2006 Rose Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 2006 Rose Bowl Game, played on January 4, 2006, was a football
game that served as the national championship of the 2005-2006 Bowl Championship Series
(BCS). It featured the only two unbeaten NCAA
Division I-A teams: the defending Rose Bowl
Champion and Big 12 Champion
Texas Longhorns
played Pac-10 titleholders and 2-time defending AP National Champions, the Southern California Trojans
.
The game was a back-and-forth contest, and the Texas victory was not secured until the final nineteen seconds of the game. Vince Young
, the Texas quarterback
, and Michael Huff
, a Texas safety, were named the offensive and defensive Rose Bowl Players Of The Game, respectively. Young's game winning touchdown run was named the fifth greatest play in college football history by ESPN
. The game is widely considered one of the greatest games in the history of college football.
Texas' Rose Bowl win was the 800th victory in school history and the Longhorns ended the season ranked third in Division I history in both wins and winning percentage
(.7143). It was only the third time that the two top-ranked teams had faced each other in the history of the Rose Bowl, with the 1963 Rose Bowl
and 1969 Rose Bowl
games being the others.
The 92nd annual occurrence of the Rose Bowl Game
was played, as it is every year, at the Rose Bowl Stadium
in Pasadena, California
in the United States
.
This was the final game ever called by longtime broadcaster Keith Jackson
(as well as the final Rose Bowl to telecast under ABC Sports branding); the 2007 Rose Bowl
would be an ESPN on ABC
presentation.
On June 6, 2011, USC was forced to vacate its appearance in the national championship after an NCAA investigation into the football program declared Reggie Bush retroactively ineligible.
Southern California entered the game with a 34-game on-field winning streak, then the longest active streak in Division I-A, having been named 2003 AP National Champions by the Associated Press
. (Many of those wins have since been vacated due to NCAA sanctions surrounding illegal benefits given to USC's Reggie Bush.) Texas brought the second-longest active streak, having won 19 straight games, and also entered as Rose Bowl defending champion, having defeated Michigan
in the 2005 Rose Bowl
. Their combined 53-game win streak was an NCAA record for teams playing each other. The game was also the first to have matched teams ranked first and second in every iteration of the BCS standings. This was Texas's second trip to the Rose Bowl
in two years (and second trip in the history of UT football).
A few weeks before the game, USC's Reggie Bush
won the Heisman Trophy
(since vacated in 2010) ahead of second-place finisher Vince Young. Bush had the second highest number of first place votes in Heisman history (O.J. Simpson) and the highest percentage of first place votes, while Young had a record number of second place votes. Bush's 933-point margin of victory was the 17th highest in the history of the Heisman voting. The other finalist was USC's Matt Leinart
, who had won the Heisman trophy in 2004. This meant that the Rose Bowl would mark the first time that two past winners of the Heisman trophy had ever played in the same backfield.
The 2006 Rose Bowl was, in the eyes of many, the most-anticipated matchup in college football history. Both teams were considered to be good enough to win the National Championship had they existed in different years instead of having to play each other. USC had been ranked #1 since the preseason and Texas had held the #2 spot that entire time. Prior to the game, some commentators had postulated that the 2005 USC team was one of the greatest college football team of all time. ESPN
analysts were virtually unanimous in their declaration of the 2005 USC Trojans as the best offense in the history of college football, despite the fact that they did not lead the nation in points scored (Texas did). Lee Corso was one of the rare analysts who said that Texas was a better team and that they were going to win. ESPN analysts Mark May
and Kirk Herbstreit
declared, before the 2006 Rose Bowl had even been played, that the 2005 USC Trojans were the second best college football team of the past 50 years (May placed them behind only the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers
; Herbstreit behind only the 2001 Miami Hurricanes
). This led to Texas fans at the Rose Bowl mockingly chanting "Best...Team...Ever" during the post-game celebration. Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated
later observed, "ESPN spent the better part of Christmas season comparing that Trojans squad to some of the most acclaimed teams of all time only to find out that they weren’t even the best team that season."
, who received a hard hit from Cedric Griffin
knocking off Kirkman's helmet and forcing him to leave the game briefly. Kirkman finished the game with three catches for 61 yards on the day, set up a four-yard touchdown run by running back LenDale White
, a bruiser who out-rushed his speedy counterpart, Bush, on the day, gaining 124 yards on 20 carries. Kicker Mario Danelo
's extra point gave Southern California the early seven-point lead. The teams twice exchanged possessions to end the first quarter, as each defense held the opposing offense in check.
the ball to an uncovered teammate; the loose ball was recovered by Texas strong safety Michael Huff
. The Pac-10 coordinator of football officiating later stated that the Reggie Bush pass was incorrectly officiated, because the pass that had been ruled a lateral was, in fact, an illegal forward pass, after which the Trojans would have maintained possession of the ball. Young drove his team 53 yards on the ensuing possession, twice hitting senior tight end David Thomas
, who finished the day as Vince Young's leading receiver, catching 10 passes for 88 yards. The Trojans' defense tackled sophomore running back Ramonce Taylor five yards behind the line of scrimmage, forcing a fumble, which was recovered by Vince Young for an additional five-yard loss. A Texas field goal attempt was thus forced, and David Pino converted from 46 yards to cut the Texas deficit to four.
