Remembering Mosi Tatupu
Many USC football fans remember tailback Anthony Davis' impressive performance against Notre Dame in the Trojans' 55-24 comeback victory over the Irish at the Coliseum on Nov. 30, 1974.
On Wednesday, after hearing the news that former USC teammate Mosi Tatupu had died at age 54, Davis had only warm memories and kind words for his backfield mate.
"He gave me the key block, one that really sprung me on the 102-yard kick return," Davis told Times sportswriter Gary Klein.
As Klein wrote in a 2004 story looking back at the game and Davis' role in it, starting with the second-half kickoff that ignited the Coliseum crowd:
"I went to my kickoff-return guys and said, 'Look, I think they're going to kick to me. If I can get one block, we're going to get good field position or I'm going to bring it all the way back,' " Davis said.
Davis fielded the kick two yards deep in the end zone, got a block from Tatupu and others in the wedge, broke toward the left and was on his way to the end zone.
"You could hear the fans go berserk," Tatupu said. "I don't think anyone sat down after that. Nobody wanted to miss anything."