Good morning! The only thing better than a long weekend is coming back to a short workweek right before another weekend. It’s Wednesday. Go be great today, everybody.

What all can you find in today's Brew?

🏈 Men of Steele
⚽ Savannah DeMelo ready for the spotlight
⚔️ And much, much more!

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 Men Of Steele. If you’re browsing the All-Pac 12 preseason football accolades and see that USC players are filling up the lists, do not adjust your screens. They’re just that good.

Phil Steele loaded up with the Cardinal & Gold on his annual preseason 2023 All-Pac-12 conference teams—giving 11 Trojans the honors ahead of play this year, including seven on the first team.

🏈 First Team: QB Caleb Williams, WR Tahj Washington, OL Justin Dedich, OL Jarrett Kingston, LB Mason Cobb, S Calen Bullock, and P Eddie Czaplicki

🏈 Second Team: OL Jonah Monheim, DL Bear Alexander, and RB Austin Jones

🏈 Third Team: WR Brenden Rice

🔼 A Whole New Ballgame. Former USC soccer star Savannah DeMelo is one of 14 first-timers on the U.S. women’s national team for this month’s FIFA Women’s World Cup. She’d been called to team camps twice last fall but couldn’t break into the strong U.S. midfield—until this summer when Coach Vlatko Andonovski gave her the good news via FaceTime.

“When he called me, it was surreal. Shocked. I was grateful. Excited. But I was ready to get to work.”

📰 Read Helene Elliott’s profile of Savannah DeMelo in the Los Angeles Times

Today’s trivia question is brought to you by Smart & Final. With more than 3,000 club-sized items and an assortment of quality, value-priced products, including farm-fresh produce, dairy, deli, meat and seafood, as well as grocery and household essentials, Smart & Final has your every need covered—all without a membership fee!

52 days and counting. Today’s trivia question is a blast from the past from all the way back to 1952—when (much like Lincoln Riley) another head coach was in his second year with the Trojans, had his most successful season, brought USC a victory in the Rose Bowl, and ended as a top-5 team nationally.

Can you name that head coach?

Think you got it? Scroll on down to the bottom of this email for the answer!

⚔️ ONE BIG THING

All around us are familiar faces. In case you missed the three-minute highlight reel showcasing all the accomplishments across every single USC program with Aerosmith’s “Dream On” blaring in the background… do we have a surprise for you!

Click here to give it a watch and upgrade your morning while you wait on that cup of joe to get warm. (And if you’ve already watched it, watch it again.)

📬 STICK WITH US

Did someone send you The Three Torches Brew? Well, the first thing you should do is thank them. The next thing you should do is subscribe here and get it in your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning just in time for your first cup of coffee!

📅 LOOKING AHEAD

Saturday 8/26

🏈 Football vs. San Jose State @ 5:00pm PT | Purchase Season Tickets Today

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: Jess Hill!

After playing fullback for the 1928 USC football team that won a national title, Jess Hill was hired as head coach—becoming the first person to both play for and coach Rose Bowl champions.

Have a great Wednesday, everyone!