University Southern California Trojans
Football Invited To Kickoff Classic
February 10, 2000 | Football
Feb. 10, 2000
LOS ANGELES - USC and Penn State--two of the winningest college football programs in history--will open their 2000 seasons in the Kickoff Classic XVIII on Sunday, Aug. 27, at 2:30 p.m. ET in Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Trojan athletic director Mike Garrett announced today.
The game will be televised live nationally by ABC-TV.
"We are honored to be invited to play in the Kickoff Classic," said third-year USC coach Paul Hackett. "What a great way for Trojan football to start the new millennium! It will be a thrill for our players, coaches and fans to travel to Giants Stadium and showcase USC football to the East Coast. It's always a big game whenever the Pacific-10 and Big Ten Conferences get together, especially when it's teams with such outstanding traditions as USC and Penn State."
This will be the Trojans' third appearance in the Kickoff Classic and the second against the Nittany Lions. USC defeated Syracuse, 34-16, in the 1990 contest, then lost to Penn State in 1996, 24-7. Penn State leads the overall series, which dates back to USC's victory in the 1923 Rose Bowl, 4-3.
Besides those 2 games, USC's only other visit to the metropolitan New York City area was in 1951, a 28-6 win over Army behind the performance of Trojan All-American Frank Gifford.
USC returns 15 starters from 1999, including 10 on defense (all but the strong safety) and 5 on offense (part-time starters also return at quarterback and guard), plus the punter and kicker. USC, which was 6-6 in 1999, finished strong last season by winning its last 3 games, including snapping an 8-game losing streak to crosstown rival UCLA and defeating No. 25 Louisiana Tech. The Trojans' promising 2-0 start last year fizzled when starting quarterback Carson Palmer went out with a broken collarbone, but Troy was in every game, as all 6 of its losses were by 10 points or less.
Besides the sophomore Palmer (who is already 15th on USC's career passing list), USC's top players in 2000 include senior linebackers Zeke Moreno (Troy's tackle leader in 1999 with 108) and Markus Steele (he led USC in tackles for losses last year with 12), 1998 All-Pac-10 first team senior defensive tackle Ennis Davis, 3-year starting senior cornerback Antuan Simmons, junior cornerback Kris Richard (USC's 1999 interception leader with 6) and sophomore wide receiver Kareem Kelly (the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year who had 54 catches in 1999).
Penn State, making its record fourth Kickoff Classic appearance under 35th-year head coach Joe Paterno, went 10-3 in 1999 and finished with a No. 11 ranking in both polls. The Nittany Lions lost their last 3 regular season games by a total of 12 points before shutting out Texas A&M, 24-0, in the Alamo Bowl. Nine starters return (7 on offense) from 1999, including senior quarterback Rashard Casey (the Big Ten's passing efficiency leader in 1999 at 153.9) and junior tailback Eric McCoo (PSU's top rusher in 1999 with 739 yards).
"USC will be a tough assignment to open the season and we expect to have our hands full on August 27," coach Joe Paterno said. "Paul Hackett has the Trojan program headed in the right direction. A Big Ten, Pac-10 game like this always has a lot of implications and we know that both teams will be anxious to get off to a good start."
Tickets, priced at $40 and $25, are available by calling the USC Ticket Office at (213) 740-GO SC (4672) or beginning on April 17 at all Ticketmaster outlets or by calling the Continental Airlines Arena Box Office at (201) 507-8900.
Last year, Miami (Fla.) defeated Ohio State, 23-12, in Kickoff Classic XVII.
"Once again the Kickoff Classic is proud to present two of America's outstanding football programs," NJSEA President James DiEleuterio said. "This will only serve to enhance the game's reputation of being the showcase for America's finest college football players and coaches."
Penn State and USC will each receive a minimum guaranteed payout of $650,000 or 30 percent of gross revenues, whichever is greater, for playing in the game.
The Kickoff Classic is managed by the NJSEA under the auspices of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). Beneficiaries of the game are the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, the American Football Coaches Association, NACDA, and the Independent College Fund of New Jersey.
In the 17-year history of the game, the NFF and College Hall of Fame have received nearly $7 million in Kickoff Classic proceeds, much of which has been distributed in post-graduate scholarships to deserving scholar athletes. The Independent College Fund of New Jersey has received nearly $450,000 from its participation with the game.
