USC Scored So Many Points on Stanford, Its Horse Mascot Was Too Tired to Celebrate

Traveler got a well-deserved rest.
USC Scored So Many Points on Stanford, Its Horse Mascot Was Too Tired to Celebrate
USC Scored So Many Points on Stanford, Its Horse Mascot Was Too Tired to Celebrate /

For a mascot, celebrating is a lot like eating or drinking. It's something you want to do in moderation.

Celebrating too much presents an occupational hazard. Take, for instance, the Oregon Duck, which found itself prone on the ground after doing 546 push-ups while his beloved Oregon trounced Portland State 81–7 in its season opener.

Now, for the second time in two weeks, a Pac-12 mascot has learned this the hard way.

On Saturday, No. 6 USC detonated on Stanford in the first half, dropping 49 points in the opening 30 minutes against the Cardinal's mere three.

The Trojans' evisceration was so thorough that, per USC reporter Keely Eure, Traveler—the team's beloved horse mascot—was too tired to celebrate when the Trojans went up 42–3.

Amazingly, USC scored once more before the half as Traveler got a much-needed break.

The horse, in use by the Trojans since 1961, must have been disappointed to miss part of a virtuoso performance by USC quarterback Caleb Williams. The Heisman Trophy winner completed 19 of his 21 passes, dazzling with 281 yards and three touchdowns.


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Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .