USC makes Rose Bowl a rout
There was a moment where Illinois had to feel good about its Rose Bowl chances.
Then USC followed the bouncing ball to re-establish an Alpha-male dominance in the 2008 Rose Bowl.
USC blew out the Illini 49-17, taking advantage of three Illini turnovers in the third quarter to put the game out of reach, though the victory didn't come without a little Trojans flop sweat.
Illini fans did not have much to cheer about in a Rose Bowl game since beating Chauncey Washington in 1964.
On the second play of the third quarter, Illinois' Rashard Mendenhall busted through the line and went 79 yards, giving the Illini their first big Rose Bowl moment since Duck Butkus had two good knees. The run nearly matched the total yards Illinois had in the first half and cut USC's lead to 21-10.
Illini frenzy reached 1964 levels on the next possession, when Mendenhall took a short pass and ran through four Trojans defenders for a 55-yard gain. But two plays later, Juice Williams completed a pass to Jacob Willis, who had the ball stripped at the seven-yard line by Kaluka Maiava. USC's Brian Cushing pounced on the football in the end zone.
A Trojans haymaker followed, when Joe McKnight had a lateral go off his hands. While Illini players seemed unsure whether it was an incomplete pass, Joe McKnight grabbed the ball on the third bounce and went 65 yards to the Illinois 12-yard line. A pass interference call gave USC a first down at the two, where John David Booty threw a touchdown pass to Fred Davis.
Williams had a pass intercepted on Illinois' next play. McKnight finished a five-play drive by cruising through a huge hole for a six-yard touchdown run, leaving USC (11-2) in control of the game.
USC tied the Rose Bowl record for points and established a new record with 633 yards of offense. McKnight finished with a game-high 170 yards rushing to help USC to an unprecedented sixth consecutive 11-win season.
The Trojans, who are 5-1 in their last six bowl games, scored on their first two possessions and gained 194 yards while holding Illinois (9-4) to only 94 in the first half.
USC had a leisurely 72-yard drive on its first possession that ended in a seven-yard touchdown pass from Booty to running back Chauncey Washington. The Trojans benefited from a generous bounce and a favorable ruling.
Booty completed a six-yard pass fullback Stanley Havili, with the ball squirting loose. Illinois defensive back Justin Harrison scooped up the ball and ran 56 yards to the end zone. But referees ruled that Havili was down on the play.
On second and 10 at the Illini 43, John David Booty fired a pass to Vidal Hazelton, only to have to ball knocked away by Harrison. But the ricochet went to Joe McKnight for a 14-yard completion. Three plays later, Booty connected with Chauncey Washington.
Williams, who led the Illini to an upset over Ohio State, was kept under wraps in the first half by the USC defense, which set up the Trojans' second touchdown.
Linebacker Brian Cushing tipped a Williams pass and linebacker Rey Maualuga intercepted it to give USC the ball at the Illinois 34. On the first play, John David Booty threw a lateral to reserve quarterback and receiver Garrett Green, who then found a wide open Desmond Reed for a 34-yard touchdown, with Reed finishing the play with a front flip into the end zone for a 14-0 lead and 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
Source: www.latimes.com
