Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Halloween and The Great Pumpkin

USC's Pac-12 game this Friday night against Oregon State at Corvalis, Ore., brings back memories of one of the all-time encounters between the two schools in football.
The year was 1967, a raining afternoon at Parker Stadium, and USC was ranked No. 2 in the nation. The Beavers were coached by Dee Andros, whose nickname was the the Great Pumpkin because of his weighty physical appearance and his bright orange jacket which he wore during the game.
Oregon State had garnered the nickname the Giant Killers because they had beaten No. 2-ranked Purdue and tied No. 1 UCLA a few weeks earlier.
USC, which was coached by John McKay and led by All-Americans Ron Yary and O.J. Simpson on offense, were an 11-point favorite, but a steady rain turned the field in a slippery, muddy plane that neutralized the Trojans' speed.


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add Oregon State-USC: The USC offense was able to gain yardage in the first half but could not get into the end zone. As the rain continued to fall it became more difficult to move the ball, and scoring  boiled down to which team would be able to make a field goal. USC had an opportunity in the first half but its kicker missed. Oregon State, however, made its field goal try and that, coupled with the mud and an inspired defense, held on for the 3-0 upset. The Great Pumpkin had temporarily halted USC's run to the national championship and the Rose Bowl.


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last add Oregon State-USC: The Beavers are coming off a tough 20-12 loss to Stanford last weekend,  while the Trojans will try to win two-straight with a limited traveling squad after beating Utah, 19-3. As the game will be played on the night after Halloween, what are the chances of the spirit of the Great Pumpkin returning to Parker Stadium?

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