2005 USC Trojans Football Team
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The 2005 USC Trojans football team represented the
University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
in the
2005 NCAA Division I-A football season The 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season was the highest level of college football competition in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The regular season began on September 1, 2005 and ended on De ...
, winning the
Pacific-10 Conference The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Division ...
(Pac-10), and playing for the
NCAA Division I-A The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...
national championship A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or competition, contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the be ...
. The team was coached by
Pete Carroll Peter Clay Carroll (born September 15, 1951) is an American football coach who is the head coach and executive vice president for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously the head football coach at USC Troja ...
, led on offense by
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
and 2004 Heisman Trophy winner
Matt Leinart Matthew Stephen Leinart (born May 11, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football at USC, where he won the Heisman Trophy ...
, and played their home games in the
Los Angeles Coliseum The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (also known as the L.A. Coliseum) is a multi-purpose stadium in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Conceived as a hallmark of civic pride, the Coliseum was commissioned in 1921 as a mem ...
. With many of their starters returning, a highly ranked recruiting class, and a number one ranking before the season, the team had high expectations of repeating as national champions and planned on becoming the first FBS-equivalent team to three-peat as AP champions since Minnesota in 1936. They had nearly all of their offensive starters returning, although they had only two returning defensive starters from the previous year. The team went undefeated in the
regular season In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session: for example, in Major League Baseball the season lasts approximately from the last week of March to the last week of Se ...
with nine of their twelve wins by 17 points or more and were compared with the greatest teams in the history of college football. Once again ranked first in the
Bowl Championship Series The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was a selection system that created four or five bowl game match-ups involving eight or ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of American college football, including ...
(BCS)
rankings A ranking is a relationship between a set of items such that, for any two items, the first is either "ranked higher than", "ranked lower than" or "ranked equal to" the second. In mathematics, this is known as a weak order or total preorder of ...
, they were invited to the
national championship A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or competition, contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the be ...
bowl game In North America, a bowl game is one of a number of post-season college football games that are primarily played by teams belonging to the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). For most of its history, the Division I Bowl Subdivis ...
at the Rose Bowl, where they lost to the
Texas Longhorns The Texas Longhorns are the athletic teams representing the University of Texas at Austin. The teams are sometimes referred to as the Horns and take their name from Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and a ...
. With a final record of 12–1, they finished the season ranked second in the nation in both the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
(AP) and Coaches' Polls. A number of players from the team won national awards, with
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
Reggie Bush Reginald Alfred Bush Jr. (born March 2, 1985) is an American former football running back who now serves as an on-air college football analyst for Fox Sports. He played college football at USC, where he earned consensus All-American honors twi ...
becoming the school's seventh Heisman winner before it was later
vacated A vacated judgment (also known as vacatur relief) makes a previous legal judgment legally void. A vacated judgment is usually the result of the judgment of an appellate court, which overturns, reverses, or sets aside the judgment of a lower court. ...
due to a violation of NCAA rules. Following the season, Bush was selected second in the 2006 National Football League (NFL) Draft and was followed by Leinart at tenth and nine other Trojans during the draft, with the team sending eleven players to the NFL that season. On June 10, 2010, USC was forced to vacate two wins from the 2004 season, and all wins from the 2005 season, after an NCAA investigation into the football program (and men's basketball program) declared Bush retroactively ineligible. Additional sanctions included a bowl ban in 2010 and 2011, and the loss of 30 football scholarships (10 per year in 2010, 2011, and 2012). All official NCAA records show the Trojans as having a 0–0 record during the 2005 season, including the loss to Texas in the National Championship being vacated.


Before the season

The 2003 Trojans finished the season with a 12–1 record and shared the national title with the Louisiana State University (LSU) Tigers; USC won the Associated Press championship while LSU played for and won the BCS National Championship. The 2004 Trojans finished with a 13–0 record that included a win in the national championship game. The team became only the second team to be
ranked A ranking is a relationship between a set of items such that, for any two items, the first is either "ranked higher than", "ranked lower than" or "ranked equal to" the second. In mathematics, this is known as a weak order or total preorder of ...
first in the AP Poll from pre-season until the end of the season, and the tenth team to repeat as national champions. Returning fourteen starters from 2004, including Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Matt Leinart, and with a 22-game winning streak, the Trojans were ranked at the top of the polls once again in the pre-season.


Coaching changes

After the 2004 season, four Trojan assistant coaches were offered and took jobs elsewhere. The most notable coach lost was
offensive coordinator An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of an American football or Canadian football team who is in charge of the team's offense. Generally, along with the defensive coordinator and the special teams coordinator, this coach re ...
Norm Chow Norman Yew Heen Chow (born May 3, 1946) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the Helvetic Guards in the European League of Football. He was the head football coach at the University of Hawaii at Man ...
who took a job in the same position for the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
. Also leaving, were defensive line coach
Ed Orgeron Edward James Orgeron Jr. (; born July 27, 1961) is an American football coach. He was most recently the head football coach at Louisiana State University (LSU), a position he held from midway through the 2016 season until the 2021 season. Orge ...
, who took the head coaching position at Ole Miss, quarterbacks coach Carl Smith, who became the offensive coordinator for the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
, and offensive line coach Tim Davis who was hired by the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
. Carroll rebuilt his staff by elevating Ken Norton, Jr. from graduate assistant to full-time assistant coaching the linebackers, and hiring
Steve Sarkisian Stephen Sarkisian (born March 8, 1974)Stephens, Ken. – "QB GENEALOGY – Steve Sarkisian is latest in long line of talented BYU quarterbacks". – FUN FACT, Sarkisian’s father is actually Texas Tech Head Coach, Joey McGuire. ''Dallas Mo ...
, who was with the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
in 2004 and was formerly with the Trojans, as quarterbacks coach. Pat Ruel, who was with the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
in 2004, to coach the offensive line, and Jethro Franklin, who spent 2004 with the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
, as defensive line coach, Sarkisian would additionally be named as assistant head coach and
Lane Kiffin Lane Monte Kiffin (born May 9, 1975) is an American football coach who is currently the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels. Kiffin formerly was the offensive coordinator for the USC Trojans football team from 2005 to 2006, head coach of the Nati ...
, wide receivers coach, would add recruiting and offensive coordinating to his duties.


Roster changes

Although returning 14 starters from 2004, the team lost four players to the
2005 NFL Draft The 2005 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The NFL draft, draft was held April 23–24, 2005 NFL seaso ...
and another to the
supplemental draft The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...
. The four players taken in the regular draft were Mike Patterson, taken 31st by
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
,
Shaun Cody Shaun Michael Cody (born January 22, 1983) is a former American football nose tackle. He played college football for the University of Southern California (USC), and was recognized as a consensus All-American. The Detroit Lions chose him in ...
, taken in the second round by
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
,
Lofa Tatupu Mosiula Mea'alofa "Lofa" Tatupu (born November 15, 1982) is a former American football linebacker who played six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was an assistant linebackers coach with the Seattle Seahawks. He played college ...
, taken in the second round by
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, and
Matt Cassel Matthew Brennan Cassel (born May 17, 1982) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. A member of seven NFL teams, Cassel's most notable stints were with the New England Patriots ...
, taken in the seventh round by
New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
. Additionally, Manuel Wright was taken in the supplemental draft as a fifth round selection by the Miami Dolphins.


Recruiting

The Trojans signed 19 recruits for the new class. Included in the top–10 class (ranked first by one source) were four five–star recruits on defense, two five–star recruits on offense, and another eight four–star recruits. Thomas Herring, who signed with the class, did not qualify for admission and sat out for the season, later enrolling in the school.


Pre-season honors

Seven Trojan players were honored as part of pre-season watch lists for national awards. * Darnell Bing
Bronko Nagurski Trophy The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football defensive player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) to be the best in the National Collegiate Athle ...
,
Lott Trophy The Lott IMPACT Trophy is presented annually to the college football defensive IMPACT player of the year. IMPACT is an acronym for: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community, and Tenacity. The award purports to equally recognize th ...
, and
Jim Thorpe Award The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport athlete Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986. It is voted on by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. In 2017, the award became sponsored by Paycom ...
*Reggie Bush –
Maxwell Award The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the college football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best all ...
*
Dwayne Jarrett Dwayne Jarrett (born September 11, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons. He played college football for the University of Southern California (USC), and was recogniz ...
– Maxwell Award *
Ryan Kalil Ryan Joseph Kalil (born March 29, 1985) is an American film and television producer and former NFL center. He played college football at USC, where he was a member of two national championship teams, was named a first-team All-American, and wo ...
Rimington Trophy The Dave Rimington Trophy is awarded to the player considered to be the best American football center in college football. Dave Rimington was a center who played at the University of Nebraska from 1979 to 1982. A member of the National College F ...
*Matt Leinart – Maxwell Award *
Steve Smith Stephen, Steve, Stevie, or Steven Smith may refer to: Academics * Steve Smith (political scientist) (born 1952), British international relations theorist and senior university manager * Stephen Smith (journalist) (born 1956), American journalist, ...
– Maxwell Award *
LenDale White LenDale Anthony White (born December 20, 1984) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round (45th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft. He has also been a member of the Seattle Seahawks and De ...
– Maxwell Award In addition to the awards, six players were honored on various pre-season
All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
teams. Both Leinart and Bush were chosen by ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...
'', ''Athlon'', ''
The Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
'', ''
Street & Smith Street & Smith or Street & Smith Publications, Inc. was a New York City publisher specializing in inexpensive paperbacks and magazines referred to as dime novels and pulp fiction. They also published comic books and sporting yearbooks. Among t ...
'', ''
Phil Steele's Phil Steele (c. 1960) is an American sportswriter and analyst who focuses exclusively on college and professional football. He is considered a "highly respected prognosticator" within the sports media. His company, Phil Steele Publications, prod ...
'', ''Lindy'', and ''Blue Ribbon'' for their first teams. In addition, ''Playboy'' and ''Phil Steele'' chose Tom Malone to their first teams, ''Athlon'' chose Jarrett to its first team, and ''The Sporting News'', ''Street and Smith'', and ''Phil Steele'' chose Bing to their first teams. White was chosen to a number of third teams.


Season


Schedule


Game summaries


Hawaii

The Trojans began the season by traveling to Hawaii to face the
Warriors A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have be ...
led by sixth–year head coach
June Jones June Sheldon Jones III (born February 19, 1953) is an American football coach and former player who is currently the Offensive Coordinator of the Seattle Sea Dragons. Jones was the head football coach at the University of Hawaii at Manoa from 19 ...
and quarterback
Colt Brennan Colton James Brennan (August 16, 1983 – May 11, 2021) was an American football quarterback. He played college football for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, where he was a two-time, third-team All-American before being selected by the Washington R ...
, Leinart's backup in high school. The Trojans opened the scoring on a 65-yard
interception In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team b ...
return by Darnell Bing. The Warriors answered with a
field goal A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...
, however the Trojans scored 14 points in the second quarter to take a 21–3 lead into
half-time In several team sports, matches are played in two halves. Half-time (also written halftime or half time) is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match. Typically, after half-time, teams swap ends of the field of play in or ...
. After Leinart threw his second
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Ameri ...
of the game to start the second half, Brennan was able to answer with his own touchdown pass to keep the deficit to 18, however, before the end of the quarter Leinart threw his third touchdown, Bush
rushed ''Rushed'' is a 2021 American mystery thriller drama film directed by Vibeke Muasya and starring Siobhan Fallon Hogan (who also wrote the screenplay and co-produced the film) and Robert Patrick. Plot Barbara O’Brien, an Irish-Catholic mother i ...
for his second touchdown, and the Trojan defense returned a
fumble A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful ...
for the fourth Trojan touchdown of the quarter. In the fourth quarter, most of the Trojan starters were out of the game, and backup quarterback John David Booty threw a touchdown to Dwayne Jarrett, his third touchdown catch of the game. Tyler Graunke threw a touchdown for the Warriors to bring them within 39, but backup running back Desmond Reed rushed for the last Trojan touchdown of the game to bring the final score to 63–17 and bringing the Trojans' win streak to 23 games.


Arkansas

In the Trojans' first home game of the season they faced the
Arkansas Razorbacks The Arkansas Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the intercollegiate athletics teams representing the University of Arkansas, located in Fayetteville. The University of Arkansas student body voted to change the name of the school mascot (ori ...
, led by eighth–year head coach
Houston Nutt Houston Dale Nutt Jr. (born October 14, 1957) is a former American football player and coach. He currently works for CBS Sports as a college football studio analyst. Previously, he served as the head football coach at Murray State University (19 ...
and quarterback Robert Johnson. Bush opened the scoring for the Trojans with a 76-yard rush. The Razorbacks answered with a touchdown pass by Johnson, however, Leinart scored three touchdowns, two passing and one rushing, before the end of the quarter. In the second quarter the Razorbacks were able to kick a field goal before the Trojans scored two more touchdowns on a rush by LenDale White and a third pass by Leinart. Going into the half the Trojans led 42–10. In the third quarter, White rushed for his second touchdown and Leinart threw a fourth before the Trojan starters were taken out of the game. Booty threw his second touchdown of the season in the fourth quarter before backup quarterback Alex Mortensen threw a touchdown for the Razorbacks. Third-string Trojan quarterback Mike McDonald threw a 4-yard touchdown to end the game, giving the Trojans a 70–17 win and a 24-game winning streak.


Oregon

The Trojans next traveled to Eugene, Oregon to face the
Ducks Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...
in both teams' conference opener. The Ducks, led by eleventh–year head coach
Mike Bellotti Robert Michael Bellotti (born December 21, 1950) is an American college football analyst for ESPN and ABC Sports, ABC. He was with the Oregon Ducks football, University of Oregon's football program for over 20 years serving as offensive coordin ...
and quarterback
Kellen Clemens Kellen Vincent Clemens (born June 7, 1983) is a former American football quarterback who spent eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played colle ...
, came into the game undefeated, and started quickly with an early field goal. Later in the quarter, Clemens threw a touchdown and early in the second quarter another field goal gave the Ducks a 13–0 lead. Before the end of the half, Leinart threw a touchdown to Bush and a Mario Danelo field goal gave the Trojans a 13–10 deficit at the half. In the second half, the Trojans began an onslaught with two more Leinart touchdown passes, two LenDale White touchdown rushes, and a Bush rush for a touchdown. Scoring 45 straight points, the Trojans won the game 45–13 and extended their winning streak to 25 games and improved to 3–0 on the season as the Ducks fell to 2–1.


Arizona State

The Trojans next stayed on the road and faced the fifteenth–ranked
Arizona State Sun Devils The Arizona State Sun Devils are the athletic teams that represent Arizona State University. ASU has nine men's and eleven women's varsity teams competing at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member o ...
, led by fifth–year head coach
Dirk Koetter Dirk Jeffrey Koetter ( ; born February 5, 1959) is an American football coach who is currently serving as the interim offensive coordinator at Boise State University. He was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football Lea ...
and quarterback Sam Keller. With both offenses struggling in the first quarter, Sun Devil, Terry Richardson, opened scoring on an 84-yard punt return for a touchdown. The Trojans answered early in the second quarter with a field goal, however, two touchdowns, a Keller pass and a Keegan Herring rush, gave the Sun Devils an 18-point half-time lead. Starting in the third quarter the Trojans got on track with a pair of rushing touchdowns to bring their deficit to four, and midway through the fourth quarter they took the lead on a quarterback sneak by Leinart. Keller drove the Sun Devils to another touchdown to take back the lead, but two more rushing touchdowns by the Trojans, within a minute and a half, gave them the win, 38–28. Reggie Bush and LenDale White both ran for over 150 yards to help the Trojans win their Pac-10 record 26th consecutive game. Helping to seal the win for the Trojans were their defense who sacked Keller five times and caused him to throw five interceptions. Before the game, Keller, in his first year as a starter, had thrown for 2,165 yards in seven games.


