and one away uniform combination. Classic look for the ‘Cuse.

    Syracuse and Clemson only ACC teams to wear minimum uniform sets (2) so far this season according to ACC Tracker.

    Classic look often forgotten due to west coast bias. Was ’93 the old year they altered the Trojan helmet logo to look a bit more 3D? I actually kinda liked that one better.

    These USC jerseys are not very accurate, they got the number fonts wrong. In 1972 USC wore heat pressed numbers and the number fonts were different. The photo of Charles White is more accurate to what USC will wear, especially the number two font. If you google a photo of Anthony Davis or Lynn Swann from 1972, you will see the numbers are totally different.

    Classic look for USC. Did not know that Phil was a Garden City HS alum. I think my school (Bethpage HS) played GC a couple of times in the Nassau County playoffs back in the late 70’s – good times

    I think we were in-season rivals as well.

    For a period a few years ago, GC changed from their Alabama-clone unis to a more modern template, with shiny side panels and the like. But for decades it was maroon/maroon/white at home, maroon/white/white on the road. Our helmets had uni numbers (just like ‘bama) and our stripe pattern was the same as well. I never liked the darker maroon color, but it was a school color…back in the day when teams wore school colors exclusively.

    They’ve since returned to the more traditional uniforms (not quite throwbacks, but close to what they wore when I was a student): link

    Wonder how they’d look with a white facemask and pants striping of white and cardinal in the template of how the Eagles or UVA does them.

    I’m going to guess USC/Nebraska will be on the good side of the 5 & 1

    I have a guest 5&1 picker scheduled for Sunday, so if all goes as planned, your guess is as good as mine.

    Only if NU goes with the traditional white tops, red pants away uni combo. If they come out in all white, no go, please.

    My junior high school team was the Trojans with the exact same color scheme. I sort of became a fan of Southern California in those days and I still appreciate seeing them unchanged all these years. To me, seeing USC playing a game at the Coliseum is a thing of beauty.

    So a retro to 1969/70 would be to go with grey facemasks and remove the trojan head decal and use their existing jerseys/pants? Wow.

    This is a great copy and paste idea. Now, imagine if only these daily uniform reveals could use some copy and paste action and smartly execute.
    Here’s looking at you NFL’s Washington, Arizona,Falcons, Rams.
    NHL’s Maple Leafs, Jets, Capitals, Dallas Stars..

    Great post! I think the remembrances for John Robinson speak to the bigger picture, these are not just uniforms but important identity markers- hence the grey face masks are required.

    I often wonder if teams share their retro uniform schedule with that opposing team so that they could both go retro for the game. As a Husker fan I’d love to see us roll out in our 72 jerseys also to get the full vibe.

    Side note: Since the NFL loves to have themed events why not designate Week X as a throwback week so we can have them all in one (or two) glorious week(s)? NASCAR does this with the race at Darlington with throwback paint schemes and the fans go nuts for it.

    That you mentioned John Robinson’s passing on Monday is a great but somber tie of his success to USC’s wearing these classic unis on Saturday. Too bad they couldn’t leave the B1G and swoosh off the fronts for one week.
    One of the few benefits of having a brother nine years older than me was my getting an early introduction to college football, and since our Kansas teams weren’t perennial contenders, he latched on to USC. (Maybe because his name was Troy? I never thought about that until just now, and he died in May of ’23.) He was a big fan of “the Juice” from his Trojan years; I only knew O.J.’s football career as a pro. PAC-8/10 games were a TV treat in the Midwest, but especially the USC-UCLA games were among Troy’s favorite rivalries (for the colors and game qualities), along with the Trojans’ many Rose Bowl appearances then.

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