LOS ANGELES — For years – for decades, even – USCs athletic department has often found itself caught between the rock of university tradition and the hard place of collegiate footballs evolution, grappling with varying degrees of innovation in an ever-increasing need for revenue.
Thats extended, throughout the Trojans history, to the programs uniforms, where USC has largely refused to don any sort of alternate jersey. On Thursday, though, Trojans fans were set abuzz with the athletic departments announcement of specialty throwback uniforms, a rebirth of 1972 alternates first introduced under legendary coach John McKays regime.
Its believed the first alternate or throwback jersey worn by the program in longtime memory – and a sign of USCs continued attempt to blend tradition with new cosmetic ideas to generate buzz and revenue.
The university has known, a source with knowledge of the situation told the Southern California News Group that equipment and apparel-supplier Nike has long been interested in working with USC on an alternate jersey. After continued conversation, Nikes been working on this particular McKay-era rebirth design for one or two years, the source said, most notably featuring a gleaming golden stripe across the shoulder pads. And after the jerseys finally shipped, the university settled on Saturdays matchup with Nebraska – USCs homecoming game on the schedule – as the date for a debut.
USC head coach Lincoln Riley and his staff, the source said, were all in on the idea.
I think they look at it from a, Its gonna catch the eye of recruits, the source said.
A couple weeks ago, too, the source said, USCs facilities team got the idea to marry the throwback-jersey debut with a full-fledged field makeover at the Coliseum. On Saturday, fans entered to a completely new flavor: End zones painted the same shade of gold as the stripe on USCs shoulders, featuring red USC lettering flanked by massive red-and-gold diamonds. It amounted to an all-out throwback effort Saturday at the Coliseum, with a pregame public-address tribute to late USC head coach John Robinson, a program icon who died Monday at 89 and was honored with specialty helmet stickers.
For now, the source said, the uniforms are simply a one-off, with no concrete plans to introduce them again regularly in the future. But USCs athletic department would be open to future opportunities to re-integrate the design, the source added.
If theres another appropriate time to wear it and theres a right game to do it, Im sure wed be open to that conversation, the source said.
Ramsey, Covington return
Perhaps this year wasnt unprecedented, Riley said after USCs victory over Rutgers in late October, in terms of sheer bad injury luck.
Ive had better years, he added, though, with a chuckle.
Indeed, USCs secondary has in particular been decimated for weeks, one of the deepest position groups on the roster turning to veteran backups in the wake of a rash of injuries. Starting cornerback Jacobe Covington, whod been solid in the early part of the season, had been out since USCs Week Six matchup with Minnesota. Safety Kamari Ramsey, arguably USCs most important defensive piece, had been missing since Week 8 at Maryland.
On Saturday, though, USC received a massive defensive boost with a largely clean bill of health, Ramsey and Covington returning to nominal spots in the lineup.
The only negative development: Sophomore edge Braylan Shelby was scratched after being listed as questionable on USCs pregame availability report, with freshmen Sam Greene and Kameryn Fountain starting on the Trojans defensive line.