The USC Trojans football statistical leaders are individual statistical leaders of the USC Trojans football program in various categories,[1] including passing, rushing, receiving, total offense, defensive stats, and kicking/special teams. Within those areas, the lists identify single-game, single-season, and career leaders. Through the 2023 season, the Trojans represented the University of Southern California in the NCAA Division I FBS Big 10 team, but will join the Big Ten Conference for 2024 and beyond.
Although USC began competing in intercollegiate football in 1888,[1] the school's official record book considers the "modern era" to have begun in the 1920s. Records from before this decade are often incomplete and inconsistent, and they are generally not included in these lists.
These lists are dominated by more recent players for several reasons:
- Since the 1920s, seasons have increased from 10 to 11 and then 12 games in length.
- The NCAA didn't allow freshmen to play varsity football until 1972 (with the exception of the World War II years), allowing players to have four-year careers.
- The Trojans have played in 57 bowl games in school history,[2] 39 of which have come since the 1970 season. Although the official NCAA record book does not include bowl games in statistical records until 2002,[3] and most colleges also structure their record books this way, USC counts all bowl games in its records.[1]
- Due to COVID-19 issues, the NCAA ruled that the 2020 season would not count against the athletic eligibility of any football player, giving everyone who played in that season the opportunity for five years of eligibility instead of the normal four.[4]
These lists are updated through the end of the 2023 season. Recent USC Football Media Guides do not include full top 10 lists for single-game records. However, the 2003 version of the media guide included long lists of top individual single-game performances,[5] and box scores from more recent games are readily available, so the lists are easily derived.
Passing
Passing yards
Career
Rk
|
Player
|
Yards
|
Years
|
1 |
Matt Barkley |
12,327 |
2009 2010 2011 2012
|
2 |
Carson Palmer |
11,818 |
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
|
3 |
Matt Leinart |
10,693 |
2002 2003 2004 2005
|
4 |
Cody Kessler |
10,339 |
2012 2013 2014 2015
|
5 |
Rob Johnson |
8,472 |
1991 1992 1993 1994
|
6 |
Rodney Peete |
8,225 |
1985 1986 1987 1988
|
7 |
Caleb Williams |
8,170[6] |
2022 2023
|
8 |
Kedon Slovis |
7,576 |
2019 2020 2021
|
9 |
Sam Darnold |
7,229 |
2016 2017
|
10 |
John David Booty |
6,125 |
2003 2005 2006 2007
|
|
Single season
Rk
|
Player
|
Yards
|
Year
|
1 |
Caleb Williams |
4,537 |
2022
|
2 |
Sam Darnold |
4,143 |
2017
|
3 |
Carson Palmer |
3,942 |
2002
|
4 |
Cody Kessler |
3,826 |
2014
|
5 |
Matt Leinart |
3,815 |
2005
|
6 |
Caleb Williams |
3,633[6] |
2023
|
7 |
Rob Johnson |
3,630 |
1993
|
8 |
Matt Leinart |
3,556 |
2003
|
9 |
Cody Kessler |
3,536 |
2015
|
10 |
Matt Barkley |
3,528 |
2011
|
|
|
Passing touchdowns
Rushing
Rushing yards
Career
Rk
|
Player
|
Yards
|
Years
|
1 |
Charles White |
6,245 |
1976 1977 1978 1979
|
2 |
Marcus Allen |
4,810 |
1978 1979 1980 1981
|
3 |
Anthony Davis |
3,724 |
1972 1973 1974
|
4 |
Ricky Bell |
3,689 |
1974 1975 1976 1977
|
5 |
Ronald Jones II |
3,619 |
2015 2016 2017
|
6 |
O. J. Simpson |
3,423 |
1967 1968
|
7 |
Mike Garrett |
3,221 |
1963 1964 1965
|
8 |
Reggie Bush |
3,169[a] |
2003 2004 2005
|
9 |
LenDale White |
3,159 |
2003 2004 2005
|
10 |
Fred Crutcher |
2,815 |
1981 1982 1983 1984 1985
|
|
Single season
Rk
|
Player
|
Yards
|
Year
|
1 |
Marcus Allen |
2,427 |
1981
|
2 |
Charles White |
2,050 |
1979
|
3 |
Ricky Bell |
1,957 |
1975
|
4 |
O. J. Simpson |
1,880 |
1968
|
5 |
Charles White |
1,859 |
1978
|
6 |
Reggie Bush |
1,740 |
2005
|
7 |
Marcus Allen |
1,563 |
1980
|
8 |
Ronald Jones II |
1,550 |
2017
|
9 |
O. J. Simpson |
1,543 |
1967
|
10 |
Javorius Allen |
1,489 |
2014
|
|
|
Rushing touchdowns
Receiving
Receptions
Receiving yards
Career
Rk
|
Player
|
Yards
|
Years
|
1 |
Marqise Lee |
3,655 |
2011 2012 2013
|
2 |
Johnnie Morton |
3,201 |
1990 1991 1992 1993
|
3 |
Dwayne Jarrett |
3,138 |
2004 2005 2006
|
4 |
Kareem Kelly |
3,104 |
1999 2000 2001 2002
|
5 |
JuJu Smith-Schuster |
3,092 |
