NCAAF ROSE BOWL
FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- USC (17) 7 17 7 10 41 NORTHWESTERN (3) 7 3 16 6 32 FINAL
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QTR: USC - TD, LAVALE WOODS 1 YD RUN (ADAM ABRAMS KICK), 4:58 NORW - TD, DARNELL AUTRY 3 YD RUN (BRIAN GOWINS KICK), 8:55 2ND QTR: USC - TD, TERRY BARNUM 21 YD PASS FROM BRAD OTTON (ADAM ABRAMS KICK), 1:55 USC - FG, ADAM ABRAMS 30 YD, 11:31 USC - TD, DAYLON MCCUTCHEON 53 YD FUMBLE RETURN (ADAM ABRAMS KICK), 12:04 NORW - FG, BRIAN GOWINS 29 YD, 14:58 3RD QTR: NORW - FG, BRIAN GOWINS 28 YD, 3:59 NORW - TD, DARNELL AUTRY 9 YD RUN (TWO-POINT CONVERSION FAILED), 6:43 USC - TD, KEYSHAWN JOHNSON 56 YD PASS FROM BRAD OTTON (ADAM ABRAMS KICK), 8:52 NORW - TD, STEVE SCHNUR 1 YD RUN (BRIAN GOWINS KICK), 12:02 4TH QTR: NORW - TD, DARNELL AUTRY 2 YD RUN (TWO-POINT CONVERSION FAILED), 1:59 USC - FG, ADAM ABRAMS 46 YD, 5:51 USC - TD, DELON WASHINGTON 2 YD RUN (ADAM ABRAMS KICK), 12:05
NCAAF 1 2 3 4 F - - - - -- Usc (17) 7 17 7 10 41 Northwestern (3) 7 3 16 6 32 FINAL
USC L Woods 1 run (Abrams kick) NORW D Autry 3 run (Gowins kick) USC Barnum 21 pass from Otton (Abrams kick) USC FG Abrams 30 USC Mccutcheon 53 fumble return (Abrams kick) NORW FG Gowins 29 NORW FG Gowins 28 NORW D Autry 9 run (two-point conversion failed) USC K Johnson 56 pass from Otton (Abrams kick) NORW Schnur 1 run (Gowins kick) NORW D Autry 2 run (two-point conversion failed) USC FG Abrams 46 USC Washington 2 run (Abrams kick) A
USC NORW First downs 22 23 Rushed-yards 27-29 39-139 Passing yards 391 336 Sacked-yards lost 4-21 0-0 Return yards 112 0 Passes 29-44-0 23-39-1 Punts 2-44.5 2-38.5 Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-1 Penalties-yards 11-86 7-72 Time of possession 29:47 30:13
Individual Statistics RUSHING Usc-Washington 16-51, Barnum 1-2, L Woods 5-minus 2, Otton 5-minus 22. Northwestern-D Autry 32-110, Schnur 3-13, A Autry 2-8, Bates 1-4, Hartl 1-4.
PASSING Usc-Otton 29-44-0-391. Northwestern-Schnur 23-39-1-336.
RECEIVING Usc-K Johnson 12-216, Barnum 4-42, C Miller 3-50, Cashman 3-19, L Woods 2-21, Mcwilliams 2-20, Washington 2-18, Parker 1-5. Northwestern-Bates 7-145, D Autry 6-38, B Musso 5-91, Drexler 1-16, Beazley 1-16, Mcgrew 1-11, Hartl 1-10, L Brown 1-9.
GAME RECAPKeyshawn Johnson caught 12 passes for 216 yards and a touchdown as 17th-ranked Southern California ended Northwestern's magical season with a 41-32 victory in a wild Rose Bowl at Pasadena, California.
The third-ranked Wildcats, appearing in the Rose Bowl for just the second time and the first since 1948, rallied from a 17-point deficit and took the lead briefly on Darnell Autry's third touchdown, but a 46-yard field goal by Adam Abrams with 9:09 left in the fourth quarter put Southern California in front for good at 34-32.