On USC's next possession, Leinart once more drove his team into Texas territory, this time to the 25-yard line, before throwing an interception to Texas free safety Michael Griffin
, who appeared to be out of the play but ran halfway across the field before making a leaping catch and barely staying in-bounds, in the end zone. The turnover ended a second Trojans' drive with Southern California in scoring position. In the forthcoming Texas drive, Vince Young connected with wide receiver Limas Sweed
, who caught eight balls for 65 yards on the day, for a key first down. Vince Young then led his team with his legs, capping the drive by running 10 yards before throwing a lateral pass
to open running back Selvin Young
, who ran for 12 more for the touchdown. The lateral, which appeared to have been made after Young's knee had touched the ground, was not reviewed because of issues with the replay equipment. The game continued with a failed extra point attempt by Texas, which, not knowing of the equipment issues, appeared to rush the attempt hoping to get the play off before the previous play could be reviewed. The national coordinator of NCAA football officiating later asserted that Young's knee had been down, and expressed confusion about how the call had been handled.
A defensive stop on USC's next possession series and a 15-yard punt return gave Texas the ball near midfield, and, once again, the Longhorns capitalized with Vince Young finding Thomas for 14 yards on one play, and Taylor running 30 yards for a touchdown on another. The subsequent Pino extra point took the Longhorns lead to 16–7. On the next drive, Leinart threw a pass intended for Reggie Bush that was grabbed by Texas linebacker/safety Drew Kelson. However, Kelson landed on his back after catching the pass and the ball popped out. The pass was ruled incomplete, and again, equipment issues meant no review was possible. The USC drive continued with a Leinart pass to wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett
, the top Trojans receiver of the day with 10 catches totaling 121 yards, a quarterback keeper
of 14 yards, and a Bush 12-yard run took the Trojans to the Texas 13-yard line with 40 seconds to play in the half. However, two sacks by defensive tackle Frank Okam
pushed Southern California back 13 yards and forced the Trojans to use two timeouts. Consequently, a Danelo 43-yard field goal allowed USC three points, and the half ended with Texas still ahead, the score then 16–10.
Behind the running of Jamaal Charles
, who finished the game having carried the ball five times for 34 yards, and Vince Young, who ran the ball 19 times for 200 yards in the game, Texas quickly answered on their possession. Vince Young scored the first of his three rushing touchdowns from 14 yards out, and Pino's successful extra point attempt moved the Longhorns back ahead, 23–17.
The lead changed hands once more with 4:07 to play in the third quarter, as Leinart hit tight end Dominique Byrd
for two of his four catches and 21 of his 32 yards in the next drive and set up the next score. Although USC had been stopped on a 4th and short attempt earlier in the game, they decided to make the same gamble again on 4th and 1 from the 12, and this time White muscled it all the way to the endzone to record his third rushing touchdown of the game and 57th of his career, setting a Southern California record. []
The Longhorns reached Southern California territory on the ensuing drive, with a 45-yard run by Vince Young constituting most of the work, but ultimately the Trojans forced a field goal attempt from the USC 14-yard line, and, on the first play of the fourth quarter, David Pino missed a 31-yard kick that would have put his team ahead by two.
Behind the precise throwing of Matt Leinart, who despite his one interception, finished the day with otherwise stellar numbers, completing 29 of 40 passes for 365 yards and one touchdown, the Trojans drove 80 yards over nine plays in 3:36. Reggie Bush scored his only touchdown of the game on a 26-yard run to end the drive. (Bush finished the game with 95 yards on just six catches and gained 82 yards on 13 carries; he also averaged 20.2 yards over five punt returns.)
The Longhorns next possession began with an apparent reception and fumble by Jamaal Charles which would have given USC the ball on the Texas 40, but a controversial replay ruled the catch incomplete. Two Vince Young completions to wide receiver Billy Pittman
, who caught four passes for 53 yards on the day, helped the Longhorns drive to the USC 17-yard line on the next possession. When Young fumbled on third down, Texas settled for a 34-yard field goal that brought the Longhorns to within five, 31–26.
On their ensuing possession, The Trojans gained 48 yards with a 33-yard Leinart pass to Kirtman and a 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty. This set up a 22-yard toss from Leinart to Jarrett - a play which Texas cornerback Tarrel Brown was injured while trying to tackle Jarrett at the goal line. Brown and a teammate collided as Jarrett stretched the ball over the goal line, and the successful extra point attempt gave USC its biggest lead of the game, 38–26.
As Texas took the ball trailing by two scores with just 6:42 to play in the game, Young accounted for all 69 yards of a Longhorns' scoring drive that took just 2:39 to complete, rushing for 25 (including a 17-yard touchdown run) and completing five passes for the rest of the necessary yardage. (For the game, Young completed 75 percent of his passes — 30-of-40 — for 267 yards, with no passing touchdowns, and no interceptions.) A successful Pino extra point again brought Texas to within five with 3:58 to play.
