USC-Penn State: Trojans Set Rose Bowl Record in 38-24 Win

Trojans Win Record-Setting Third Straight in Pasadena

My initial thoughts watching the two teams take the field at the Rose Bowl led me to expect a quick start by USC. Penn State looked like they were running onto a practice field while the Trojans looked ready and raring to go.

That proved to be the case as USC struck first with quarterback Mark Sanchez hitting Damian Williams on a 27-yard skinny post route for the score to cap an 87-yard, 11-play drive.

The Nittany Lions, however, came back with an 80-yard, nine-play drive with quarterback Daryll Clark running up the middle for the score to tie the game.

But the 24-0 second quarter proved that USC was indeed ready. While many expected the Trojans defense to dominate, I have been reporting all week that the offense has looked sharper than I have seen it all season. And that was indeed the case.

Sanchez was on fire, mixing short and long passes, checking down receivers, drilling the ball when he had to, feathering it when he had to, and amassing a career-high 413 passing yards with four TD passes, one rushing TD, and no interceptions.

Many were concerned that USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian’s impending departure to take over the Washington Huskies would be a distraction. But again, after watching the Trojans practice all week, I could see that Sarkisian was intent and really locked in on a game plan.

That game plan dominated the second quarter and put the game out of reach for Penn State. Sarkisian planned perfectly for the offense’s speed on the edge and USC's vertical passing game. He called runs to set up passes. When the coverage was playing deep, he had Sanchez go short. When the coverage tightened, he had Sanchez go long.

Williams was an integral part of that game plan. He showed at practice that he was 100 percent and proved in the game that he was the best receiver on the field.

Willimas caught 10 passes for 162 yards and one TD. Ronald Johnson was a distant second with four catches for 82 yards and two TDs. Patrick Turner also caught four passes for 74 yards. C.J. Gable caught a TD pass, his only catch of the day.

To start off the Trojans' explosive second quarter, after spreading the ball around to three different receivers on an 80-yard drive, Sanchez called his own number to cover the final six yards to put USC up 14-7.

The next time USC had the ball, Sanchez hit Turner, Williams, Anthony McCoy, and David Ausberry to set up a David Buehler 30-yard field goal to take the Trojans to a 17-7 lead.

The next drive was all underneath passes to Williams until Sanchez hit Johnson on a 20-yard skinny post to up the score to 24-7.

After the Nittany Lions recovered a Gable fumble, the USC defense stifled Penn State and returned the ball to Sanchez and the offense.

It took USC five plays to go 58 yards, with Sarkisian calling a middle screen to Gable that caught Penn State unprepared. That 20-yard score put the Trojans up 31-7 at halftime.

Obviously all those worries over the absence of Stanley Havili were unfounded, as I mentioned earlier this week. Rhett Ellison’s able hands and capable blocking along with backup Adam Goodman’s experience proved more than sufficient.

In the second half, the Nittany Lions finally found their legs and got some momentum, but it was much too late.

Clark hit Derrick Williams for a two-yard score to finish off a 10-play, 80-yard drive to cut the lead to 31-14.

Sanchez came right back to engineer a quick three-play, 82-yard drive, putting USC up 38-14. The last 45 yards were covered by a pass to a wide-open Ronald Johnson, who was sprung free as McCoy got the opposing corner to bite on a crossing route.

The fourth quarter saw the Nittany Lions put up two more scores, but the Trojans' defense stiffened after Penn State drove 75 yards on 11 plays, and the Lions had to settle for a Kevin Kelly 25-yard field goal to make the score 38-17.

With 4:24 left, Clark hit Jordan Norwood for a nine-yard score to cap a 56-yard drive to further narrow USC’s lead to 38-24.

Penn State had two more chances to score, but was unable to convert. An interception by the Trojans' Will Harris put an end to one drive, and then, with the game well in hand, a high snap sent USC’s punter Greg Woidneck back to his 15-yard line to recover.

With just seconds left and the Trojans bringing pressure, Clark threw high into the end zone and Cary Harris made a pick of his own to end the game. The final score: USC 38–Penn State 24.

And so ends yet another successful season for Pete Carroll and USC, with everything coming up sevens.

The win capped the Trojans' seventh straight 11-plus-win season, their seventh straight BCS bowl game, their seventh straight Pac-10 title, and their seventh straight top five finish.

USC has now won more Rose Bowls than any other team in the nation. They also set a record doing it, winning their third consecutive Rose Bowl. They have also tied the record for the most bowl victories all time.

And, surprising as it may be for the so-called "soft" Pac-10, with today’s Rose Bowl victory, the conference is a perfect 5-0 in postseason bowl appearances this year.