Henderson arrived at the University of Southern California (USC) in 1919 and set the Trojans football team on its first steps toward national prominence. He led USC to a 6–0 record in 1920, the team's first perfect season of at least three games, and their first appearance in the Rose Bowl in 1923. In the 1923 Rose Bowl, the first Rose Bowl game to be held in its namesake stadium, USC's faced their first opponent from east of the Rocky Mountains. The Trojans defeated the heavily favored Penn State Nittany Lions, 14–3. Penn State arrived at the game 45 minutes late and ten minutes after the scheduled kickoff because of a traffic jam. Henderson accused Penn State coach Hugo Bezdek of doing so as a psychological tactic, and the coaches nearly began throwing punches. Later, they exchanged public insults after the game.
