2005 Football Roster
Roster
Hershel Dennis
- Height:
- 5-11
- Weight:
- 200
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Long Beach
- High School:
- Poly
2007: Dennis, a quick, darting runner who missed the past 2 seasons with injuries after starting at tailback in 2003, served as a backup tailback and played on special teams as a sixth-year senior in 2007. Overall in 2007 while appearing in 11 games (he missed the Idaho and Nebraska games after spraining his knee in 2007 fall camp), he ran for 89 yards on 23 carries (3.9 avg.) with a TD, caught 2 passes for 5 yards (2.5 avg.) and returned a kickoff 11 yards. He gained 14 yards on 4 carries against Washington State, had 34 yards on 7 rushes against Stanford, caught a 3-yard pass against Arizona, added 9 yards on 2 carries at Notre Dame, ran for 2 yards on 2 tries and had a 2-yard reception against Oregon State and carried the ball twice (for no yards) and had an 11-yard return of a short kickoff against UCLA. He gained 30 yards on 6 carries against Illinois, with a 3-yard TD. He had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee following 2007 spring practice.
2006: Dennis appeared ready to re-assume his starting role as a senior in 2006, but he re-tore ligaments in his left knee midway through 2006 spring practice. He missed the 2006 season after having surgery and petitioned for a sixth year of eligibility in 2007.
2005: Dennis redshirted his 2005 senior season while recuperating for torn knee ligament sugery performed in January of 2005 (he was sidelined for 2005 spring practice).
2004: Dennis was a reserve as a junior in 2004. He also played on special teams. Overall in 2004 while appearing in 9 games (all but Virginia Tech, Colorado State, California and Oklahoma), he ran for 109 yards on 28 carries (3.9 avg.) with a TD and made a tackle. He had 18 yards on 3 carries at BYU, 19 yards on 5 tries versus Arizona State, 12 yards on 4 carries versus Washington and 55 yards on 11 rushes at Washington State. He had a 1-yard TD run against Arizona. He sat out USC[apos]s first 2 games while suspended for a team rule violation. He tore ligaments in his left knee in practice prior to the Orange Bowl, ending his 2004 season.
2003: Dennis started all of his 2003 sophomore season at tailback. Overall in 2003 while starting all 13 games, he rushed for 661 yards on 137 carries (4.8 avg.) with 4 TDs, plus caught 10 passes for 62 yards (6.2 avg.) with 1 TD. In his first career start, he ran for a career-best 85 yards on 21 carries at Auburn, including a second-effort 14-yard TD. He ran for 40 yards on 16 carries, with an 11-yard TD, against BYU, then had for 54 yards on 9 attempts and caught 2 passes for 5 yards against Hawaii. He rushed for 53 yards on 14 carries at California (he also caught 2 passes for 7 yards), then added 19 yards on 4 carries (he also caught a 12-yard pass) at Arizona State and 80 yards on 10 tries against Stanford. At Notre Dame, he had 38 yards on 10 tries (with a 2-yard TD) and caught 2 passes for 23 yards (with a 3-yard score), then had a game-high 98 rushing yards on 14 carries (he also had a 10-yard catch) at Washington and 53 yards on 7 tries (with a 24-yard TD) versus Washington State. He had 52 yards on 10 rushes at Arizona, then a game-best 69 yards on 12 carries against UCLA, followed by 5 yards each on 3 carries and 2 receptions versus Oregon State. He added 17 yards on 7 carries against Michigan in the Rose Bowl.