Arizona

The Trojans next went home to face the
Arizona Wildcats The Arizona Wildcats are the sport, athletic teams that represent the University of Arizona, located in Tucson, Arizona, Tucson. The Wildcats compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I (NCAA Divis ...
, led by second–year head coach
Mike Stoops Michael Joseph Stoops (born December 13, 1961) is an American football coach and former player, who is the Linebacker, inside linebackers coach at the University of Kentucky. Stoops also served as the head football coach at the University of Ariz ...
and quarterback Richard Kovalcheck. Though the Trojans were a 38.5 point favorite and took an early lead on a LenDale White rushing touchdown, the Wildcats answered after Kovalcheck threw his own touchdown and the game was tied at the end of the first quarter. Though both teams struggled in the second quarter, Leinart was able to complete a 22-yard touchdown to Dwayne Jarrett late in the half to take a 14–7 lead. In the third quarter, White rushed for two more touchdowns, however, Kovalcheck answered both times to keep the Wildcats within a touchdown going into the fourth quarter. Early in the fourth, Leinart threw his second touchdown to Jarrett and White rushed for a fourth touchdown to give the Trojans a 42–21 win. Both White and Bush rushed for over 100 yards for the third straight game, which was a school record, and the win increased the Trojan winning streak to 27 games.


Notre Dame

In a game that looked to be overshadowed by pre-game hype and assertions of being the newest " Game of the Century", the meeting between perennial
rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...
, Notre Dame and USC, called by some the second greatest rivalry in college football, would be the 77th meeting between the schools, who play for the Jeweled Shillelagh. The Irish, led by first–year coach
Charlie Weis Charles Joseph Weis Sr. (born March 30, 1956) is a former American football coach. He was the head coach for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 2005 to 2009 and the Kansas Jayhawks from 2012 to 2014. He also served as an offensive coordinator in ...
and junior quarterback
Brady Quinn Brayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn (born October 27, 1984) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football at Notre Dame, where he won the Maxwell Award, and w ...
, were ranked ninth in the country. The Trojans had won three straight meetings with the Irish, each by 31 points. Expectations, however, were high that this game would be closer. In a surprise move, after Weis insisted it would not happen, the Irish wore their alternate green jerseys for the game. The score was back and forth for much of the game, with the Irish leading 21–14 at half-time after a pair of touchdowns by running backs Reggie Bush and LenDale White for the Trojans, and a rushing touchdown by
Travis Thomas Travis John Thomas (born December 3, 1984) is a former American football running back. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Notre Dame. Early years Thomas graduated from Washingt ...
, a passing touchdown by Quinn, and a punt return for a touchdown by
Tom Zbikowski Thomas Michael Zbikowski (born May 22, 1985) is a former American football safety. He is also a professional boxer and a firefighter. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the third round (86th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft. He earned All-Ame ...
for the Irish. The Trojans took a 28–24 lead with five minutes left in the game when Reggie Bush ran for his third touchdown of the game, however, Quinn answered with four complete passes and his own 5 yard touchdown run to give the Irish a 31–28 lead with less than two minutes remaining. On the Trojans last series, however, Leinart, after being sacked and facing fourth down with nine yards to go on the Irish 26 yard line, completed a 61-yard fade to Dwayne Jarrett to give the Trojans a last chance near the Irish goal line. After a series of plays including Leinart fumbling the ball out of bounds, the stadium clock incorrectly running out of time, and part of the Notre Dame student section rushing onto the field, the Trojans had the ball on the Irish 1 yard line with seven seconds remaining. Instead of opting for the field goal and going to
overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society) ...
, Leinart tried to sneak into the
end zone The end zone is the scoring area on the field, according to gridiron-based codes of football. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field. ...
. When he was stopped, in a play that would come to be called the "Bush Push", Bush pushed him over the goal line for the winning score of 34–31. In the aftermath of the game, the Irish dropped to a 4–2 record for the season and dropped three places in the national rankings to 12th. The Trojans moved to 6–0 on the season, escaped with a 28-game winning streak, and remained first in the rankings.


