Countdown to 2008 Kickoff: 34 Days

As we continue our countdown to the 2008 season, we arrive at number 34. It should come as no surprise to anyone who reads this blog regularly that this post is dedicated to Hershel Dennis, the former USC tailback who played from 2002-2007. Hersh was the starter before we had Thunder and Lightening and probably would have been the premier back had he remained healthy. Dennis suffered two unfortunate knee injuries and an unjust accusation from some random whore student, but we'd like to remember all the good times Hershel lived at USC.

Dennis saw limited playing time after the emergence of Reggie Bush and Lendale White and the slew of All-American tailback recruits, but he remained a loyal teammate and supported all the young pups going through the system.

In his final game as a Trojan, Hershel Dennis scored a touchdown in the 2008 Rose Bowl against Illinois. It was his first touchdown since the 2004 season. Dennis was mobbed by teammates to celebrate one of his last moments playing for the Trojans.

Hershel leaves USC as the only player to ever play for 6 Pac-10 Championship teams. He ends his football career with three high school championship rings playing for Long Beach Poly and 13 championship rings in college that include 6 Pac-10 championships, 3 Rose Bowl titles, 2 Orange Bowl titles and of course, 2 National Championship rings... (fuck you LSU).

A class act on the football field, in the classroom or just walking around campus, Hershel Dennis is truly one of the great Trojans I was able to meet and admire during my time at USC. Hersh was by far my favorite player on the team while I was in school and it won't be the same without seeing #34 roaming the campus. Good luck to you, Hersh.

Happy Birthday Hershel Dennis!

All of us at USC Sports Talk would like to wish former USC tailback Hershel Dennis a very Happy Birthday today. Mr. Dennis is celebrating his 24th year of life on this earth and we can only wish him the best. A true BEAST, Hershel Dennis is by far one of the greatest human beings this world has seen.

HD Update

I spoke with Hershel Dennis today and asked him if he was almost healthy. His response was simple:

"I'm ready to play. I'm coming back this week."

This is great news for USC Football, USC Sports Talk and mankind in general. Hershel Dennis is a beast and he will undoubtedly be a welcome addition to the USC offense.

Good luck to Hersh this season. Everything is better in HD...

Countdown to Kickoff: 34 Days

As we continue on our daily countdown towards the 2007 season, we are now 34 days until we get big things poppin' and welcome the University of Idaho to the Coliseum. Who better to represent #34 than senior running back Hershel Dennis, a favorite here at USC Sports Talk...

We said it here after his performance in the Trojan Huddle and we said it again after he learned that he will be granted a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA - Hershel Dennis is a BEAST. Everyone has their own opinion regarding the tailback position, and I've made it clear that Dennis is my preference for the starting job, but the one thing no one can argue is that Dennis is the most experienced of the 10 backs competing for playing time. He's also battle tested. Given all the adversity he's had to deal with, he's arguably the toughest and most resilient person on the team. Looking forward to seeing you back on the field Hersh, and congratulations on graduating, you make us all proud to be Trojans.

Fight On!

2007 Season to Air in HD

He's definitely not the newest back, but he can still put on a show like a 1080p DLP HDTV.


According to WeAreSC and Scott Wolf, the NCAA has approved a sixth year of eligibility for Hershel Dennis. Hersh is a favorite of all the contributors here at USC Sports Talk (see the header). Here are our thoughts on Hersh...

RG3- We throw the word "beast" around a lot here when talking about sports. No one embodies the true meaning of that word the way Hersh does. That guy is a BEAST!! Dennis is a combination of power, speed, and "trucking" ability. He'll bounce it to the outside or flat out run through people to gain those tough yards. Do you think Hersh would have been brought down by Michael Huff in the 2006 Rose Bowl on that crucial 4th and 2 play? Fuck no. He would have trucked Huff, gotten the two yards and possibly broken it for a touchdown. If only we had Hersh last season in that game in December where CJ Gable proved to be inept. There would have been another crystal ball over at Heritage Hall...

Before we had Thunder and Lightening, we had Hersh.

Now's he back. Can't stop... won't stop...

Joey- Great news if you are a Trojan, but bad news if you play for a Pac-10 defense, Nebraska, Idaho, Notre Dame, or Florida. Unlike CJ Gable or "Wannabe Bush" Moody, this guy actually has passion and "gameness". Along with C-Dub, thunder and lightning are back. Other running backs are fuckin scenery; this guy is whats its all about. The NCAA is going to regret this decision when HD rushes for over 1200 yards and helps USC become the juggernaut that everyone is hoping they don't become. These games are going to be disaster for TV ratings because the score will be so lopsided; people are going to be tuning into Saturday Night Live instead all because of one guy. HD motherfuckers.

mel kiper fan- What more is there to say? His play speaks for itself: power, speed, amazing vision, great acceleration out of his cuts, good hands as a receiver, solid in pass protection, experience and leadership. He recently told WeAreSC: "My knee is great...everything is healthy. My body is in shape." Best news I've heard in a while...

Fight On!

Hershel Dennis: Beast

Hershel Dennis, a tailback for USC, has looked great in spring practices and in the annual Trojan Huddle spring game. Dennis is recovering from two severe knee injuries that, unfortunately, have kept him off the field the last two seasons. Dennis has applied for a 6th year of eligibility due to these extreme circumstances. USC is still awaiting word from the NCAA on this matter. All of us here at USC Sports Talk are hoping the NCAA comes to their senses and grants Hershel that extra year.

Dennis is a 2002 graduate of Long Beach Poly High School. He comes from the same graduating class that produced other Trojan stars such as Darnell Bing and Winston Justice. Dennis split carries his freshman year at USC with upperclassmen Justin Fargas and Sultan McCullough. He saw playing time in all 13 games that season and was the starter the year after for the Trojans. Dennis was the team’s 2nd leading rusher in 2003, playing in front of freshman tailbacks and current NFL players, Reggie Bush and Lendale White. Before we had Thunder and Lightening in the USC backfield, we had Hershel Dennis. This guy is a beast. Dennis rushed for 661 rushing yards in 2003. USC has had enough talent to use a running back by committee approach and Dennis paved the way for Bush and White to develop their game their freshman year. These guys had quite a mentor. Dennis has a great combination of speed and power. He can bounce to the outside to turn the corner or he can simply lower his shoulder and run through people. Dennis doesn’t just run over people, he trucks them.


Hershel Dennis has endured some setbacks in his career but he just keeps coming back. While other players would easily fold at injuries (see Dallas “Shoulder Sprain” Sartz), Dennis has recovered from two season ending knee injuries. He had an impressive showing at Saturday’s Trojan Huddle amassing two touchdowns, one on a 2 yard run and another on a 43 yard screen pass that he took to the house. I wasn’t there in person but I’ve heard that the longer touchdown by Dennis got all the fans in attendance wet.

USC desperately needed someone of Hershel’s caliber last season. There were far too many times when the running game looked stagnant and the running backs simply weren’t cutting it. This was a combination of our young backfield and Lane Kiffin’s “genius” playcalling. Thankfully that guy is no longer in the booth. I highly doubt USC would have looked so incompetent against UCLA’s defense in that defeat this last December had Dennis been in the lineup. Hershel would have run right through the Bruin’s defense and we would be admiring another BCS championship trophy at Heritage Hall.
Dennis has proven that he can still perform at a high level this Spring. Hopefully Dennis can continue his progress and return to form. We hope to see #34 back on the field breaking big runs and running wild over the Pac-10 defenses.