USC and Texas A&M Clash in Epic Las Vegas Bowl Showdown!

Football | December 23, 2024

USC TO COMPETE AGAINST TEXAS A&M IN THE SRS DISTRIBUTION LAS VEGAS BOWL

    • Iconic figures like Elvis Presley, entertainers Penn and Teller, the Bellagio Fountains, and films such as The Hangover and Ocean’s Eleven are all closely associated with Sin City, and it seems that Las Vegas has evolved into USC’s second home. 

    • USC will conclude its 2024 season at Allegiant Stadium after commencing the year with a 27-20 victory over LSU on September 1. 

    • The Trojans hold a 1-1 record in Allegiant Stadium historically. 

    • USC (6-6) will challenge Texas A&M (8-4) in the 33rd SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT on Friday, December 27 on ESPN.

    • This encounter features two nationally prominent programs meeting for the first time in 47 years.

    • USC has secured 11 national titles, while Texas A&M has 3. 

    • USC boasts a 35-20 record in bowl games (excluding 1 win and 1 loss that were vacated due to NCAA sanctions; original record: 36-21), whereas Texas A&M possesses a postseason record of 20-23. 

    • Both institutions have produced Heisman Trophy winners (USC has 8 [the highest among any college football team], Texas A&M has 2). 

    • The Trojans claim 176 first team All-American selections, while the Aggies have 56. 

    • USC has accumulated 881 total wins with a .694 winning percentage, while Texas A&M has 778 total victories with a .603 winning rate (excluding USC’s 14 wins and 1 loss vacated due to NCAA violations; original record: 895, .696.).

BOWL HISTORY 

    • USC ranks among the nation’s elite bowl teams, holding an overall postseason record of 35-20 (not counting 1 win and 1 loss later vacated due to NCAA penalties; original record 36-21). 

    • This marks USC’s 58th bowl appearance throughout its history. 

    • The Trojans are tied for the eighth highest bowl winning percentage in the nation (.636) among the 103 institutions that have made at least 10 bowl appearances. 

    • USC’s 35 bowl victories are third overall, trailing Alabama’s 45 and Georgia’s 38, for the most in the country (not counting 1 win each for both teams vacated due to NCAA penalties; original record: 36 for USC, 46 for Alabama). 

    • USC has participated in an extraordinary 33 Rose Bowls, boasting a 25-8 record (.758) (excluding 1 appearance and 1 loss later vacated due to NCAA penalties; original record: 34 Rose Bowls, 25-9, .735).

    • This record signifies not only the highest number of Rose Bowl wins for any team but also the most victories by a single institution in a single bowl.

USC IN THE LAS VEGAS BOWL

    • This will mark USC’s third appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl. The Trojans lost to Utah 6-10 in the 2001 Las Vegas Bowl during Pete Carroll’s inaugural season as head coach, but subsequently triumphed over Fresno State, led by quarterback Derek Carr, with a score of 45-20 in the 2013 Las Vegas Bowl. Trojan QB Cody Kessler was the 2013 Game MVP, throwing 4 touchdown passes, setting the current Las Vegas Bowl record and achieving his then career-high for a single game.

SERIES

    • USC maintains a 3-0 record against Texas A&M historically. The Trojans defeated the Aggies 31-7 in their initial matchup in 1964 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. In the 1975 Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee, USC secured a 20-0 win over Texas A&M. Their most recent clash took place in the 1977 Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston, where the Trojans emerged victorious with a score of 47-28. 

VERSUS THE SEC

    • USC holds a historical record of 32-15-2 (.674) against SEC teams (not accounting for 2 wins and 1 loss vacated due to NCAA penalties; original record: 34-16-2, .673).

    • The last encounter for USC against an SEC team occurred in the 2024 season opener when USC overcame LSU 27-20 at Allegiant Stadium.