My USC story. Attended the '76 Mizzou-USC game in...

Posted on: January 2, 2023 at 17:28:57 CT

the Colisseum. If I'm not mistaken, the Trojenz were pre-season No. 2 with Heisman Trophy candidate Ricky Bell at TB. Mizzou was a 21-point dog, even though the Tigers had shown the propensity of beating highly ranked teams previously, including the season-opener against Alabama in the '75 opener in Birmingham.

Maybe USC was overconfident, but Mizzou flat-out kicked their butts up and down the field all night long. Curtis Brown scored on a 90-yard kickoff return, a 55-yard reception and run (where he broke at least 4-5 tackles), and an 11-yard run. Had a fourth TD run called by due to a holding penalty. When Brown wasn't slashing through the USC defense on the ground, Steve Pisarkiewicz was cutting them to ribbons through the air. Just a total beatdown.

As my fraternity brother, his father, his neighbor and I were whooping it up, some snotty USC co-ed turned to us and said, "Why don''t you hicks go home?" To which I replied, "We will, as soon as we get through kicking your asses." Have disliked USC ever since.