|
MIAMI (AP)- Matt Leinart and his Southern California teammates
bounced around the end zone, then broke into a victory dance. The
celebration was on, and it was only halftime. Playing to perfection, the
Heisman Trophy winner threw a record five touchdown passes and the
Trojans overwhelmed Oklahoma 55-19 Tuesday night in the Orange Bowl,
ending the season just as they started: No. 1.
Even better, there's no one they have to share it with. The
much-anticipated battle of unbeatens, No. 1 vs. No. 2, turned into a
coronation for USC, which had to settle for a share of the national
championship last year after being left out of the Bowl Championship
Series title game.
"We didn't expect it to be this easy, but the game went our way from the
beginning," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "I was a little surprised."
That was no consolation for unbeaten Auburn, the odd team out of the BCS
title game this season. The Tigers (13-0) stated their case with a 16-13
victory over Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl on Monday night and could
have done no worse than Oklahoma against Southern Cal. But they finished
second in the final Associated Press poll. USC became the first team to
repeat as AP national champions since Nebraska in 1994-95 and joined
Florida State in 1999 as the only teams to go wire-to-wire, from
preseason to post bowls, as No. 1.
Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville was on hand to witness the rout in a game
he believed his team should have been playing in. "It's a little empty
feeling," said Tuberville, "You want to have some kind of recognition.
I'm going to take my own poll. "I'd like to play the winner of this
game," he said at halftime, trying to be kind because by then the winner
was hardly in doubt.
USC was shut out of last season's BCS title game, despite topping both
the AP Top 25 and ESPN/USA Today Coaches' poll at the end of the regular
season. The BCS computer rankings favored Oklahoma, even though the
Sooners lost the Big 12 title game 35-7. Oklahoma then washed out in the
BCS championship game, losing to LSU in the Sugar Bowl 21-14 to give the
Tigers the top spot in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' poll. The Trojans
wrapped up their 2003 national title three days before the BCS
championship game by beating Michigan 28-14 in the Rose Bowl.
They didn't have to wait for their trophy this season.
With the aide of four Oklahoma turnovers, the Trojans (13-0) ambushed
the Sooners (12-1) with 38 points in the final 20 minutes of the first
half. The first meeting of Heisman winners couldn't have been more
one-sided. Leinart set an Orange Bowl record with his five scoring
tosses and Jason White spent another BCS title game running for his
life. Oklahoma's Heisman winner finished 24-of-36 for 244 yards with
three interceptions and two touchdowns.
Leinart was 18-of-35 for 332 yards and he had the USC band playing
"Fight On" all night. The laid-back Californian who replaced Carson
Palmer became the first Heisman winner to win a national title since
Michigan's Charles Woodson in 1997.
Leinart looked nothing like the overrated quarterback for an average
offense, as Oklahoma defensive end Larry Birdine described him. Leinart
tossed four scores in the first half as the Trojans turned an early 7-0
deficit into a 38-10 halftime lead. And when the demolition had ended,
the Trojans grooved in the end zone as Outkast's "Hey Yeah" blared
through Pro Player Stadium. Meanwhile, the Sooners trudged off having
already allowed more points in a bowl game than any team in school
history. Leinart shrugged off Birdine's comment and played great in what
could be his farewell to college football. The junior could be a top
pick in the next NFL draft.
He also got plenty of help. The Trojans reached a season high for points
and turned the game into a USC highlight reel, with Leinart making
pinpoint passes and his receivers making spectacular catches. Steve
Smith caught an Orange Bowl record three touchdowns (video), LenDale White ran
for 118 yards and two scores and the USC's defense smothered Oklahoma's
freshman sensation Adrian Peterson (video). Peterson, the Heisman runner-up,
managed just 82 yards on 25 carries.
Senior Mark Bradley made a freshman mistake that set off one of those
USC runs that have done in so many opponents during the Trojans' 22-game
winning streak. The Sooners' most versatile player and the son of former
Oklahoma quarterback Danny Bradley tried to scoop up a punt that had
bounced inside the Oklahoma 5. Collin Ashton grabbed on to Bradley, the
ball squirted away and USC recovered at the 6. Bradley trudged back to
the sideline, where he received some pats on the head and back. His mood
no doubt worsened on the next play, when LenDale White reached the ball
over the goal line to give the Trojans a 14-7 lead late in the first
quarter.
USC made it 21 straight points with the help of Oklahoma's second
turnover. Under pressure, White heaved a deep ball into
quadruple-coverage and Jason Leach came up with USC's 20th interception
of the season.
Then the Trojans went to work on Oklahoma freshman cornerback Marcus
Walker with their own star freshman, Dwayne Jarrett. The 6-foot-5
Jarrett went over the 5-11 Walker for an 18 yard gain on third-and-8.
Walker ended up in no-man's land on the next play. He looked like he
wanted to blitz but stopped. Meanwhile, Jarrett ran straight down the
sideline and hauled in a perfect throw from Leinart for a 54-yard score.
The USC deluge continued.
White was upended while throwing and was picked off by Eric Wright deep
in Sooners territory. This time Leinart found Smith alone in the end
zone from 5 yards out, to cap a four-touchdown barrage. In a span of
10:10, USC turned a 7-0 deficit into a 28-7 lead that left the Sooners
looking dumbfounded.
Oklahoma drove for a field goal on the next possession, but all it did
was give USC enough time to catch its breath. Reggie Bush ripped off a
33-yard run to start the Trojans on their way and Leinart again picked
on a secondary that looked like Oklahoma's soft spot much of the season.
Leinart went deep to Smith, who hauled in a 33-yarder while hitting the
ground to make it 35-10. Carroll greeted Leinart with a hug after the
left-hander's fourth touchdown pass. Leinart gave a sly grin as he
glanced up at the scoreboard.
Oklahoma's season-high fourth turnover, led to Ryan Killeen's 44-yard
field goal just before halftime.
An aching White trudged into and then limped through the Sugar Bowl last
year. But he was spry and agile against the Trojans at the start. He
rolled out, scrambled and stepped up in the pocket while completing four
of his first five passes for 75 yards. He finished the 92-yard TD drive
by zipping a 5-yarder to Travis Wilson.
Leinart answered quickly, hitting four straight and finding Dominique
Byrd deep down the middle for a spinning, one-handed 33-yard touchdown (video).
It was the first touchdown the Sooners had allowed in four games. And it
would only get worse from there for Oklahoma.
|
|
Attendance: 77,912
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
OU- Wilson 5 pass from White (Hartley kick)
USC- Byrd 33 pass from Leinart (Killeen kick)
USC- White 6 run (Killeen kick)
Second Quarter
USC- Jarrett 54 pass from Leinart (Killeen kick)
USC- Smith 5 pass from Leinart (Killeen kick)
OU- FG Hartley 29
USC- Smith 33 pass from Leinart (Killeen kick)
USC- FG Killeen 44
Third Quarter
USC- Smith 4 pass from Leinart (Killeen kick)
USC- FG Killeen 42
Fourth Quarter
USC- White 8 run (Killeen kick)
OU- Safety, Leinart downed in end zone
OU- Wilson 9 pass from White (Hartley kick)
Individual Statistics
Rushing
OU- Peterson 25-82, Wolfe 7-40
USC- White 15-118, Bush 6-75
Passing
OU- White 24-36-244
USC- Leinart 18-35-332
Receiving
OU- Wilson 7-59, Clayton 4-21, Bradley 2-66, Jones 2-30
USC- Smith 7-113, Jarrett 5-115, Byrd 3-58, Bush 2-31
|
