USC Methodists football, 1888–1910

The first USC football squad (1888).

From its inaugural season in 1888 until the school dropped football for rugby from 1911 to 1913, the University of Southern California football team was known as the Methodists or Wesleyens. Most seasons the Methodists played without a head coach and most coaches served only one year, with Harvey Holmes serving the longest for four seasons. The team played nearly all its games in Southern California, with no games outside California. After USC played rugby for three seasons, during which they gained the nickname "Trojans", the university again fielded a football team in 1914 under the supervision of Ralph Glaze.

1888

Date	Opponent	Site	Result
November 14	Alliance AC	USC Campus • Los Angeles, CA	W 16–0
January 19	vs. Alliance AC	Downtown lot • Los Angeles, CA	W 4–0

1889

Date	Opponent	Site	Result
	St. Vincent's	Los Angeles, CA	W 40–0
November 28	vs. Pasadena	Sportsman's Park • Pasadena, CA	W 26–0

1891

Date	Opponent	Site	Result
November 26	Olive Club	Los Angeles, CA	L 12–16
January 23	SC Academy	Los Angeles, CA	W 34–0
February 22	Loyola	Los Angeles, CA	L 2–10

1893

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
January 14	Chaw-sir Club	Los Angeles, CA	W 14–2	200
November 18	at Throop	Pasadena, CA	W 22–12	–
December 11	at Chaffey College	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	L 6–32	–
December 22	Throop	Los Angeles, CA	W 14–4	100

1894

Date	Opponent	Site	Result
	Throop	Los Angeles, CA	W 12–0

1895

Date	Opponent	Site	Result
November 18	vs. Occidental	Athletic Park • Los Angeles, CA	L 0–10
December 7	Throop	Los Angeles, CA	T 4–4

1896

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
October 24	Whittier Reform	Los Angeles, CA	L 0–30	–
October 31	vs. Los Angeles AC	Athletic Park • Los Angeles, CA	L 0–22	1,500
November 14	vs. Throop	Athletic Park • Los Angeles, CA	L 0–22	–

1897

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
–	Loyola	Los Angeles, CA	W 34–0	–
November 6	vs. Los Angeles High School	Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA	W 10–0	500
November 13	vs. Chaffey	Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA	W 38–0	250
November 25	at Pomona	Claremont, CA	W 6–0	–
December 25	at San Diego YMCA	San Diego, CA	L 0–18	–
January 1	at Ventura	Ventura, CA	W 12–0	–

1898

Date	Opponent	Site	Result
October 15	vs. Los Angeles High School	Athletic Park • Los Angeles, CA	T 0–0
October 22	Pasadena AC	Los Angeles, CA	W 17–0
November 19	vs. Los Angeles High School	Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA	L 0–6
November 24	vs. Pomona	Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA	W 14–11
November 26	vs. Company F, 1st Battalion, 7th Regiment, California National Guard	Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA	W 34–0
December 3	vs. Phoenix Indian School	Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA	W 27–11
January 2	at Santa Barbara AC	Santa Barbara, CA	W 5–0

1899

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
October 21	Whittier	Los Angeles, CA	W 11–0	–
November 4	at Santa Ana High School	Santa Ana, CA	L 0–11	–
November 8	Occidental	Los Angeles, CA	W 11–0	–
November 15	Occidental	Los Angeles, CA	T 0–0	–
November 30	at Pomona	Pomona, CA	L 0–12	2,000
January 1	at Santa Barbara AC	Santa Barbara, CA	L 0–10	–

1900

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
November 10	at Occidental	Los Angeles, CA	W 5–0	–
November 24	vs. Los Angeles High School	Washington Park • Los Angeles, CA	T 0–0	–
November 29	vs. Pomona	Washington Park • Los Angeles, CA	L 0–11	1,200

1901

Date	Opponent	Site	Result
December 7	at Pomona	Pomona, CA	L 0–6

1902

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
October 11	vs. Loyola	Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA	L 5–6	400
October 25	at Santa Ana	Santa Ana, CA	L 2–5	–
November 7	Santa Ana	Los Angeles, CA	W 6–0	–
November 15	Pomona	Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA	W 16–5	–
November 22	at Sherman Institute	Perris, CA	L 0–28	–

