If you weren't alive to see it or listen to it, I know you have heard about it - The 1971 University of Southern California game when Coach Bryant got the Crimson Tide back on track with a 17-10 win over the Trojans.
After the shellacking that Bama took the year before at Legion Field when Sam Cunningham ran just 12 times for what seemed like a half a mile, the Tide was ready to turn that loss into something good for the coming year. The question was whether they could pull off the upset with the Trojans being favored by 12 points.
The defense was spectacular. After USC had rushed for more than 400 yards the year before, the Tide held the Trojans to 200 yards rushing and less than 100 yards passing. Sam Cunningham was held to roughly half of the yards he got the year before. The defense forced 4 USC turnovers.
The Southern Cal game was significant in many regards. It was the game that propelled Bama to what many consider the greatest decade in Tide history (at least to that point), but it was more.
It was Coach Bryant’s 200th victory. It was on the eve of Coach Bryant’s 58th birthday. It may very well have been the game that convinced Coach Bryant to continue coaching at Bama. After two very lackluster seasons and many rumors about him going to the pros, some thought the college game had passed Coach Bryant by. After the Southern Cal game, Coach Bryant talked about how much the win meant to the team but one could easily see that it meant a lot to Coach Bryant as well. He had a little more pep in his step after that game. He harkened back to controlling the ball “like we used to when we won the national championship.” One comment came through loud and clear in his post game comments: “We’re on our way back.”
Johnny Musso ran the ball 16 times in that game for 85 yards for two touchdowns in the Southern Cal game. After the game, Coach Bryant called Musso “probably the greatest short yardage runner I have ever seen.” Coach Bryant remarked that "Musso is not only a great runner. He is a complete football player. He does it all." Musso’s blocking ability was exceptional and he was a good receiver out of the backfield. He worked as hard as any player Coach Bryant ever had. He was even on the punting team and made the tackle for a loss on Bama’s final punt of the game bringing down the USC punt returner at the USC 6 yard line.
Clinging to a precarious 17-10 lead that was established before halftime, Bama’s defense turned the Trojans away time after time in the second half. With 1:52 remaining in the game Robin Parkhouse forced a fumble by the USC quarterback that was recovered by the Tide at the Trojan 36 yard line.
The Tide only advanced the ball 7 yards on three plays and with about a minute left on the clock Alabama faced a 4th and 3. Coach Bryant decided to go for it to seal the win. Number 22's number was called and Musso delivered by gaining 5 yards.
Bama had an assistant coach in 1971 that knew a little about running the ball too. John David Crow was Coach Bryant's only Heisman Trophy winner, having won it in 1957 as a halfback at Texas A&M. He came to Bama to coach the backs in 1968 and was on the sidelines for the Southern Cal game.
Coach Crow, in speaking to reporters after the game said that Musso’s run was "The greatest run I have ever seen." Coach Bryant echoed the same sentiments to the press and on his weekly TV program after the game.
After the shellacking that Bama took the year before at Legion Field when Sam Cunningham ran just 12 times for what seemed like a half a mile, the Tide was ready to turn that loss into something good for the coming year. The question was whether they could pull off the upset with the Trojans being favored by 12 points.
The defense was spectacular. After USC had rushed for more than 400 yards the year before, the Tide held the Trojans to 200 yards rushing and less than 100 yards passing. Sam Cunningham was held to roughly half of the yards he got the year before. The defense forced 4 USC turnovers.
The Southern Cal game was significant in many regards. It was the game that propelled Bama to what many consider the greatest decade in Tide history (at least to that point), but it was more.
It was Coach Bryant’s 200th victory. It was on the eve of Coach Bryant’s 58th birthday. It may very well have been the game that convinced Coach Bryant to continue coaching at Bama. After two very lackluster seasons and many rumors about him going to the pros, some thought the college game had passed Coach Bryant by. After the Southern Cal game, Coach Bryant talked about how much the win meant to the team but one could easily see that it meant a lot to Coach Bryant as well. He had a little more pep in his step after that game. He harkened back to controlling the ball “like we used to when we won the national championship.” One comment came through loud and clear in his post game comments: “We’re on our way back.”
Johnny Musso ran the ball 16 times in that game for 85 yards for two touchdowns in the Southern Cal game. After the game, Coach Bryant called Musso “probably the greatest short yardage runner I have ever seen.” Coach Bryant remarked that "Musso is not only a great runner. He is a complete football player. He does it all." Musso’s blocking ability was exceptional and he was a good receiver out of the backfield. He worked as hard as any player Coach Bryant ever had. He was even on the punting team and made the tackle for a loss on Bama’s final punt of the game bringing down the USC punt returner at the USC 6 yard line.
Clinging to a precarious 17-10 lead that was established before halftime, Bama’s defense turned the Trojans away time after time in the second half. With 1:52 remaining in the game Robin Parkhouse forced a fumble by the USC quarterback that was recovered by the Tide at the Trojan 36 yard line.
The Tide only advanced the ball 7 yards on three plays and with about a minute left on the clock Alabama faced a 4th and 3. Coach Bryant decided to go for it to seal the win. Number 22's number was called and Musso delivered by gaining 5 yards.
Bama had an assistant coach in 1971 that knew a little about running the ball too. John David Crow was Coach Bryant's only Heisman Trophy winner, having won it in 1957 as a halfback at Texas A&M. He came to Bama to coach the backs in 1968 and was on the sidelines for the Southern Cal game.
Coach Crow, in speaking to reporters after the game said that Musso’s run was "The greatest run I have ever seen." Coach Bryant echoed the same sentiments to the press and on his weekly TV program after the game.
