From TributeToTroy

The 1978 national champions, coached by John Robinson, were a USC team stocked with great college players and several future NFL stars.

The Trojans finished 12-1, including a solid 24-14 road victory over co-national champion Alabama, a nail-biting 27-25 win over Notre Dame, and a 17-10 victory over Michigan in the 1979 Rose Bowl.

All-American tailback Charles White rushed for 1,859 yards to become the Pac-10 career rushing leader as a junior. Freshman tailback Marcus Allen provided depth.

Quarterback Paul McDonald led the conference in passing and tied a USC record with 19 touchdown passes. Fullback Lynn Cain rushed for 977 yards, the most ever by a Trojan fullback. Flanker Kevin Williams had 17 receptions, 10 of them for touchdowns. The offensive line included All-American guard Pat Howell, All-Pac-10 tackle Anthony Munoz (considered by many to be the game’s greatest tackle ever) and All-Pac-10 guard Brad Budde (a four-year starter and the 1979 Lombardi Award winner).

The back-ups on the line included future All-Pros Roy Foster and Keith Van Horne. The defense featured the talented safety duo of Dennis Smith and Ronnie Lott. Linebackers Dennis Johnson (the team’s tackle leader) and Riki Gray manned the middle, while Larry McGrew and Chip Banks roamed the outside. Rich Dimler, Myron Lapka and Dennis Edwards keyed the defensive line.

The Trojans’ only loss was at Arizona State, 20-7. They would remain unbeaten for the next 28 games. USC took the top spot in the coaches poll, but finished second in the writer’s poll to Alabama despite beating the Crimson Tide earlier in the season.