The loss ended a nine-game winning streak for Northwestern (10-2), the Big Ten champions.
Johnson, who set a Rose Bowl record for receiving yards, caught a short pass from Brad Otton and raced 56 yards for a touchdown midway through the third quarter to give the Trojans a 31-19 cushion.
"I thought there were two players that were just above the rest," said Northwestern coach Gary Barnett. "They were Brad Otton and Keyshawn Johnson. I think that was the best quarterbacking I've seen."
"We had something to prove," said Johnson. "Everyone wanted purple this or purple that. Nobody gave us any respect. The media hyped them up and they started believing it."
Otton completed 29-of-44 passes for 391 yards for the Trojans (8-3-1), the Pac-10 champions who made an unprecedented 28th trip to the Rose Bowl.
"I just thought in my head that I would play the whole game," said Otton, who normally splits time with Kyle Wachholtz. "Kyle was really supportive on the sidelines. We tried running early but it didn't work. This win puts us in the right frame of mind for next season."
"It was unfair on my part that Kyle Wachholtz didn't get to play in his last game but Brad was playing too well," said Trojans coach John Robinson. "That was one of the best quarterback performances I have ever seen."
Following Abrams' field goal, safety Jesse Davis intercepted a pass by Steve Schnur and a 41-yard return put the ball at the 31. A two-yard touchdown run by Delon Washington with 3:55 left iced the victory.
A long touchdown pass from Schnur to D'Wayne Bates in the final minutes was called back by a penalty. Schnur was 23-of-39 for 336 yards and Bates caught seven passes for 145 yards.
Autry carried 32 times for 110 yards and scored on a two-yard run with 13:01 left for the Wildcats' first lead at 32-31. Autry also caught six passes for 38 yards.
"Obviously Keyshawn is a great talent and their quarterback got him the ball," said Autry. "I don't think they had anything we weren't ready for. We are all really proud. I couldn't ask for a better group of guys to play with."
Northwestern scored on its opening two possessions of the third quarter to cut a 14-point halftime deficit to 24-19. Johnson's touchdown then gave the Trojans a 12-point cushion.
The Wildcats responded with a 46-yard pass from Schnur to Bates. A personal foul on the play put the ball at the 13 and Schnur scored on a one-yard run, cutting the lead to 31-26 after three quarters.
Trailing by 14 points at intermission, Brian Gowins kicked a 28-yard field goal and Josh Barnes then recovered an onside kick at the Trojan 47. The Wildcats capitalized on a nine-yard touchdown run by Autry, but a two-point pass failed.
Freshman Daylon McCutcheon returned a fumble 53 yards for a score to help Southern California build a 24-10 lead.
In the second quarter, Brian Musso caught a pass and raced across midfield before he was stripped of the ball by safety Sammy Knight. McCutcheon picked up the loose ball and raced past several defenders to the end zone give the Trojans a 24-7 lead with 2:58 left in the half. Musso caught five balls for 91 yards.
"When the teams are as evenly matched as this, the team that wins the turnover battle wins the game," said Musso. "Anytime you taste adversity that early in a game it tests who you are."
Earlier in the second quarter, Otton threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to fullback Terry Barnum.
U-S-C and Northwestern exchanged long touchdown drives on their opening possessions. U-S-C drew first blood with a 12-play, 83-yard drive, capped by a one-yard run by LaVale Woods. Northwestern responded with a two-yard touchdown run by Autry to complete a 68-yard drive.
U-S-C finished with 475 total yards against a Northwestern team that entered the game ranked first nationally in scoring defense.
Hudhaifa Ismaeli of Northwestern had five kickoff returns for a Rose Bowl record 166 yards.
"I think everyone was hoping that we would come in and lose to these guys so that their Cinderella season would be complete but I'd say that Cinderella is dead, the glass slipper is broken and we sent her back to Chicago," said Trojan tackle John Michels.
"It wasn't a fairy tale season but it was a wonderful one," concluded Barnett.