1931 USC Trojans football team

The 1931 USC Trojans football team was an American football team that represented the University of Southern California (USC) in the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) during the 1931 college football season. In their seventh season under head coach Howard Jones, the Trojans lost the opening game to Saint Mary's and then won the remaining ten games of the season. They finished the season with a 10–1 record (7–0 against PCC opponents), shut out six of eleven opponents, outscored all opponents by a total of 363 to 52, and won the PCC and national championships.^[1]

1931 USC Trojans football
National champion PCC champion Rose Bowl champion
Rose Bowl (NCG), W 21–12 vs. Tulane
Conference	Pacific Coast Conference
Record	10–1 (7–0 PCC)
Head coach	Howard Jones (7th season)
Offensive scheme	Single-wing
Captain	Stan Williamson
Home stadium	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Seasons ← 1930 1932 →

1931 Pacific Coast Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 1 USC $	7	–	0	–	0			10	–	1	–	0
California	4	–	1	–	0			8	–	2	–	0
Oregon	3	–	1	–	1			6	–	2	–	2
Washington State	4	–	3	–	0			6	–	4	–	0
Washington	3	–	3	–	1			5	–	3	–	1
Stanford	2	–	2	–	1			7	–	2	–	2
Oregon State	1	–	3	–	1			6	–	3	–	1
Idaho	1	–	4	–	0			3	–	4	–	0
UCLA	0	–	3	–	0			3	–	4	–	1
Montana	0	–	5	–	0			1	–	6	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from Dickinson System

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 26	Saint Mary's*	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA	L 7–13	70,000	[2]
October 3	Oregon State	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA	W 30–0	50,000	[3]
October 10	Washington State	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA	W 38–6	30,000	[4]
October 17	Oregon	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA	W 53–0	50,000	[5]
October 24	at California	California Memorial Stadium Berkeley, CA	W 6–0	53,957	[6]
November 7	Stanford	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA (rivalry)	W 19–0	93,000	[7]
November 14	Montana	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA	W 69–0	20,000	[8]
November 21	at Notre Dame*	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)	W 16–14	50,731	[9]
December 5	Washington	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA	W 44–7	55,000	[10]
December 12	Georgia*	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA	W 60–0	75,000	[11]
January 1, 1932	vs. Tulane*	Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA (Rose Bowl)	W 21–12	84,000	[12]
*Non-conference game Homecoming

National championship

The Dickinson System rankings were released on December 12, 1931, and ranked USC No. 1 and Tulane Green Wave No. 2.^[13][14] The 1932 Rose Bowl matched No. 1 USC against No. 2 Tulane with USC prevailing by a 21–12 score.^[12] After their victory in the Rose Bowl, the Trojans were presented with the Albert Russel Erskine Trophy for the 1931 national football championship.^[15]

In addition to Dickinson, USC was recognized as the 1931 national champion by the great majority of later rankings and analyses, including the Billingsley Report, Boand System, College Football Researchers Association, Dunkel System, Helms Athletic Foundation, Houlgate System, National Championship Foundation, Poling System, Sagarin Ratings, and Berryman (QPRS).^[16]

Awards and honors

Two USC players, fullback Gaius Shaver and guard Johnny Baker, were selected as consensus first-team players on the 1931 All-America college football team.^[17][18] Shaver led the team with 938 rushing yards and 90 points scored.^[19] Two other USC players received first-team All-America honors from at least one selector: halfback Erny Pinckert (AP, NEA, Liberty) and center Stan Williamson (Liberty).^[20][21][22]

Eight USC players received first-team honors on the 1931 All-Pacific Coast football team: quarterback Gaius Shaver (AP-1, UP-1); quarterback Orville Mohler (NEA-1); halfback Erny Pinckert (AP-1, NEA-1, UP-1); ends Ray Sparling (AP-1) and Garrett Arbelbide (NEA-1); tackle Ernie Smith (AP-1); guard Johnny Baker (AP-1, NEA-1, UP-1); and center Stan Williamson (AP-1, NEA-1, UP-1).^[23][24][25]