2014 2015 2016
|
6 |
Steve Smith |
3,019 |
2003 2004 2005 2006
|
7 |
Keary Colbert |
2,964 |
2000 2001 2002 2003
|
8 |
Robert Woods |
2,930 |
2010 2011 2012
|
9 |
Tyler Vaughns |
2,801 |
2017 2018 2019 2020
|
10 |
Keyshawn Johnson |
2,796 |
1994 1995
|
|
Single season
Rk
|
Player
|
Yards
|
Year
|
1 |
Marqise Lee |
1,721 |
2012
|
2 |
Johnnie Morton |
1,520 |
1993
|
3 |
JuJu Smith-Schuster |
1,454 |
2015
|
4 |
Keyshawn Johnson |
1,434 |
1995
|
5 |
Keyshawn Johnson |
1,362 |
1994
|
6 |
Mike Williams |
1,314 |
2003
|
7 |
Nelson Agholor |
1,313 |
2014
|
8 |
Robert Woods |
1,292 |
2011
|
9 |
Michael Pittman Jr. |
1,275 |
2019
|
10 |
Dwayne Jarrett |
1,274 |
2005
|
|
|
Receiving touchdowns
Total offense
Total offense is the sum of passing and rushing statistics. It does not include receiving or returns.[11]
Total offense yards
Career
Rk
|
Player
|
Yards
|
Years
|
1 |
Matt Barkley |
12,214 |
2009 2010 2011 2012
|
2 |
Carson Palmer |
11,621 |
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
|
3 |
Matt Leinart |
10,623 |
2003 2004 2005
|
4 |
Cody Kessler |
9,914 |
2012 2013 2014 2015
|
5 |
Caleb Williams |
8,688[6] |
2022 2023
|
6 |
Rodney Peete |
8,640 |
1985 1986 1987 1988
|
7 |
Rob Johnson |
7,896 |
1991 1992 1993 1994
|
8 |
Sam Darnold |
7,561 |
2016 2017
|
9 |
Kedon Slovis |
7,426 |
2019 2020 2021
|
10 |
Charles White |
6,240 |
1976 1977 1978 1979
|
|
Single season
Rk
|
Player
|
Yards
|
Year
|
1 |
Caleb Williams |
4,919 |
2022
|
2 |
Sam Darnold |
4,225 |
2017
|
3 |
Matt Leinart |
3,851 |
2005
|
4 |
Carson Palmer |
3,820 |
2002
|
5 |
Caleb Williams |
3,769[6] |
2023
|
6 |
Cody Kessler |
3,674 |
2014
|
7 |
Matt Barkley |
3,542 |
2011
|
8 |
Matt Leinart |
3,494 |
2003
|
9 |
Kedon Slovis |
3,445 |
2019
|
10 |
Rob Johnson |
3,425 |
1993
|
|
|
Touchdowns responsible for
"Touchdowns responsible for" is the NCAA's official term for combined passing and rushing touchdowns.[12]
Defense
Note: The USC Football Media Guide does not generally give a full top 10 in defensive statistics.[1]
Interceptions
Tackles
|
Single season
Rk
|
Player
|
Tackles
|
Year
|
1 |
Rex Moore |
206 |
1986
|
|
Single game
Rk
|
Player
|
Tackles
|
Year
|
Opponent
|
1 |
Sam Anno |
23 |
1986 |
Illinois
|
|
Sacks
Special teams
Field goals made
Field goal percentage
- ^ a b c The NCAA does not credit Bush with this total; it later ruled him to have been ineligible for the last two games of the 2004 season and all of the 2005 season. USC includes all of Bush's statistics in its record books, but adds a prominent disclaimer indicating the NCAA treatment of his records.
- ^ a b The NCAA does not credit Bush with this game.
References
- ^ a b c d "2023 USC Trojans Football Media Guide" (PDF). USC Trojans. July 20, 2023. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
- ^ "USC Trojans Bowls". Sports-Reference CFB. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
- ^ "NCAA changes policy on football stats". ESPN.com. AP. August 28, 2002. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
- ^ Cobb, David (August 21, 2020). "NCAA approves blanket waiver for 2020 fall sports athletes to retain year of eligibility". CBSSports.com. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
- ^ "Top Individual Performances" (PDF). USCTrojans.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Caleb Williams". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
- ^ a b "USC vs. Colorado Box Score". ESPN.com. September 30, 2023. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
- ^ a b "Box Score: DIRECTV Holiday Bowl". ESPN.com. December 27, 2023. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
- ^ "Brenden Rice". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
- ^ "Ja'Kobi Lane". ESPN.com.
- ^ "2022 Football Bowl Subdivision Records" (PDF). NCAA. p. 9. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
- ^ "2022 Football Bowl Subdivision Records" (PDF). NCAA. p. 12. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
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Bowls and rivalries | |
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Culture and lore | |
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People | |
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National championship seasons in bold |