USC comes up roses vs. UCLA

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Dec 2, 2007 | by Associated Press

Southern California is returning to the Rose Bowl thanks to another late-season surge capped by a convincing victory over its biggest rival.

UCLA, meanwhile, might soon be making a coaching change.

John David Booty passed for 206 yards and one touchdown, USC rushed for another 231 yards, and the eighth-ranked Trojans beat the Bruins 24-7 Saturday in Los Angeles to assure themselves a date in Pasadena on New Year's Day.

"The senior class has been there four of the last five years," Booty said. "We're going to prepare just like we always do, practice the same way, hopefully have the same outcome we've had the majority of the times we've been there."

The Trojans (10-2, 7-2 Pac-10) won their final four regular- season games to earn an unprecedented sixth consecutive conference championship. It also gives them a record 32nd appearance in the Rose Bowl as well as a sixth straight BCS bowl berth.

"I don't think anybody around here was thinking we were going to be champions this year," USC coach Pete Carroll said, referring to his team's status four weeks ago after a 24-17 loss at Oregon. "But those guys knew they could be and they understood that and they just did a marvelous job. There's nothing we like more than winning championships. I know everybody talks about all the rest of the stuff, but we don't have control of the other stuff. What we do have control of is this Pac-10, and every chance we get we want to win this thing and get ourselves in that Rose Bowl."

The Trojans were a near-unanimous pick as No. 1 entering the season, but a shocking 24-23 loss to 41-point underdog Stanford Oct. 6 and the setback at Oregon three weeks later knocked them out of the national championship race.

While Carroll said he's fine with playing in the Rose Bowl, his words indicate otherwise.

"We'll play anybody, anywhere, anytime," he said. "I know this isn't the system and we don't get to. We wish we could keep playing. If there was a way to keep playing games and see who would win and be the last team standing, we'd love to have that opportunity."

OREGON STATE 38, (18) OREGON 31 (2OT): At Eugene, Ore., freshman wide receiver James Rodgers ran 25 yards around end for the go- ahead touchdown, and the Oregon State defense stuffed No. 18 Oregon on fourth down in double overtime. The two teams matched field goals in the first extra session before Rodgers broke free on the first play of the second overtime. Oregon (8-4, 5-4 Pac-10) was faced with fourth-and-1 from the 16 when it got its chance to answer, but tailback Jonathan Stewart was stopped for a loss on a run up the middle. The Beavers (8-4, 6-3) spilled onto the field to celebrate their victory in the 111th Civil War, giving a big lift to their bowl resume with their third straight win.

STANFORD 20, CALIFORNIA 13: At Stanford, Calif., T.C. Ostrander passed for 151 yards and an early touchdown to Mark Bradford, and Stanford snapped its five-game losing streak against Cal, the Golden Bears' sixth loss in seven games during an incredible collapse by the former No. 2 team. Nick Sanchez intercepted two passes in the 110th Big Game for the Cardinal (4-8, 3-6 Pac-10), who earned their first home conference victory under rookie coach Jim Harbaugh in the most rewarding way possible for Cardinal fans enduring their sixth straight losing season. Stanford won for just the sixth time in 29 games.