Roster

• Garrett Arbelbide, end
• Johnny Baker, guard (College Football Hall of Fame)
• Dick Barber, fullback
• Blanchard Beatty, quarterback
• Henry Biggs, end
• Willard Brouse, quarterback
• Tay Brown, tackle
• Gordon Clark, halfback
• Eugene Clarke, end
• Harvey Durkee, end
• John Dye, guard
• Robert Erskine, tackle
• Kenneth Fay, halfback
• Byron Gentry, guard
• Homer Griffith, quarterback
• Robert H. Hall, tackle
• Harold Hammack, halfback
• J. Howard Joslin, end
• Thomas Mallory, halfback
• Francis McGinley, guard
• Bob McNeish, halfback
• Orville Mohler, quarterback
• Jim Musick, fullback
• George Norene, center
• Neil Norris, end
• James Owens, quarterback
• Ford Palmer, end
• Erny Pinckert, halfback (College Football Hall of Fame)
• Alfred Plaehn, tackle
• Gene Ridings, fullback
• Aaron Rosenberg, guard
• Gaius Shaver, fullback/quarterback
• Thomas Bert Sherman, fullback
• Ernie Smith, tackle
• Ray Sparling, end
• Barry Stephens, halfback
• Lawrence Stevens, guard
• Herbert Tatsch, tackle
• Roderick Thompson, tackle
• Howie Tipton, halfback
• Frank Williamson, guard
• Stan Williamson, center
• Curt Youel, center

^[26]

References

1. "1931 USC Trojans Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
2. Paul Lowry (September 27, 1931). "St. Mary's Warriors Upset Trojans, 13 to 7: Two Forward Passes Spell Ruin for Thundering Herd". Los Angeles Times. pp. VIa1, VIa6 – via Newspapers.com.
3. Paul Lowry (October 4, 1931). "Trojans Score 30-0 Win Over Oregon State: Losers Unable To Show Much". Los Angeles Times. p. VI-a-1 – via Newspapers.com.
4. Braven Dyer (October 11, 1931). "Mohler Stars as Troy Wins: Leads S.C. to 38-6 Victory Over Coast Champions". Los Angeles Times. p. VI-a-1 – via Newspapers.com.
5. Braven Dyer (October 18, 1931). "Troy Swamps Oregon: Webfeet Take Bad Thumping". Los Angeles Times. p. VI-a-1 – via Newspapers.com.
6. Paul Lowry (October 25, 1931). "Trojans Beat Bears, 6-0, in Fierce Battle: Ray Sparling Scores Touchdown for Troy". Los Angeles Times. p. VI-a-1 – via Newspapers.com.
7. Paul Lowry (November 8, 1931). "Trojans ___ Stanford: Trojans Triumph in 19-0 Game; Crowd of 93,000 Spectators Sees Indians Toppled by Ancient Grid Rivals". Los Angeles Times. pp. 1, VI-a-1 – via Newspapers.com.
8. Braven Dyer (November 15, 1931). "Griffith Stars as S.C. Wins: Montana Gets 69-0 Thumping". Los Angeles Times. p. VI-a-1 – via Newspapers.com.
9. Braven Dyer (November 22, 1931). "Stirring Trojan Rally Upsets Irish, 16 to 14". Los Angeles Times. pp. 1, VI-a-1 – via Newspapers.com.
10. Paul Lowry (December 6, 1931). "Trojans Crush Huskies, 44 to 7". Los Angeles Times. p. Sports 1 – via Newspapers.com.
11. Braven Dyer (December 13, 1931). "Thundering Herd Slaughters Georgia, 60-0: Sheer Power of Trojan Attack Stuns Bulldogs". Los Angeles Times. p. VI-a-1 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Valiant Tulane Eleven Bows To Troy, 21-12". Los Angeles Times. January 2, 1932. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "National Title to S.C. Team: Dickinson Rating Gives Trojans Championship for 1931 Season". Los Angeles Times. December 13, 1931. p. VI-a-1 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "Dickinson Gives Title to Trojans". Monroe Morning World. December 13, 1931. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "Trojans Get Erskine 1931 Grid Award". Los Angeles Times. January 2, 1932. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
16. 2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. August 2018. pp. 113, 120. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
17. "Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. p. 7. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
18. "Shaver, Baker Picked on the All-American". Los Angeles Times. December 6, 1931. p. Sports 1 – via Newspapers.com.
19. "1931 USC Trojans Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
20. "The 1931 All-America Team". The Daily Inter Lake. Associated Press. December 5, 1931. p. 2. Retrieved May 22, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
21. MacPhail, Larry (December 14, 1931). "NEA Board Names All-America". The Anniston Star. Newspaper Enterprise Association. p. 8. Retrieved May 22, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
22. ESPN College Football Encyclopedia. ESPN Books. 2005. p. 1163. ISBN 1401337031.
23. "Trojans Place Five Men on All-Pacific Coast Eleven". The Monroe (LA) News-Star. December 3, 1931. p. 7.
24. "Presenting NEA's All-Coast Conference Football Team". Santa Cruz News. December 2, 1931. p. 8.
25. "Southern California Places Five on All-Coast Team". Ames (Iowa) Daily Tribune-Times. December 3, 1931. p. 6.
26. "All-Time Letterwinners" (PDF). USC Athletics. Retrieved February 7, 2025.