Though the Longhorns' defense yielded one first down on the subsequent Southern California drive, it held the Trojans, who turned to LenDale White on a third down at midfield only to see him lose the ball and have it recovered by wide receiver Steve Smith
just two yards short of a first down. A Texas timeout stopped the clock with 2:13 to play. Then, in what may have proved to be the most pivotal coaching decision of the game, Trojans coach Pete Carroll
elected to give his number-two ranked offense (ranked behind only Texas), which had averaged 582.2 yards and 50.0 points per game on the year, an opportunity to convert a fourth down-and-two at the Texas 45-yard line. However, pre-snap adjustments by the Texas defense, who had failed to stop this same play three times all leading to USC touchdowns, caused White to only gain slightly more than one yard, and Southern California turned the ball over at the Longhorns' 44-yard line with 2:09 to play in the game.
During the next and final Texas drive, the Longhorns faced a third down-and-twelve and converted for a first down at the USC 46-yard line after a completed pass for seven yards and a Trojans face-mask penalty. From there, Young rushed once for 7 yards between two passes totaling 26 yards to little-used wide receiver Brian Carter, moving the ball to the USC 14-yard line. Facing fourth and 5 from the 9-yard line, Young received the shotgun snap and found his receivers covered. Young then bolted towards the right sideline and received a critical block from Justin Blalock
as he won the footrace to the end zone. The score, Young's third rushing touchdown of the game, gave the Longhorns a one-point lead with 19 seconds left to play. Young successfully reached the end zone again on the ensuing two-point conversion, giving his team the 41–38 lead. The lead held as Leinart took the ball with only eight seconds left and was unable to drive the Trojans past the Texas 43-yard line before time expired. The loss would be only the second of Leinart's college career, and the first Rose Bowl loss for USC since the 1989 game
.
of the Rose Bowl for the second time (the first time being the 2005 Rose Bowl
) becoming only the fourth player in the long history of the Rose Bowl (and, to date, the only player from a Big 12 Conference team) to accomplish this feat.
Though the Trojans converted on 57 percent of third downs on the day (to only 27 percent for the Longhorns), they were unable to gain two yards on the Texas defense when such gain likely would have ensured a Trojans victory. They also hurt themselves with two turnovers in Texas territory early in the game. Mack Brown
, previously maligned for his inability to win big games, thus ended the fourth-longest winning streak in Division I-A history — and the longest since a 35-game streak by Toledo ended in 1971 — and, behind Young, who accounted for 839 yards of total offense in his two Rose Bowl appearances, won the first national title for Texas since 1970. Vince Young accounted for 467 yards in the championship game, which is the best performance ever in a BCS Championship game. In winning the BCS national championship game, the Longhorns assured themselves of a first-place ranking in the USA Today
coaches' poll, and their achievement was confirmed when AP polling sportswriters
unanimously voted Texas number one on January 5, 2006; Southern California finished second in each poll. On January 11, 2006, Vince Young would be announced as the winner of the Manning Award
, given annually to the nation's top quarterback and based in part on bowl results, unlike any other major college football award.
Four players who participated in the game went on to become top ten picks in the 2006 NFL Draft
: Reggie Bush
(2nd overall, New Orleans), Vince Young
(3rd overall, Tennessee), Michael Huff
(7th overall, Oakland), and Matt Leinart
(10th overall, Arizona). Taitusi Lutui
, Fred Matua
, LenDale White
, David Kirtmen, Winston Justice
, Cedric Griffin
, David Thomas
, Frostee Rucker
, Dominique Byrd
, Darnell Bing
, Jonathan Scott, LaJuan Ramsey
, and Rodrique Wright
were drafted in the next six rounds. This was the last game of longtime ABC Sports announcer Keith Jackson
's broadcasting career, and was also the last college football game aired on ABC under the ABC Sports name, as ABC's sports division began going by the name of corporate sibling ESPN on ABC
in September of that year.
The victory, Texas' 800th of all time, gave UT its fourth national championship in football. Since the game, the media, coaches, and other commentators have heaped praise upon the Texas team, Vince Young, and the Rose Bowl performance. For instance, Sports Illustrated called the game "perhaps the most stunning bowl performance ever". Both the Rose Bowl win as well as the Longhorns' overall season have both been cited as standing among the greatest performances in college football history by publications such as College Football News
, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Scout.com, and Sports Illustrated
. The Longhorns and the Trojans were together awarded the 2006 ESPY Award by ESPN
for the "Best Game" in any sport. In December 2006, both Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine picked the game as the Best Sports Moment in 2006. Voters on Yahoo Sports also voted it as the Sports Story of the Year for both college football and overall, edging out 12 other stories in the overall voting and receiving 13,931 votes out of 65,641.
In the days that followed the Longhorns' victory, the Trinity River
in Dallas mysteriously turned a "burnt orange" color. Authorities said that it may have been caused by someone dumping dye into the river.
The game received the highest Nielsen ratings for the Rose Bowl since the 1986 Rose Bowl
between UCLA and Iowa. In 2007, ESPN compiled a list of the top 100 plays in college football history; Vince Young's game-winning touchdown in the 2006 Rose Bowl ranked number 5.
