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PASADENA, Calif. (AP)- Vince Young bounced on his toes, trying to buy
himself some time and searching frantically for a way to win a
championship. And then he took off. With the national title down to a
final play, fourth down and 5 yards to go, Young scrambled untouched for
an 8-yard touchdown with 19 seconds left and the No. 2 Longhorns stunned
No. 1 Southern California 41-38 in the Rose Bowl on Wednesday night (video).
He did it all and made sure that Texas was second no more to USC and its
Heisman Trophy twins, Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart. It was the ultimate
revenge for Young, the bitterly disappointed runner-up to Bush for the
Heisman Trophy last month. At the Heisman presentation, Young had a
blank stare and reluctantly clapped after he lost in a landslide to
Bush. After winning the biggest team prize of all, he beamed with a
satisfied smile, hugging anyone he could find.
On a night when he ran for 200 yards and passed for 267 more, Young
capped a performance that Texas fans will remember forever by scoring
his third TD and running for a two-point conversion to end Southern
California's 34-game winning streak and deny the Trojans an
unprecedented third straight national championship.
The Longhorns were a unanimous No. 1 in the final Associated Press Top
25 and won the Bowl Championship Series title with the victory in the
Rose Bowl.
"This is what it's all about, 41-38 in the final game," said Leinart,
the Trojans quarterback and Heisman winner a year ago. "You couldn't ask
for anything better. This was a great football game. We gave our hearts,
they gave their hearts and they came out on top." The Longhorns (13-0)
won their 20th in a row. USC (12-1) lost for the first time since a
triple-overtime defeat to California on Sept. 27, 2003. Its 34-game
winning streak is tied for fourth all-time, behind Oklahoma's 47-game
streak from 1953-57.
After the trophy presentation, Young draped his arms around two
teammates' shoulders and the three of them sang "We are the
champions."Later, he ran into Leinart and Bush as the USC players walked
past the Texas locker room and greeted each with a hug. Texas coach Mack
Brown took Bush aside near the entrance to the locker room and told him,
"I thought it was a classy game. Nobody could stop anybody."
When the game was over, Texas players streamed onto the field with the
Longhorns' first national title since 1970. Young stood on the sideline
in a sea of falling confetti, arm raised toward the crowd, and senior
tackle William Winston unfurled a big, white Longhorns flag. While the
Longhorns' band blared "The Eyes of Texas" in front of a sea of burnt
orange, the USC players looked startled. Some put their hands to their
heads, while others dejectedly took off their helmets.
Leinart did his part in his final college game while Bush was less than
his best. Leinart passed for 365 yards, and his 22-yard TD strike to
Dwyane Jarrett put USC ahead 38-26 with 6:42 left. Earlier, Bush soared
into the end zone on a 26-yard run, part of his 82 yards rushing. He
also had 95 yards on six catches and a boneheaded lateral that swung
momentum Texas' way in the first half.
In a game that produced more than 1,100 yards, a defensive stand was key
for Texas. On fourth-and-2 from USC'S 45-yard line with 2:09 left,
Carroll gambled. He decided to try to seal the game with his vaunted
offense, dubbed by many the best ever in college football, and keep the
ball out of Young's hands (video).
"We knew if we got that fourth-and-2, that was going to be the
ballgame," All-America defensive tackle Rod Wright said. But when
LenDale White came up inches short, Wright and other Texas defenders
jumped in the air and charged off the field as Young trotted on.
Young stood in the pocket and passed the Longhorns to a first-and-10 at
the 13. After a 5-yard scramble, he misfired on two passes to set up
fourth-and-5 at the 8. The Trojans brought pressure, as they did all
night, but Young slid away from it and looked for a receiver. Instead,
he found a lane and raced to the right pylon. The Longhorns erupted. One
pounded the turf as he lay face down on the turf, while the shocked
Trojans futilely looked toward officials, hoping they'd say Young
stepped out of bounds.
USC had one last chance, and it wasn't a good one. On the last play of
the game from just beyond midfield, Leinart's pass sailed high over
Jarrett's head around the 25.
 With two of the most storied programs in college football, teams
seemingly destined to decide the national title this season, the Rose
Bowl was dripping with pageantry and tradition. Tommy Trojan atop
Traveler galloped along the USC sideline. Meanwhile, big ol' Bevo, the
Longhorns' beloved steer, guarded the Texas tunnel.
The Trojans think of the Rose Bowl as their home away from home, no team
has won the "Granddaddy of Them All" more often. But a Texas-sized
contingent of Longhorns fans turned half the hallowed stadium burnt
orange and was loud enough to force USC into at least one penalty for
delay of game.
Texas led 16-10 at halftime, but being behind after two quarters was
nothing new to the Trojans. Four times this season they trailed after 30
minutes and regained control in the third quarter. And that's what they
did again, forcing a punt by Texas and driving 62 yards on seven plays
with White finishing with a 4-yard run that made it 17-16 USC (video).
Young, back at the site of his breakout performance last year against
Michigan, responded with a 14-yard touchdown run, reaching a long arm
toward the pylon to make it 23-17 (video).
On fourth-and-1 from the Texas 12, White burst through the line for a
touchdown, his third of the game that made it 24-23.
On the second play of the second quarter, Bush bolted down the middle
for 37 yards with a screen pass but inexplicably pitched the ball
sideways to unprepared teammate Brad Walker. Texas All-America defensive
back Michael Huff fell on the loose ball, and Bush came off the field
with his hands on his helmet, shaking his head, looking as baffled as
anyone by what he had just done (video). Texas
turned the break into its first points, with Young passing and running
into USC territory and David Pino booting a 46-yard field.
When Young went no-huddle, he found tight end David Thomas a couple
times and showed Bush how to pull off a late pitch. Young went 10 yards
on an option keeper and just before his knee touched turf , or so it
seemed, chucked the ball to Selvin Young, who took it the final 12 yards
for a score and Texas' first lead, 9-7 (video).
Replays appeared to show the quarterback's knee hitting the ground
before he let go of the ball, but with Carroll standing way out on the
playing field, officials never stopped play for a review. Less than 2:30
later, Texas was on the board again as Ramonce Taylor, known as Bush
Lite around Austin, ran 30 yards to make it 16-7 (video).
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Attendance: 93,986
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
USC- White 4 yd run (Danelo kick)
Second Quarter
UT- FG Pino 46
UT- S. Young 12 yd run (missed kick)
UT- Taylor 30 yd run (Pino kick)
USC FG Danelo 43
3rd Quarter
USC- White 3 yd run (Danelo kick)
UT- V. Young 14 yd run (Pino kick)
USC- White 12 yd run (Danelo kick)
Fourth Quarter
USC- Bush 26 yd run (Danelo kick)
UT- FG Pino 34
USC- Jarrett 22 yd pass from Leinart (Danelo kick)
UT- V. Young 17 yd run (Pino kick)
UT- V. Young 8 yd run (V. Young 2 pt run)
Individual Statistics
Rushing
UT- V. Young 19-200, S. Young 7-45, Charles 5-34
USC- White 20-124 , Bush 13-82
Passing
UT- V. Young 30-40-267
USC- Leinart 29-40-365
Receiving
UT- Thomas 10-88, Sweed 8-65, Pittman 4-53, Carter 3-52
USC- Jarrett 10-121, Bush 6-95, Byrd 4-32, Kirtman 3-61, Smith 3-29
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