1940: USC, 14 vs. Tennessee, 0

In 1939, USC fourth-string quarterback Doyle Nave came into the game in the final quarter to throw four consecutive completions and the game-winning touchdown. In 1940, he watched as third-string quarterback Amby Schindler, who had replaced him that day, won the game for the Trojans.

USC defeated Tennessee, 14-0, to win the 1940 Rose Bowl Game. It was the first time the Volunteers had lost in two-plus seasons.

Late in the first half, Schindler returned a kick 13 yards, then led his team all the way down the field to the Tennessee 8-yard line. From there, an unnecessary roughness penalty put the Trojans on the 1-yard line. Two plays later, Schindler pushed into the end zone.

In the second half, with USC up 7-0, Tennessee took over after a brilliant kick that put the Volunteers on their 1-yard line. Passing out of the end zone, they took the ball 80 yards and into Trojan territory for the only time all day. However, the drive ended with a fumble, and Schindler answered by marching the Trojans 85 yards. The touchdown was reminiscent of 1939 – Schindler hit “Antelope Al” Krueger in the final minute, the same receiver who caught Nave’s pass the previous year.

Although the Schindler-Nave storyline was somewhat similar, that’s about where it stopped. The 1939 game was close until the end. In 1940, USC gained 272 yards from scrimmage, while Tennessee had 141; first downs were 18-9 in favor of the Trojans. And USC behemoths Jack Banta and Joe Shell, the Trojan captain, on the offensive line bowled over the Volunteer defense all day.

“Never, at any time, did those fortunate enough to see the battle feel that Tennessee had a chance,” wrote Dick Hyland of the Los Angeles Times. “At all times the Trojans had the game under control and one did not need to be pulling for El Trojan to feel that he could score as and when he wished.”

The 1940 Rose Bowl Game was also coach Howard Jones’ fifth victory, making him an unprecedented 5-0 in the Rose Bowl Game, and he did it in front of a panel of his peers.

Paul Zimmerman of the Los Angeles Times wrote: “How would you like to sit down to your day’s work in your regular line of business with a couple hundred of the nation’s top-flight performers in the same occupation standing around silently giving that second guess? The country’s best offensive coaches; its finest defensive mentors; its top flight exponents of the forward pass; its front ranking power play experts; champions at instruction in fundamentals; experts in oratory before the game and between halves; great psychologists; amazing grid strategists; they were all in the stands.”

However, it was also his last victory. Jones died in summer 1941.

Attendance
92,200

Weather
63 degrees

Scoring
Second Quarter
USC – Schindler, 1-yard run (Jones kick good)

Fourth Quarter
USC – Krueger, 2-yard pass from Schindler (Gaspar kick good)

Coaches
USC: Howard Jones
Tennessee: Major Neyland

Fun Fact
USC’s victory over Tennessee gave Trojan coach Howard Jones, who died in summer 1941, a perfect 5-0 record in the Rose Bowl Game.

Individual Stats
Rushing
Tenn: Butler 5-40; Coffman 3-15; Cafego 7-1; Warren 4-4; Newman 4-4; Wallen 3-4; Foxx 1-2; Bartholomew 1-1
USC: Schindler 19-75; Lansdell 18-68; Peoples 7-29; Banta 6-35; Nave 5-25; Robertson 4-11

Passing
Tenn: Butler 7-3-29; Foxx 2-2-34; Warren 2-1-7; Cafego 1-0-0
USC: Nave 5-1-5; Lansdell 5-3-20; Schindler 4-3-21

Receiving
Tenn: Coleman 4-45; Weber 1-18; Cifers 1-7
USC: Robertson 2-19; Banta 1-5; Hoffman 1-9; Peoples 1-4; Engle 1-8; Krueger 1-1

Punting
Tenn: Butler 6-245; Foxx 4-174; Coffman 1-31
USC: Lansdell 4-154; Banta 2-73; Nave 1-30; Schindler 1-42