The 2006 Rose Bowl Game and its unreviewed, controversial officiants' rulings have been cited as a key reason the NCAA Football Rules Committee added a coach's challenge in the subsequent season.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
game that served as the national championship of the 2005-2006 Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
(BCS). It featured the only two unbeaten NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I-A teams: the defending Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
Champion and Big 12 Champion
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
Texas Longhorns
2005 Texas Longhorn football team
The 2005 Texas Longhorn football team represented the University of Texas at Austin during the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season, winning the Big 12 Conference championship and the national championship. The team was coached by Mack Brown, led on offense by quarterback Vince Young, and played...
played Pac-10 titleholders and 2-time defending AP National Champions, the Southern California Trojans
2005 USC Trojans football team
The 2005 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in the college football season of 2005–2006, winning the Pacific-10 Conference , and playing for the NCAA Division I-A national championship...
.
The game was a back-and-forth contest, and the Texas victory was not secured until the final nineteen seconds of the game. Vince Young
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young, Jr. , nicknamed "VY", is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Young was the third overall draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college...
, the Texas quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, and Michael Huff
Michael Huff
Michael Wayne Huff II. is an American Football Free Safety for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He played collegiately as a CB/S for The University of Texas Longhorns.-High school career:...
, a Texas safety, were named the offensive and defensive Rose Bowl Players Of The Game, respectively. Young's game winning touchdown run was named the fifth greatest play in college football history by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. The game is widely considered one of the greatest games in the history of college football.
Texas' Rose Bowl win was the 800th victory in school history and the Longhorns ended the season ranked third in Division I history in both wins and winning percentage
NCAA division I football win-loss records
The following data is current as of the end of the 2009 season, which ended after the 2010 BCS National Championship Game. Records reflect official contest results ....
(.7143). It was only the third time that the two top-ranked teams had faced each other in the history of the Rose Bowl, with the 1963 Rose Bowl
1963 Rose Bowl
The 1963 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1963 at the end of the 1962 college football season. It was the 49th Rose Bowl Game. The USC Trojans defeated the Wisconsin Badgers, 42–37...
and 1969 Rose Bowl
1969 Rose Bowl
The 1969 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1969. It was the 55th Rose Bowl Game. The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the USC Trojans, 27–16. Rex Kern, the Ohio State quarterback, was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game....
games being the others.
The 92nd annual occurrence of the Rose Bowl Game
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
was played, as it is every year, at the Rose Bowl Stadium
Rose Bowl (stadium)
The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12...
in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
This was the final game ever called by longtime broadcaster Keith Jackson
Keith Jackson
Keith Jackson is an American sportscaster, known for his long career with ABC Sports , his coverage of college football , his style of folksy, down-to-earth commentary, and his distinctive voice, with its deep cadence, and operatic tone considered "like Edward R...
(as well as the final Rose Bowl to telecast under ABC Sports branding); the 2007 Rose Bowl
2007 Rose Bowl
The 2007 Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 2007 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. It was the 93rd Rose Bowl Game and part of the 2006-2007 Bowl Championship Series at the conclusion of the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season...
would be an ESPN on ABC
ESPN on ABC
ESPN on ABC is the brand used for sports programming on the ABC television network. Officially the broadcast network retains its own sports division; however, for all practical purposes, ABC's sports division has been merged with ESPN, a sports cable network majority-owned by ABC's parent, The...
presentation.
On June 6, 2011, USC was forced to vacate its appearance in the national championship after an NCAA investigation into the football program declared Reggie Bush retroactively ineligible.
Pre-game buildup
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
. (Many of those wins have since been vacated due to NCAA sanctions surrounding illegal benefits given to USC's Reggie Bush.) Texas brought the second-longest active streak, having won 19 straight games, and also entered as Rose Bowl defending champion, having defeated Michigan
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
in the 2005 Rose Bowl
2005 Rose Bowl
The 2005 Rose Bowl Game was the 91st edition of the college football bowl game, held on January 1, 2005 at the self-named stadium in Pasadena, California. The Texas Longhorns, second place finishers of the Big 12 Conference's South Division, defeated the Michigan Wolverines, co-champions of the...
. Their combined 53-game win streak was an NCAA record for teams playing each other. The game was also the first to have matched teams ranked first and second in every iteration of the BCS standings. This was Texas's second trip to the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
in two years (and second trip in the history of UT football).
A few weeks before the game, USC's Reggie Bush
Reggie Bush
Reginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
won the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
(since vacated in 2010) ahead of second-place finisher Vince Young. Bush had the second highest number of first place votes in Heisman history (O.J. Simpson) and the highest percentage of first place votes, while Young had a record number of second place votes. Bush's 933-point margin of victory was the 17th highest in the history of the Heisman voting. The other finalist was USC's Matt Leinart
Matt Leinart
Matthew Stephen Leinart , is an American professional football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League...
, who had won the Heisman trophy in 2004. This meant that the Rose Bowl would mark the first time that two past winners of the Heisman trophy had ever played in the same backfield.
