The USC Trojans aren’t richly familiar with the Purdue Boilermakers. USC leads the all-time series 3-1, and the most recent matchup came in 1998 with the Trojas winning 27-17.
These two teams will face off in 2024 in West Lafayette, Ind.
There are only four games to look at in the history of this series.
Paul Myerberg of USA TODAY Sports looked at the 1998 game:
“Three reasons why the 1998 non-conference game in Los Angeles deserves to be remembered: one, it was the starting debut for Purdue quarterback Drew Brees, then a sophomore; two, it was also the debut for USC freshman and future Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer, who tossed his first career touchdown in the win; and three, temperatures at the Los Angeles Coliseum reached 110 degrees on the field, causing fans, band members and cheerleaders to wilt in the heat.”
That was no ordinary game. Neither was the 1967 Rose Bowl in which Purdue and future Super Bowl champion Bob Griese upset USC. It is Purdue’s only Rose Bowl win.
USC’s best win over Purdue was not the 1998 game, since the Trojans didn’t amount to much of anything under coach Paul Hackett that year. USC’s best win over the Boilermakers was in 1976.
“USC finished No. 2 in the country at the end of the 1976 season,” we noted. “Ricky Bell was the star tailback on that Trojan team. He and USC went into West Lafayette and beat Purdue, 31-13.”
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