2002: Dennis exhibited his outstanding future during his action as a reserve tailback and on special teams as a freshman in 2002, his first year at USC. Overall in 2002 while appearing in all 13 games, he ran for 198 yards on 49 carries (4.0 avg.) with 1 TD, caught 4 passes for 23 yards (5.8 avg.), returned 9 kickoffs for 151 yards (16.8 avg.) and had a tackle for a loss of 34 yards (on a punt at UCLA). He got his first carries at Colorado, where he ran for 32 yards on 5 tries and caught a 4-yard pass. He then gained 9 yards on 3 carries and returned a kickoff 10 yards at Kansas State. He ran for 3 yards on 4 tries and returned a kickoff 21 yards against Oregon State, returned 3 kickoffs for 40 yards against California, rushed for 7 yards on 2 carries against Washington and gained 19 yards on 10 carries (he also caught a 2-yard pass) at Oregon. He had 21 yards on 6 carries at Stanford, 23 yards on 5 rushes versus Arizona State. At UCLA, he ran for a game-best 57 yards on 8 carries, with a 38-yard TD on a fourth-down play. He had 19 yards on 3 carries and returned a kickoff 15 yards versus Notre Dame. Against Iowa in the Orange Bowl, he ran twice for 8 yards.
HIGH SCHOOL: His 2001 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, Tom Lemming All-American, Student Sports All-American second team, Super Prep Elite 50, Prep Star Dream Team, Super Prep All-Far West, Prep Star All-Western Region, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Orange County Register Fab 15 first team, Las Vegas Sun Super 11 first team, Student Sports All-West first team, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, All-CIF Southern Section first team, All-CIF Division I first team Co-Offensive MVP, Los Angeles Times Glenn Davis Award (as the top Southern California prep football player), Los Angeles Times All-Southern California first team, Los Angeles Times All-Southeast/South Coast first team MVP and Long Beach Press-Telegram Dream Team Offensive MVP as a senior running back at Poly High in Long Beach (Calif.). He ran for 1,740 yards on 221 carries (7.9 avg.) with 24 touchdowns, averaging 134 yards a game, in 2001, even though he was pulled out of most games in the third quarter because Poly had large leads. He had some of his best performances in Poly[apos]s biggest games: getting 161 yards on 20 carries versus national champion De La Salle High and then 189 yards and 3 scores on 29 carries against Edison High in the CIF Division I final.
As a junior in 2000, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass first team, All-CIF Southern Section first team Co-Offensive MVP, All-CIF Division I first team Co-Offensive MVP, Los Angeles Times All-Southeast/South Coast first team and Long Beach Press-Telegram Dream Team first team Offensive MVP. He set school and Moore League records for rushing yards (2,106) and rushing touchdowns (32) in 2000 while carrying 209 times (10.1 avg.). In one game as a junior, he had 41 carries for 237 yards and 5 TDs. He scored the winning touchdown on an 11-yard catch in overtime in the 2000 CIF Division I championship game against Loyola High.
He made the All-CIF Division I first team, Los Angeles Times All-Southeast/South Coast first team and Long Beach Press-Telegram Dream Team first team as a sophomore in 1999 while running for 1,400-plus yards.
He set school career records for rushing yards (5,440) and rushing touchdowns (82). He returned 7 kicks for scores in his career. He was a 3-year starter as Poly went 39-1-1 and won 3 CIF Division I titles.
He also was on Poly[apos]s track team, with bests of 10.7 in the 100 meters, 22.3 in the 200 meters, 22-plus in the long jump and 6-6 in the high jump, and basketball team. Current Trojans Vincent Joseph, Travon Patterson and Alfred Rowe also prepped at Poly.
PERSONAL: He[apos]s a sociology major at USC. His father, Hershel Sr., played tailback at North Carolina A&T. His nickname is 'Patch.'
HERSHEL DENNIS ON:
WHAT OTHERS SAY:
PERSONAL: He[apos]s a sociology major at USC. His father, Hershel Sr., played tailback at North Carolina A&T.