The 2006 Rose Bowl was, in the eyes of many, the most-anticipated matchup in college football history. Both teams were considered to be good enough to win the National Championship had they existed in different years instead of having to play each other. USC had been ranked #1 since the preseason and Texas had held the #2 spot that entire time. Prior to the game, some commentators had postulated that the 2005 USC team was one of the greatest college football team of all time. ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
analysts were virtually unanimous in their declaration of the 2005 USC Trojans as the best offense in the history of college football, despite the fact that they did not lead the nation in points scored (Texas did). Lee Corso was one of the rare analysts who said that Texas was a better team and that they were going to win. ESPN analysts Mark May
Mark May
Mark Eric May is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League. He is currently a football analyst for ESPN.-Football career:...
and Kirk Herbstreit
Kirk Herbstreit
Kirk Herbstreit is an Emmy Award-winning analyst for ESPN's College GameDay, a television program covering college football and a provider of color commentary during college football games on ESPN and ABC. He appears annually as a commentator in EA Sports' NCAA Football. He was a quarterback on...
declared, before the 2006 Rose Bowl had even been played, that the 2005 USC Trojans were the second best college football team of the past 50 years (May placed them behind only the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers
1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska...
; Herbstreit behind only the 2001 Miami Hurricanes
2001 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 2001 Miami Hurricanes football team was the national champion of the 2001 college football season and is considered by many to be the greatest team in college football history.-Pre-season motivation:...
). This led to Texas fans at the Rose Bowl mockingly chanting "Best...Team...Ever" during the post-game celebration. Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
later observed, "ESPN spent the better part of Christmas season comparing that Trojans squad to some of the most acclaimed teams of all time only to find out that they weren’t even the best team that season."
First quarter
Southern California received the opening kickoff and managed just three yards against a Texas defense that was especially stout early in the game. Aaron Ross fumbled the ball on the ensuing punt return, committing the first of four Texas fumbles on the day (although the only one that would be lost), and the Trojans recovered. A 23-yard Leinart pass to senior fullback David KirtmanDavid Kirtman
David Kirtman is an American football fullback free agent of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
, who received a hard hit from Cedric Griffin
Cedric Griffin
Cedric Leonard Griffin is an American football cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.He was born in Natchez, Mississippi and graduated from Holmes High School in San Antonio, Texas. He played college football for The University of Texas Longhorns and was a stand-out...
knocking off Kirkman's helmet and forcing him to leave the game briefly. Kirkman finished the game with three catches for 61 yards on the day, set up a four-yard touchdown run by running back LenDale White
LenDale White
LenDale Anthony White is an American football running back. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California....
, a bruiser who out-rushed his speedy counterpart, Bush, on the day, gaining 124 yards on 20 carries. Kicker Mario Danelo
Mario Danelo
Mario Danelo was an American college football placekicker.-High school career:Danelo was an all–Los Angeles linebacker at San Pedro High School in San Pedro, California. Danelo was also a fullback and kicker at his high school...
's extra point gave Southern California the early seven-point lead. The teams twice exchanged possessions to end the first quarter, as each defense held the opposing offense in check.
Second quarter
On the second play of the second quarter, Reggie Bush exploded for 35 yards off a Leinart pass, reaching the Texas 18-yard line before attempting to lateral passLateral pass
In American football, a lateral pass or lateral, officially backward pass , occurs when the ball carrier throws the football to any teammate behind him or directly next to him...
the ball to an uncovered teammate; the loose ball was recovered by Texas strong safety Michael Huff
Michael Huff
Michael Wayne Huff II. is an American Football Free Safety for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He played collegiately as a CB/S for The University of Texas Longhorns.-High school career:...
. The Pac-10 coordinator of football officiating later stated that the Reggie Bush pass was incorrectly officiated, because the pass that had been ruled a lateral was, in fact, an illegal forward pass, after which the Trojans would have maintained possession of the ball. Young drove his team 53 yards on the ensuing possession, twice hitting senior tight end David Thomas
David Thomas (American football)
John David Thomas is an American football tight end for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
, who finished the day as Vince Young's leading receiver, catching 10 passes for 88 yards. The Trojans' defense tackled sophomore running back Ramonce Taylor five yards behind the line of scrimmage, forcing a fumble, which was recovered by Vince Young for an additional five-yard loss. A Texas field goal attempt was thus forced, and David Pino converted from 46 yards to cut the Texas deficit to four.
On USC's next possession, Leinart once more drove his team into Texas territory, this time to the 25-yard line, before throwing an interception to Texas free safety Michael Griffin
Michael Griffin (football player)
Michael Devin Griffin is a professional American football safety for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was drafted in the 1st round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Titans. He played college football at the University of Texas.-High school career:Griffin was coached in football...
, who appeared to be out of the play but ran halfway across the field before making a leaping catch and barely staying in-bounds, in the end zone. The turnover ended a second Trojans' drive with Southern California in scoring position. In the forthcoming Texas drive, Vince Young connected with wide receiver Limas Sweed
Limas Sweed
Limas Lee Sweed, Jr. is a former American football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He played collegiately for the Texas Longhorns. On April 26, 2008 Sweed was taken 53rd overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2008 NFL Draft.-High school:Sweed attended...