Washington

The Trojans next visited the
Washington Huskies The Washington Huskies are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Washington, located in Seattle. The school competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Pac- ...
, led by first–year head coach
Tyrone Willingham Lionel Tyrone Willingham (born December 30, 1953) is a former American football player and coach. He was the head coach at Stanford University (1995–2001), the University of Notre Dame (2002–2004), and the University of Washington (2005–2 ...
and quarterback
Isaiah Stanback Isaiah Ramon Stanback (born August 16, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, New York Giants, and Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football at ...
. The Huskies took an early lead on a field goal, but the Trojans answered with a Leinart touchdown pass to Steve Smith. Stanback threw his only touchdown of the game late in the quarter to give the Huskies a 10–7 lead, but the Trojans took the lead for good less than a minute later with Leinart's second touchdown pass of the day. A minute into the second quarter Reggie Bush ran for a touchdown, and, after a failed
extra point The conversion, try (American football, also known as a point(s) after touchdown, PAT, or (depending on the number of points) extra point/2-point conversion), or convert (Canadian football) occurs immediately after a touchdown during which the sc ...
attempt and the Huskies offense unable to move the ball, two minutes later returned a punt 84 yards for a touchdown. After another failed drive for the Huskies and another two minutes, Leinart threw his third touchdown of the game to give the Trojans a 34–10 lead. Stanback rushed for a touchdown with two minutes remaining before half-time to cut their deficit in half, but Mario Danelo kicked a field goal as time expired to give the Trojans a 37–17 lead at half-time. In the third quarter, Leinart threw his fourth touchdown of the game before he was replaced by backup Booty. A Booty interception, that was returned 76 yards by Dashon Goldson, gave the Huskies their last score of the game, and Booty's touchdown pass to Patrick Turner proved to be the final score in the game, giving the Trojans a 51–24 win. With the win the Trojans extended their winning streak to 29 games.


Washington State

The Trojans next faced the
Washington State Cougars The Washington State Cougars (known informally as the Cougs) are the athletic teams that represent Washington State University. Located in Pullman, Washington, WSU is a member of the Pac-12 Conference in NCAA Division I. The athletic program com ...
, led by third–year head coach
Bill Doba William Anthony Doba (born September 7, 1940) is a former American football coach. He is the former head coach at Washington State University, where he led the Cougars for five seasons, from 2003 through 2007, and was fired on November 26. Earl ...
and quarterback
Alex Brink Alex Brink (born June 2, 1985) is a former professional Canadian football quarterback. After playing college football at Washington State, Brink was drafted by the Houston Texans in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft. In 2010, he joined the ...
. The Trojans took an early lead on a Leinart touchdown pass to Dwayne Jarrett, but the Cougars answered two minutes later on a
Jerome Harrison Jerome Harrison (born February 26, 1983) is a former American football running back who played six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Washington State University, and was recognized as a consensus All ...
rush for a touchdown. After the Cougars missed the extra point, the Trojans scored three more touchdowns in the first quarter, with a fumble recovery in the end zone and two more Leinart touchdown passes, to take a 28–6 lead. Late in the second quarter the Trojans scored again on a LenDale White touchdown rush, and a Mario Danelo field goal as time was expiring gave them a 38–6 half-time lead. The Trojans would get another Danelo field goal and a second White touchdown rush before the Cougars would rush for their second touchdown. With a final rushing touchdown after the starters had been taken out of the game, the Trojans won 55–13 and increased their winning streak to 30 games.