| TCB | YDS | AVG | TD | LG | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LG | |
| 2002 (Fr.) | 49 | 198 | 4.0 | 1 | 38 | 4 | 23 | 5.8 | 0 | 15 |
| 2003 (So.) | 137 | 661 | 4.8 | 4 | 34 | 10 | 62 | 6.2 | 1 | 20 |
| 2004 (Jr.) | 28 | 109 | 3.9 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 (Sr.)... | 23 | 89 | 3.9 | 1 | 19 | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 0 | 3 |
| CAREER... | 237 | 1057 | 4.5 | 7 | 38 | 16 | 90 | 5.6 | 1 | 20 |
| KOR | YDS | AVG | TD | LG | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR | |
| 2002 (Fr.) | 9 | 151 | 16.8 | 0 | 29 | 1 | 1/34 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 (Jr.) | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 (Sr.)... | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| CAREER... | 10 | 162 | 16.2 | 0 | 29 | 2 | 1/34 | 0 | 0 |
GAME-BY-GAME WITH HERSHEL DENNIS
| 2007 | TCB | YDS | AVG | TD | LG | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LG | 4 | 14 | 3.5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | Stanford7 | 34 | 4.9 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | Arizona0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 | Notre Dame2 | 9 | 4.5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | Oregon St.2 | 2 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 2 | UCLA2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | Illinois (RB)6 | 30 | 5.0 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2007 (Sr.)...23 | 89 | 3.9 | 1 | 19 | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 0 | 3 |
| 2004 | TCB | YDS | AVG | TD | LG | |||||
| BYU | 3 | 18 | 6.0 | 0 | 10 | |||||
| Stanford | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | |||||
| Arizona St. | 5 | 19 | 3.8 | 0 | 6 | |||||
| Washington | 4 | 12 | 3.0 | 0 | 9 | |||||
| Wash. St. | 11 | 55 | 5.0 | 0 | 13 | |||||
| Arizona | 3 | 5 | 1.7 | 1 | 4 | |||||
| Notre Dame | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | 0 | -1 | |||||
| 2004 (Jr.) | 28 | 109 | 3.9 | 1 | 13 |
| 2003 | TCB | YDS | AVG | TD | LG | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| Auburn* | 21 | 85 | 4.0 | 1 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| BYU* | 16 | 40 | 2.5 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hawaii* | 9 | 52 | 5.8 | 0 | 23 | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 0 | 3 |
| California* | 14 | 53 | 3.8 | 0 | 20 | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | 0 | 5 |
| Arizona State* | 4 | 19 | 4.8 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 0 | 12 |
| Stanford* | 10 | 80 | 8.0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Notre Dame* | 10 | 38 | 3.8 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 23 | 11.5 | 1 | 20 |
| Washington* | 14 | 98 | 7.0 | 0 | 34 | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 0 | 10 |
| Wash. State* | 7 | 54 | 2.1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona* | 10 | 52 | 5.2 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| UCLA* | 12 | 69 | 5.8 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon State* | 3 | 5 | 1.7 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 0 | 4 |
| Mich. (Rose)* | 7 | 17 | 2.4 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 (So.) | 137 | 661 | 4.8 | 4 | 34 | 10 | 62 | 6.2 | 1 | 20 |
| 2002 | TCB | YDS | AVG | TD | LG | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| Colorado | 5 | 32 | 6.4 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 |
| Kansas State | 3 | 9 | 2.0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon State | 4 | 3 | 0.8 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Washington | 3 | 7 | 2.3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon | 10 | 19 | 1.9 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 2 |
| Stanford | 6 | 21 | 3.5 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona State | 5 | 23 | 4.6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| UCLA | 8 | 57 | 7.1 | 1 | 38 | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 0 | 15 |
| Notre Dame | 3 | 19 | 6.3 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Iowa (Orange) | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 (Fr.) | 49 | 198 | 4.0 | 1 | 38 | 4 | 23 | 5.8 | 0 | 15 |
| KOR | YDS | AVG | TD | LG | |
| Kansas State | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 0 | 10 |
| Oregon State | 1 | 21 | 21.0 | 0 | 21 |
| Wash. State | 2 | 45 | 22.5 | 0 | 29 |
| California | 3 | 40 | 13.3 | 0 | 19 |
| Oregon | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 0 | 20 |
| Notre Dame | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | 0 | 15 |
| 2002 (Fr.) | 9 | 151 | 16.8 | 0 | 29 |