, who caught eight balls for 65 yards on the day, for a key first down. Vince Young then led his team with his legs, capping the drive by running 10 yards before throwing a lateral pass
Lateral pass
In American football, a lateral pass or lateral, officially backward pass , occurs when the ball carrier throws the football to any teammate behind him or directly next to him...
to open running back Selvin Young
Selvin Young
Selvin Young is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2007...
, who ran for 12 more for the touchdown. The lateral, which appeared to have been made after Young's knee had touched the ground, was not reviewed because of issues with the replay equipment. The game continued with a failed extra point attempt by Texas, which, not knowing of the equipment issues, appeared to rush the attempt hoping to get the play off before the previous play could be reviewed. The national coordinator of NCAA football officiating later asserted that Young's knee had been down, and expressed confusion about how the call had been handled.
A defensive stop on USC's next possession series and a 15-yard punt return gave Texas the ball near midfield, and, once again, the Longhorns capitalized with Vince Young finding Thomas for 14 yards on one play, and Taylor running 30 yards for a touchdown on another. The subsequent Pino extra point took the Longhorns lead to 16–7. On the next drive, Leinart threw a pass intended for Reggie Bush that was grabbed by Texas linebacker/safety Drew Kelson. However, Kelson landed on his back after catching the pass and the ball popped out. The pass was ruled incomplete, and again, equipment issues meant no review was possible. The USC drive continued with a Leinart pass to wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett
Dwayne Jarrett
Dwayne Jarrett is an American football wide receiver formerly of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Panthers in the second round the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California.-Early years:Jarrett attended New Brunswick...
, the top Trojans receiver of the day with 10 catches totaling 121 yards, a quarterback keeper
Quarterback keeper
A quarterback keeper or keeper in American football is a designed play in which the quarterback does not pass or hand off the ball to another player and instead rushes forward with it in an effort to gain yardage...
of 14 yards, and a Bush 12-yard run took the Trojans to the Texas 13-yard line with 40 seconds to play in the half. However, two sacks by defensive tackle Frank Okam
Frank Okam
Franklin Nonyelu Okam, Jr. is an American football defensive tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas.-Early years:...
pushed Southern California back 13 yards and forced the Trojans to use two timeouts. Consequently, a Danelo 43-yard field goal allowed USC three points, and the half ended with Texas still ahead, the score then 16–10.
Third quarter
The Trojan defense came back strong from the halftime break and forced a punt on the Longhorns' opening drive of the third quarter. During the following USC drive, Leinart hit Jarrett for three passes totaling 35 yards, and White added the final 17 yards over two carries, capping the seven-play, 62-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run, his second of the game. The touchdown put the Trojans ahead by one, 17–16.Behind the running of Jamaal Charles
Jamaal Charles
Jamaal RaShaad Jones Charles is an American football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
, who finished the game having carried the ball five times for 34 yards, and Vince Young, who ran the ball 19 times for 200 yards in the game, Texas quickly answered on their possession. Vince Young scored the first of his three rushing touchdowns from 14 yards out, and Pino's successful extra point attempt moved the Longhorns back ahead, 23–17.
The lead changed hands once more with 4:07 to play in the third quarter, as Leinart hit tight end Dominique Byrd
Dominique Byrd
Dominique Montiel Byrd is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
for two of his four catches and 21 of his 32 yards in the next drive and set up the next score. Although USC had been stopped on a 4th and short attempt earlier in the game, they decided to make the same gamble again on 4th and 1 from the 12, and this time White muscled it all the way to the endzone to record his third rushing touchdown of the game and 57th of his career, setting a Southern California record. []
The Longhorns reached Southern California territory on the ensuing drive, with a 45-yard run by Vince Young constituting most of the work, but ultimately the Trojans forced a field goal attempt from the USC 14-yard line, and, on the first play of the fourth quarter, David Pino missed a 31-yard kick that would have put his team ahead by two.
Fourth quarter
The Longhorns next possession began with an apparent reception and fumble by Jamaal Charles which would have given USC the ball on the Texas 40, but a controversial replay ruled the catch incomplete. Two Vince Young completions to wide receiver Billy Pittman
Billy Pittman
Billy Pittman is a former American football player. He played college football as a wide receiver for the University of Texas Longhorns from 2003 to 2007 and was the leading receiver on the 2005 Texas team that won the BCS National Championship.- High school career :He attended C.H. Yoe High...
, who caught four passes for 53 yards on the day, helped the Longhorns drive to the USC 17-yard line on the next possession. When Young fumbled on third down, Texas settled for a 34-yard field goal that brought the Longhorns to within five, 31–26.
On their ensuing possession, The Trojans gained 48 yards with a 33-yard Leinart pass to Kirtman and a 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty. This set up a 22-yard toss from Leinart to Jarrett - a play which Texas cornerback Tarrel Brown was injured while trying to tackle Jarrett at the goal line. Brown and a teammate collided as Jarrett stretched the ball over the goal line, and the successful extra point attempt gave USC its biggest lead of the game, 38–26.
