From TributeToTroy

The 1974 team earned John McKay his fourth national championship behind the big-play heroics of All-American tailback Anthony Davis, the steady leadership of quarterback Pat Haden and the clutch play of a defense that forced the second-highest interception total in USC history.

Davis, the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, rushed for 1,421 yards and 13 touchdowns. His three-year yardage total of 3,724 yards and 52 touchdowns was a Pac-8 record. He set an NCAA record for most kickoffs returned for TDs in a season (3) and career (6). He scored four touchdowns to lead the Trojans to an amazing 55-24 comeback win over Notre Dame in the regular season finale. In his career, Davis scored 11 touchdowns against the Fighting Irish.

Pat Haden threw 13 touchdown passes, but his biggest completions came with the Trojans trailing Ohio State 17-10 in the 1975 Rose Bowl. His 38-yard TD strike to J.K McKay with two minutes to play and his subsequent 2-point conversion to Shelton Diggs gave USC an 18-17 victory and the writers’ share of the national championship.

Senior linebacker Richard Wood, Troy’s only three-time All-American, led the defense. Defensive back Charles Phillips set NCAA records for most interception return yardage in a season (302), most interception return yardage in a game (181), highest average gain per interception for one game (90.5), and most touchdowns on interception returns in a season (3).

The win over Notre Dame, dubbed “The Comeback,” was sparked by Davis’ 102-yard kickoff return to start the second half. Trailing 24-0 late in the second quarter, the Trojans scored 55 unanswered points in just under 17 minutes to win going away.

USC had five players selected to the All-American team for the third consecutive year. A school-record 12 Trojans were selected to the All-Conference squad (since equalled by the 1989 Trojans). Fourteen players from the 1974 team were taken in the NFL draft—an all-time record also shared by the 1976 Trojan team.