1903

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
October 10	Throop	Prager Park • Los Angeles, CA	W 5–0	500
October 17	Los Angeles High School	Prager Park • Los Angeles, CA	W 10–0	500
October 24	Occidental	Prager Park • Los Angeles, CA	L 0–5	600
October 31	Loyola	Prager Park • Los Angeles, CA	W 12–5	–
November 7	Orange AC	Prager Park • Los Angeles, CA	W 31–5	–
November 14	Sherman Institute	Prager Park • Los Angeles, CA	L 0–12	–

1904

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
October 15	vs. Los Angeles High School	Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA	W 42–0	1,600
October 22	Throop	Los Angeles, CA	W 35–0	200
October 29	Occidental	Los Angeles, CA	W 36–4	–
November 5	Loyola	Los Angeles, CA	W Forfeit	–
November 5	USC Prep	Los Angeles, CA	W 26–0	–
November 12	vs. Sherman Institute	Eagle Park • Long Beach, CA	L 0–17	–
November 19	at Whittier	Whittier, CA	W 60–6	–

1905

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
October 4	Company F, National Guard	Los Angeles, CA	W 28–0	–
October 4	Harvard School	Los Angeles, CA	W 12–0	300
October 16	Los Angeles Poly High School	Los Angeles, CA	W 27–0	–
October 18	Whittier	Los Angeles, CA	W 75–0	–
November 1	Alumni	Los Angeles, CA	W 63–0	–
November 4	at Stanford	Stanford, CA	L 0–16	–
November 11	at Occidental	Los Angeles, CA	L 0–10	–
November 25	vs. Sherman Institute	Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA	L 0–15	800
December 2	Loyola	Los Angeles, CA	T 0–0	–
December 9	vs. Pomona	Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA	W 6–4	600

1906

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
October 6	vs. Los Angeles High School	Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA	T 0–0	–
October 13	Occidental	Los Angeles, CA	W 22–0	4,000
November 17	at Pomona	Pomona, CA	W 14–0	–
November 29	vs. Sherman Institute	Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA	T 0–0	4,000

1907

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
October 12	vs. Los Angeles High School	Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA	W 6–0	2,000
October 16	Whittier	Los Angeles, CA	W 57–0	–
October 26	at Santa Ana High School	Santa Ana, CA	W 51–0	–
November 9	Whittier	Los Angeles, CA	W 46–0	800
November 15	USS Colorado	Los Angeles, CA	W 16–4	1,200
December 25	vs. Los Angeles High School	Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA	L 6–16	2,200

1908

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
October 10	vs. Los Angeles High School	Fiesta Park • Los Angeles, CA	L 0–12	2,500
October 17	Whittier	Los Angeles, CA	W 15–0	–
October 24	at Arrowhead AC	–	W 28–0	–
November 7	Occidental	Los Angeles, cA	W 14–0	–
November 14	at Pomona	Pomona, CA	T 6–6	–

1909

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
October 9	at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo	San Luis Obispo, CA	W 51–0	–
October 16	at Whittier	Whittier, CA	W 22–2	–
October 23	Loyola	Los Angeles, CA	L 6–8	1,200
October 30	Orange AC	Los Angeles, CA	W 51–0	–
November 6	at Occidental	Los Angeles, CA	T 3–3	3,500
November 13	Pomona	Los Angeles, CA	T 0–0	–

1910

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
October 5	Long Beach Poly High School	Los Angeles, CA	W 22–6	–
October 8	Chaffey High School	Los Angeles, CA	W 65–6	–
October 15	at Throop Academy	–	W 9–0	–
October 22	at San Diego High School	San Diego, CA	W 32–0	–
October 29	at Redlands	Redlands, CA	W 35–0	–
November 5	Occidental	Los Angeles, CA	W 6–0	5,000
November 12	at Whittier	Whittier, CA	W 11–3	300
November 19	at Pomona	Pomona, CA	T 9–9	4,000

References

• 2010 USC Football Media Guide