As Texas took the ball trailing by two scores with just 6:42 to play in the game, Young accounted for all 69 yards of a Longhorns' scoring drive that took just 2:39 to complete, rushing for 25 (including a 17-yard touchdown run) and completing five passes for the rest of the necessary yardage. (For the game, Young completed 75 percent of his passes — 30-of-40 — for 267 yards, with no passing touchdowns, and no interceptions.) A successful Pino extra point again brought Texas to within five with 3:58 to play.
Though the Longhorns' defense yielded one first down on the subsequent Southern California drive, it held the Trojans, who turned to LenDale White on a third down at midfield only to see him lose the ball and have it recovered by wide receiver Steve Smith
Steve Smith (New York Giants)
Steve Smith is an American football wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
just two yards short of a first down. A Texas timeout stopped the clock with 2:13 to play. Then, in what may have proved to be the most pivotal coaching decision of the game, Trojans coach Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll is the head coach and executive Vice-President of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He is a former head coach of the New York Jets, New England Patriots and the University of Southern California Trojans football team.-Early life:Carroll attended Redwood High...
elected to give his number-two ranked offense (ranked behind only Texas), which had averaged 582.2 yards and 50.0 points per game on the year, an opportunity to convert a fourth down-and-two at the Texas 45-yard line. However, pre-snap adjustments by the Texas defense, who had failed to stop this same play three times all leading to USC touchdowns, caused White to only gain slightly more than one yard, and Southern California turned the ball over at the Longhorns' 44-yard line with 2:09 to play in the game.
During the next and final Texas drive, the Longhorns faced a third down-and-twelve and converted for a first down at the USC 46-yard line after a completed pass for seven yards and a Trojans face-mask penalty. From there, Young rushed once for 7 yards between two passes totaling 26 yards to little-used wide receiver Brian Carter, moving the ball to the USC 14-yard line. Facing fourth and 5 from the 9-yard line, Young received the shotgun snap and found his receivers covered. Young then bolted towards the right sideline and received a critical block from Justin Blalock
Justin Blalock
Justin Christopher Blalock is an American football NFL player for the Atlanta Falcons. He played college ball as the right tackle for the Texas Longhorns under coach Mack Brown. He stands at 6'3.25" and weighs 320 lbs.-High school career:Blalock attended Plano East Senior High School, playing...
as he won the footrace to the end zone. The score, Young's third rushing touchdown of the game, gave the Longhorns a one-point lead with 19 seconds left to play. Young successfully reached the end zone again on the ensuing two-point conversion, giving his team the 41–38 lead. The lead held as Leinart took the ball with only eight seconds left and was unable to drive the Trojans past the Texas 43-yard line before time expired. The loss would be only the second of Leinart's college career, and the first Rose Bowl loss for USC since the 1989 game
1989 Rose Bowl
The 1989 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on Monday January 2, 1989 because New Year's Day was on a Sunday. It was the 75th Rose Bowl Game, and also the 100th anniversary of the Tournament of Roses parade. The Michigan Wolverines defeated the USC Trojans 22-14. Michigan FB Leroy...
.
Analysis and aftermath
Vince Young was named the MVPMost Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
of the Rose Bowl for the second time (the first time being the 2005 Rose Bowl
2005 Rose Bowl
The 2005 Rose Bowl Game was the 91st edition of the college football bowl game, held on January 1, 2005 at the self-named stadium in Pasadena, California. The Texas Longhorns, second place finishers of the Big 12 Conference's South Division, defeated the Michigan Wolverines, co-champions of the...
) becoming only the fourth player in the long history of the Rose Bowl (and, to date, the only player from a Big 12 Conference team) to accomplish this feat.
Mack Brown
William Mack Brown is head coach of The University of Texas at Austin Longhorn football team.Prior to his head coach position at Texas, Brown was head coach at Appalachian State, Tulane, and North Carolina. Brown is credited with revitalizing the Texas and North Carolina football programs...
, previously maligned for his inability to win big games, thus ended the fourth-longest winning streak in Division I-A history — and the longest since a 35-game streak by Toledo ended in 1971 — and, behind Young, who accounted for 839 yards of total offense in his two Rose Bowl appearances, won the first national title for Texas since 1970. Vince Young accounted for 467 yards in the championship game, which is the best performance ever in a BCS Championship game. In winning the BCS national championship game, the Longhorns assured themselves of a first-place ranking in the USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
coaches' poll, and their achievement was confirmed when AP polling sportswriters
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
unanimously voted Texas number one on January 5, 2006; Southern California finished second in each poll. On January 11, 2006, Vince Young would be announced as the winner of the Manning Award
Manning Award
The Manning Award has been presented annually since 2004 to the collegiate American football quarterback adjudged by the Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the United States...
, given annually to the nation's top quarterback and based in part on bowl results, unlike any other major college football award.
Four players who participated in the game went on to become top ten picks in the 2006 NFL Draft
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
: Reggie Bush
Reggie Bush
Reginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
(2nd overall, New Orleans), Vince Young
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young, Jr. , nicknamed "VY", is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Young was the third overall draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college...
(3rd overall, Tennessee), Michael Huff
Michael Huff
Michael Wayne Huff II. is an American Football Free Safety for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He played collegiately as a CB/S for The University of Texas Longhorns.-High school career:...
