2003 USC Trojans football team

American college football season August 2023 February 2026 2003 USC Trojans USC Trojans logo.svg 100 Pacific-10 Conference Pac-10 1 2 12–1 7–1 Pete Carroll 3rd Norm Chow 3rd Pro-style 4–3 Keary Colbert Melvin Simmons Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (c. 92,000, grass) AP Poll national championFWAA national championPac-10 championRose Bowl champion Rose Bowl W 28–14 vs. Michigan The 2003 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in the 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season. They won their first national championship since 1978 as they were named the Associated Press and Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) national champions. However, the Trojans were denied a spot in the BCS National Championship Game by the BCS selections for the national championship game, where LSU won the Coaches' Poll title, resulting in a split national championship - the last time this has happened.https://www.cfbhall.com/news-and-happenings/blog/split-decision-2003-national-champions-lsu-tigers-x-usc-trojans/ Split Decision: 2003 National Champions - LSU Tigers X USC Trojans College Football Hall of Fame November 8, 2023 January 5, 2026 The regular season ended with three one-loss teams in BCS contention: Oklahoma, LSU and USC. USC ended the regular season ranked #1 and LSU #2 in both the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll. USC lost one triple-overtime game at California, which finished 8–6; LSU had a 12-point home loss against a Florida team that went 8–5; Oklahoma, which had been ranked #1 for most of the season, fell to #3 after suffering a 35–7 defeat in the 2003 Big 12 Championship Game to Kansas State, which finished 11–4. Controversy erupted when the BCS computers selected Oklahoma–LSU as the BCS title game. During the bowl games, USC had a convincing 28–14 win over #4 Michigan in the Rose Bowl while LSU beat Oklahoma 21–14 in the Sugar Bowl (designated the BCS title game). USC remained #1 in the final AP Poll with 48 of the 65 votes, and LSU was ranked, by contractual obligation, #1 in the final Coaches' Poll, though three coaches did not follow instructions and voted USC #1 in that poll as well.Ted Miller https://www.espn.com/college-football/news/story?id=3403882 BCS system leaves long trail of wounded victims ESPN.com May 20, 2008 May 20, 2008 Schedule 2003 AP Pacific August 30 3:00 p.m. w y y 8 Auburn 6 Jordan–Hare Stadium Auburn, AL CBS 23–0 86,063 September 6 5:00 p.m. w y 5 BYU Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA ABC 35–18 75,315 September 13 1:00 p.m. w y 4 Hawaii Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA FSN 61–32 73,654 September 27 3:30 p.m. l y 3 California California Memorial Stadium Berkeley, CA FSN 31–34 3OT 51,208 October 4 12:30 p.m. w y 10 Arizona State Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, AZ ABC 37–17 56,527 October 11 7:00 p.m. w 9 Stanford Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA rivalry FSN 44–21 68,341 October 18 11:30 a.m. w y y 4 Notre Dame Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN rivalry NBC 45–14 80,795 October 25 12:30 p.m. w y 4 Washington Husky Stadium Seattle, WA ABC 43–23 72,015 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Q1FWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qusDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5278%2C6472415 Sunday Register-Guard Eugene, Oregon Associated Press Korte Tim Leinert excels as USC cruises October 26, 2003 D6 November 1 4:00 p.m. w y 3 Washington State 6 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA ABC 43–16 82,478 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=e8YjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=M9EFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6564%2C4477274 Moscow-Pullman Daily News Idaho-Washington Fox Tom Washington State drubbed by USC November 3, 2003 1B November 15 4:00 p.m. w y 2 Arizona Arizona Stadium Tucson, AZ TBS 45–0 39,201 November 22 12:30 p.m. w 2 UCLA Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA Victory Bell ABC 47–22 93,172 December 6 1:30 p.m. w 2 Oregon State Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA ABC 52–28 73,864 January 1, 2004, 2004 1:30 p.m. w y y 1 Michigan 4 Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA Rose Bowl, College GameDay ABC 28–14 93,849 Rankings 2003 NCAA Division I-A football rankings AP 0 16 8 4 (6) 4 (4) 4 (2) 3 (2) 10 9 5 5 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 (42) 1 (48) Coaches 0 16 8 5 4 (1) 3 (1) 3 (1) 10 9 4 4 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 (37) 2 (3) BCS 8 15 7 4 2 2 3 2 2 3 Game summaries Auburn USC 10 0 6 7 Auburn 0 0 0 0 August 30 Jordan–Hare Stadium • Auburn, Alabama 86,063 Steve Shaw Verne Lundquist, Todd Blackledge and Jill Arrington CBS yes 1 12:38 USC Mike Williams 5 yard pass from Matt Leinart (Ryan Killeen kick) USC 7-0 1 3:21 USC Ryan Killeen 28 yard field goal USC 10-0 3 11:50 USC Ryan Killeen 42 yard field goal USC 13-0 3 7:22 USC Ryan Killeen 35 yard field goal USC 16-0 4 13:51 USC Hershel Dennis 14 yard run (Ryan Killeen kick) USC 23-0 yes USC opened the season visiting Auburn University: the Tigers were also ranked in the top 10 and had been named a pre-season favorite to be the national champion by at least one major news organization. In his first start, quarterback Matt Leinart led the Trojans on a dominating 23–0 performance.Forde Pat Pat Forde 2007-08-27 Forde: Dashing toward 2007's kickoff https://www.espn.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=2993475 2025-01-12 ESPN.com en Personnel Roster 2003 USC Trojans f 86 So Dominique Byrd TE y 5 Fr Reggie Bush RB y 10 Jr Matt Cassel QB y 83 Sr Keary Colbert WR y 44 So Gregg Guenther TE y 81 Sr Alex Holmes TE y 62 Sr Norm Katnik C y 37 So David Kirtman RB y 11 So Matt Leinart QB y 77 Sr Jacob Rogers T y 78 Jr Lenny Vandermade G y 35 Jr Lee Webb Lee Webb (American football) RB y 1 So Mike Williams Mike Williams (wide receiver, born 1984) WR y 8 Sr Marcell Allmond CB y 59 So Collin Ashton LB y 84 So Shaun Cody DT y 6 Jr Matt Grootegoed LB y 27 Jr Jason Leach DB y 99 Jr Mike Patterson Mike Patterson (American football) DT y https://web.archive.org/web/20031203185702/http://usctrojans.ocsn.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/usc-m-footbl-mtt.html *Pete Carroll *Norm Chow (OC) Ed Orgeron (AHC/DL/RC) Tim Davis (OL) Greg Burns (DB) Lane Kiffin (WR) Rocky Seto (S) Brennan Carroll (GA) Recruiting With the late arrival of quarterback John David Booty, who left high school a year early to attend USC, the Trojans' 2003 recruiting class was considered by some to be the best in the country.Jamie Newberg http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/college/recruiting/news/2003/05/22/newberg_watch/ https://web.archive.org/web/20030811122820/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/college/recruiting/news/2003/05/22/newberg_watch/ dead August 11, 2003 Upon further review ... SI.com May 22, 2003 April 30, 2008https://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/recruiting/2003-02-05-usc-class_x.htm USC wins on recruiting trail by grabbing California talent USA Today February 6, 2003 Its roster included many NFL draft picks over several years, including four first-round picks.2003 USC FOOTBALL SIGNEES https://web.archive.org/web/20110522214138/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/usc/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/03-recruits-info.pdf 2011-05-22 , USC Trojans - Official Site, Retrieved April 30, 2008. 2006 NFL draft: Reggie Bush (Round 1, Pick 2) Matt Leinart (Round 1, Pick 10) LenDale White (Round 2, Pick 45), 2007 NFL draft: Steve Smith (Round 2, Pick 51) Eric Wright (Finished career at UNLV, Round 2, Pick 53) Ryan Kalil (Round 2, Pick 59) 2008 NFL draft: Sedrick Ellis (Round 1, Pick 7) Sam Baker (Round 1, Pick 21) Lawrence Jackson (Round 1, Pick 28) Terrell Thomas (Round 2, Pick 63) John David Booty (Round 5, Pick 137) Thomas Williams (Round 5, Pick 155) Chauncey Washington (Round 7, Pick 213) References USC Category:USC Trojans football seasons Category:College football national champions Category:Pac-12 Conference football champion seasons Category:Rose Bowl champion seasons USC Trojans football