Football News - USC Wins Orange Bowl, National Championship



After splitting a share of the National Championship last season with LSU, the USC football program entered tonight’s National Championship game in the 71st Orange Bowl with a back-to-back championship opportunity at their fingertips.

Going into the game, nearly everyone felt it would be a very close game, some even figured it may take overtime to settle this highly anticipated game.

After Southern Cal's first touchdown score, they took control and it was anything but close from there on.

Heat superstar Shaquille O’Neal was on hand and was the ceremonial coin tosser. Oklahoma called heads and won the toss, choosing to defer, USC received.

On their opening drive, USC was held to just one complete pass for a first down, then was forced to punt.

Oklahoma wasted no time putting points on the board, scoring a touchdown on their first drive on a Jason White touchdown pass, Oklahoma led, 7-0.

USC then dominated Oklahoma, scoring 28 unanswered points, on four touchdowns. Matt Leinart threw four touchdown passes in the first half, while his counterpart, White, threw just one touchdown pass, and two interceptions.

Going into the half, Trojans Head Coach Pete Carroll said he expected the game to be closer than it was, USC led 38-10 at the half.

USC wasted no time at the start of the second half, stopping the Sooners three and out on their first drive. The Trojans drove and took the lead 45-10 on a four-yard touchdown pass from Leinart to Steve Smith.

Ryan Killeen connected with a 42 yard field goal giving the Trojans a 38 point lead and they felt like they had sealed the deal, leading 48-10 at the end of the 3rd quarter.

Early in the 4th quarter, USC’s LenDale White ran in an 8-yard touchdown giving the Trojans a 55-10 lead. USC was penalized twice for unsportsmanlike conduct after celebrations of the touchdown and kicked off from their own 10 yard line on the following kickoff as a result of the penalties. The chant “over-rated” could be heard throughout the stadium from USC fans speaking of Oklahoma after the touchdown play.

Leinart fumbled a hand-off in the endzone and had to fall on it resulting in a safety, which brought the score to 55-12.

With just under four minutes remaining in the game, White threw a touchdown pass, making the score 55-19.

USC iced the clock, and time ran out, giving USC the undisputed title accompanied by their share of last year's championship, making them back-to-back National Champs. The final score was 55-19

Leinart finished the game with five touchdown passes, which was a new Orange Bowl record for most touchdown passes in a single game and was named MVP.















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