(7th overall, Oakland), and Matt Leinart
Matt Leinart
Matthew Stephen Leinart , is an American professional football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League...
(10th overall, Arizona). Taitusi Lutui
Taitusi Lutui
Taitusi "Deuce" Lutui is a Tongan-born American athlete who currently plays professional American football for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League . His position is offensive lineman...
, Fred Matua
Fred Matua
Fred Matua is an American football guard that is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
, LenDale White
LenDale White
LenDale Anthony White is an American football running back. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California....
, David Kirtmen, Winston Justice
Winston Justice
Winston Frederick Justice is an American football offensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Eagles in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
, Cedric Griffin
Cedric Griffin
Cedric Leonard Griffin is an American football cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.He was born in Natchez, Mississippi and graduated from Holmes High School in San Antonio, Texas. He played college football for The University of Texas Longhorns and was a stand-out...
, David Thomas
David Thomas (American football)
John David Thomas is an American football tight end for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
, Frostee Rucker
Frostee Rucker
Rucker was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He was placed on the injured reserve list his rookie year in 2006.In 2007, Rucker contributed on special teams and situational opportunities on defense...
, Dominique Byrd
Dominique Byrd
Dominique Montiel Byrd is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
, Darnell Bing
Darnell Bing
Darnell Bing is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
, Jonathan Scott, LaJuan Ramsey
LaJuan Ramsey
LaJuan Ramsey is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California....
, and Rodrique Wright
Rodrique Wright
Rodrique Charles Wright is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
were drafted in the next six rounds. This was the last game of longtime ABC Sports announcer Keith Jackson
Keith Jackson
Keith Jackson is an American sportscaster, known for his long career with ABC Sports , his coverage of college football , his style of folksy, down-to-earth commentary, and his distinctive voice, with its deep cadence, and operatic tone considered "like Edward R...
's broadcasting career, and was also the last college football game aired on ABC under the ABC Sports name, as ABC's sports division began going by the name of corporate sibling ESPN on ABC
ESPN on ABC
ESPN on ABC is the brand used for sports programming on the ABC television network. Officially the broadcast network retains its own sports division; however, for all practical purposes, ABC's sports division has been merged with ESPN, a sports cable network majority-owned by ABC's parent, The...
in September of that year.
The victory, Texas' 800th of all time, gave UT its fourth national championship in football. Since the game, the media, coaches, and other commentators have heaped praise upon the Texas team, Vince Young, and the Rose Bowl performance. For instance, Sports Illustrated called the game "perhaps the most stunning bowl performance ever". Both the Rose Bowl win as well as the Longhorns' overall season have both been cited as standing among the greatest performances in college football history by publications such as College Football News
College Football News
College Football News is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis includes comparisons between teams, predictions of game outcomes and...
, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Scout.com, and Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
. The Longhorns and the Trojans were together awarded the 2006 ESPY Award by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
for the "Best Game" in any sport. In December 2006, both Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine picked the game as the Best Sports Moment in 2006. Voters on Yahoo Sports also voted it as the Sports Story of the Year for both college football and overall, edging out 12 other stories in the overall voting and receiving 13,931 votes out of 65,641.
In the days that followed the Longhorns' victory, the Trinity River
Trinity River (Texas)
The Trinity River is a long river that flows entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It rises in extreme north Texas, a few miles south of the Red River. The headwaters are separated by the high bluffs on the south side of the Red River....
in Dallas mysteriously turned a "burnt orange" color. Authorities said that it may have been caused by someone dumping dye into the river.
The game received the highest Nielsen ratings for the Rose Bowl since the 1986 Rose Bowl
1986 Rose Bowl
The 1986 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1986. It was the 72nd Rose Bowl Game. The UCLA Bruins defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes 45-28. UCLA tailback Eric Ball was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game. He ran for a Rose Bowl record four touchdowns.-Iowa Hawkeyes:Iowa...
between UCLA and Iowa. In 2007, ESPN compiled a list of the top 100 plays in college football history; Vince Young's game-winning touchdown in the 2006 Rose Bowl ranked number 5.
The 2006 Rose Bowl Game and its unreviewed, controversial officiants' rulings have been cited as a key reason the NCAA Football Rules Committee added a coach's challenge in the subsequent season.
Game records
| Team | Performance vs. Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 30, Texas vs. USC 30, USC vs. Texas |
2006 2006 |
| Rushing yards | 289, Texas vs. USC (36 att.) | 2006 |
| Passing yards | 365, USC vs. Texas | 2006 |
| Total yards | 574, USC vs. Texas (209 rush, 365 pass) | 2006 |
| Individual | Performance, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
| Total offense | 467, Vince Young, Texas vs. USC (267 pass, 200 rush) | 2006 |
| Rushing yards | 200, Vince Young (QB), Texas vs. USC (19 att.) | 2006 |
| Rushing TDs | 3, Vince Young (QB), Texas vs. USC 3, LenDale White, USC vs. Texas |
2006 2006 |
| Passing yards | 365, Matt Leinart, USC vs. Texas (29-40-1, 1 TD) | 2006 |
| Field goal | 46, David Pino, Texas vs. USC | 2006 |