This guest post on 2006 Rose Bowl comes to The Touchback from Derek Lopez.
It feels odd today, but college football was being dominated by USC and Texas some 15 years ago. And there was no bigger matchup than their encounter in the 2006 Rose Bowl.
The Trojans were defending National Champions while Texas was the next best team in college football that year. They started the season ranked first and second and everyone wanted to see these two teams battle it out for the title. These rosters were loaded with NFL talent, featured outstanding coaches and played elite on both sides of the ball every week.
The USC Trojans were led by Heisman Trophy winners Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. Their roster also featured more than 20 other players who would play in the NFL. The Texas Longhorns were led by Vince Young and another 20+ players who would have NFL careers. Safe to say, the talent displayed in this game was going to be a sight to behold. Bush finished first in the Heisman Trophy voting followed by Young and Leinart.
And while there was elite talent across the board, all eyes were on those three stars in this one. USC started off the game with a four-yard touchdown run that gave them a 7-0 lead. This was actually all the scoring in the first quarter. Things picked over the next 15 minutes started with Texas getting on the board with a 46-yard field goal and then punching in two touchdown runs to make it 16-7. The Trojans nailed a long-distance kick as the first half came to a close to make it 16-10 in favor of Texas.
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USC was touted as one of the greatest teams of all time and it showed after halftime. Two touchdowns from future NFL running back LenDale White gave the Trojans the lead before a touchdown run by Vince Young made it 24-23.
White’s backfield partner and Heisman winner Bush started off the fourth quarter with an impressive touchdown run of 26 yards. The response from Texas was a short field goal by kicker David Pino which was answered by Leinart who decided to join the party with a touchdown strike to Dwayne Jarrett. At this point, the Trojans held a commanding 38-26 lead.
Texas knew exactly what needed to be accomplished if they wanted to have any chance of winning this game. They put the ball into Vince Young’s hands and let him take over. With a shade over four minutes left in the game, the future Tennessee Titan scampered in for a 17-yard touchdown to make it 38-33. The Longhorns got the ball back and drove the length of the field, setting the stage for one play and a moment that sports fans will remember forever.
Vince Young stood tall in the pocket as he surveyed the defense for an open passing lane. Nothing was materializing, so he took off to the pylon. The nearby defenders weren’t fast enough to slow the quarterback and he dashed for the endzone.
A last-ditch diving tackle came up short as Young ran in for the score to give his team a 39-38 advantage. Mack Brown wanted to make this game field goal-proof, so he decided to have his team go for the two-point conversion. A plunge up the middle from Young gave the Longhorns a 41-38 lead in the game’s final seconds. Shellshocked USC could only put together a short drive that resulted in an incomplete pass.
Texas claimed the coveted crystal ball and was finally on top of the college football world. Defeating a stacked USC team only made it sweeter for Mack Brown and the Longhorns. Unsurprisingly, the Offensive Player of the Game was Young who finished 30/40 for 267 yards. He also toted the ball 19 times for 200 yards and three scores.
The 2006 Rose Bowl was Young’s moment. But it was also one of the most entertaining championship games in history and reminded everyone that even great college football dynasties, like USC, were beatable.
