Pac-10 History quiz
How much do you know about the Pac-10?
By: Malamute, 11 April 2002

The Pac-10 conference has gone through a number of iterations, starting with the old Pacific Coast Conference, which was founded on December 15, 1915. Here are some questions, many of them concerning football, relating to the conference's venerable history. See how many questions you can answer, as you scroll down the screen.

1. When was the PCC founded?

 

Answer: December 15, 1915.

2. What schools made up the original Pacific Coast Conference?

 

Answer: University of California at Berkeley; University of Washington; University of Oregon; Oregon State College, now known as Oregon State University.

3. In 1928, UCLA was added to the Pacific Coast Conference, making it a ten-team conference. Besides UCLA, name the other nine teams.

 

Answer: Washington, Washington State College, Oregon State College, Oregon, California, USC, Stanford, Montana and Idaho.

4. When was the AAWU formed; what does AAWU stand for and who were its original members?

 

Answer: The Athletic Association of Western Universities was founded in 1958. Its original members consisted of Washington, UCLA, California, Stanford and USC.

5. When were Arizona and Arizona State admitted to the Pac-8?

 

Answer: 1978

6. Who is the Pac-10 commissioner?

 

Answer: Thomas C. Hansen (1983-present, Walnut Creek, California)

7. Who was the first black to play at quarterback in the conference?

 

Answer: Willie Wood, USC (5-9, 170)

8. Who was known as the “one-eyed” quarterback?

 

Bob Schloredt, Washington.

Bob Schloredt and Willie Wood dueled it out in a memorable game that occurred in 1959 at Seattle. It was the only game the “Cardiac Kids” lost in the 1959 season, losing a heart stopper, 22-15. Out of Gresham, Oregon, Schloredt, reportedly, lost an eye due to a fire-works accident.

9. What game in conference history dramatically reversed the set of losses that its teams suffered in the Rose Bowl against the Big Ten?

 

Answer: After losing to USC in 1959, the Huskies went on to beat Rose Bowl favorite Wisconsin, 44-8. It was a pivotal game in the Rose Bowl competition against the Big Ten, a watershed moment in Husky history, as well as in Pac-10 history. The “Cardiac Kids” will always be remembered for that game.

10. What Pac-10 football player is said to have helped integrate the state of Alabama?

 

Answer: Eleven years after Willie Wood played for SC, Jimmy Jones quarterbacked the Trojans. The Trojans and their all black backfield, consisting of Jimmy Jones, running back Clarence Davis, and fullback Sam “Bam” Cunningham, traveled to Dixieland on September 12, 1970 and thrashed Alabama, 42-21. Not only was Sam Cunningham a powerful runner, but he was the first player in college football to go over the top during a goal line stand. Later, former Bear Bryant assistant coach Jerry Claiborne noted, “Sam Cunningham did more to integrate Alabama in 60 minutes that night than Martin Luther King had accomplished in 20 years.”

11. Who is the winningest coach in Pac-10 history?

 

Answer: Terry Donahue, UCLA. He became the winningest coach in Pac-10 history, posting a 151-74-8 (.665) record during a 20-year (1976-95) head-coaching career with the Bruins. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

Don James, Washington, would be the winningest coach, if the Pac-10 would count three forfeited games as wins for him, i.e., his record would be 153-57-2 (1975-1992), counting those three games that Washington lost.

12. What PCC player allegedly took a pay cut to turn pro?

 

Answer: According to the Roscoe “Torchy” Torrance biography, Hugh McElhenny was given $7,000 to play for the San Francisco Forty-niners after he left Washington. McElhenny figured he’d earned $10,000 during his stint at Washington if his wife’s salary was combined with the $300 monthly allowance (it’s not clear who wrote him the check) he was paid during the academic year. He also had some summer jobs. Hence, he took a pay cut to turn pro.

13. Who was the last player from the Pac-10 to win the Heisman Trophy?

 

Answer: It's been over twenty years since the Pacific-10 conference has had a Heisman Trophy winner, the last being Marcus Allen (USC), who won the trophy in 1981.

14. Washington won a share of the mythical national championship in 1991. What conference team won the mythical championship before that and in what year?

 

Answer: In 1978, USC was voted first in the coach’s poll and second in the AP poll.

15. Since it was formed in 1978, which conference school has the best record in the Pac-10?

 

Answer: Washington (Overall: 200, 79, 3; Conference: 133, 52, 3)

16. Who holds the Pac-10 record for most consecutive passes completed in one game.

 

Answer: Rick Neuheisel (UCLA), 17, against Washington in 1983.

17. Which conference running back holds the single season rushing yards record?

 

Answer: Marcus Allen, USC, 1981 (403 attempts, 2342 yards, 5.8 yards per carry, 22 touchdowns).

18. Which conference quarterback holds the single season passing yards record?

Answer: Ryan Leaf, WSU, 1997 (375-210-10; 33 touchdowns, .560 completion percentage, 3637 yards 

19. What current player in the Pac-10 has an eight-syllable last name?

 

Answer: Tui Alailefaleula (Tuey A-la-EE-lay-fa-lay-OO-la) (Washington, DL, 6-5, 285 FR) There has never been an eight-syllable name in a century of college football.

20. Why is the Pac-10 called the “Conference of Champions?”

 

As of the 2000-2001 season, the Pac-10 Conference, in nearly a century of athletic competition, has won far more NCAA titles than any other conference, having won 311 titles. At that time, the runner up Big Ten had won 185 titles.

Grade:

16-20 correct: Pac-10 history buff

12-15 correct: Striving for buff status

4-11 correct: Member of the Pac-9?

1-3 correct: Oregon Duck?

None correct: Egad, we gave you the first answer.