Stanford

The Trojans next faced the
Stanford Cardinal The Stanford Cardinal are the athletic teams that represent Stanford University. As of June, 2022, Stanford's program has won 131 NCAA team championships. Stanford has won at least one NCAA team championship each academic year for 46 consecutive ...
. Though the Cardinal were the last team to beat the Trojans at home back in 2001, they were slightly struggling under first–year head coach Walt Harris and quarterback Trent Edwards with a 4–3 record. The Trojans jumped to an early lead with a LenDale White rushing touchdown, a Reggie Bush rushing touchdown, a Leinart touchdown pass to White, and a Mario Danelo field goal. With a 24-point lead, Leinart threw two more touchdown passes before Edwards passed for the first Cardinal touchdown of the game. Leinart's fourth touchdown pass came with three minutes left in the half to give the Trojans a 44–7 half-time lead. The Cardinal scored on a rush in the third quarter, and with many starters out the Trojans answered in the fourth quarter with their own rushing touchdown. The Cardinal ended the scoring with 23 seconds remaining with their second rushing touchdown of the game to bring the score to 51–21. With the win, the Trojans extended their winning streak to 31 games.


California

The Trojans next traveled to face rivals, the
California Golden Bears The California Golden Bears are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Berkeley. Referred to in athletic competition as ''California'' or ''Cal'', the university fields 30 varsity athletic programs and various club te ...
, led by fourth–year head coach
Jeff Tedford Jeffrey Raye Tedford (born November 2, 1961) is an American football coach and former player who is currently serving as the head coach at Fresno State, a position which he also previously held from 2017 to 2019. From 2002 to 2012, Tedford was t ...
and quarterback Joe Ayoob. Although the Bears handed the Trojans their last loss in 2003, they were struggling in the season, having lost three out of the last four games and dropping out of the rankings for the first time since 2003. The Trojans scored first after Ayoob's first of four interceptions in the game, on a LenDale White rush. Ayoob recovered after the interception, and led the Bears to a field goal to cut their deficit to four at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Leinart rushed for a pair of touchdowns to give the Trojans a 21–3 lead at half-time. After a pair of White rushing touchdowns, the Bears scored again on a Chris Manerino rush that ended scoring in the game, with the Trojans winning 35–10. With the win, the Trojans clinched at least a share of the Pac-10 title and increased their winning streak to 32 games, tied for the sixth longest in history.


Fresno State

The Trojans next faced the sixteenth–ranked
Fresno State Bulldogs The Fresno State Bulldogs are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent California State University, Fresno (commonly referred to as Fresno State). The university is a member of NCAA Division I's Mountain West Conference (MW). It was a ...
, led by ninth–year head coach
Pat Hill Lawrence Patrick Hill (born December 17, 1951) is an American football coach, former player, and broadcaster. He served as the head football coach at California State University, Fresno, Fresno State from 1997 until his dismissal following the 2 ...
and quarterback Paul Pinegar. The Bulldogs took an early lead on a Pinegar touchdown pass that was answered by LenDale White's rushing touchdown for the Trojans to leave the game tied at the end of the first quarter. After a rushing touchdown for the Bulldogs, the Trojans could only answer with a Mario Danelo field goal. A second passing touchdown by Pinegar and another Danelo field goal closed out the half with the Bulldogs leading 21–13. The Trojans seemed to take control of the game in the third quarter with a Leinart touchdown run, a Reggie Bush touchdown run, and a Leinart touchdown pass that gave the Trojans a 13-point lead. Pinegar answered for the Bulldogs with his third touchdown pass of the game, but a 50-yard touchdown rush by Bush allowed the Trojans to keep the same lead, Two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, Pinegar's fourth touchdown pass and a second rushing touchdown for the Bulldogs, gave them a 1-point lead with nine minutes left in the game. After a 65-yard run by Bush, White scored for the Trojans, who missed on a two–point conversion attempt. A Danelo field goal gave the Trojans a 50–42 lead, and the Trojans won after intercepting Pinegar with a minute left in the game. Bush set a Pac-10 record with 513 total yards in the game, including almost 300 yards rushing, and the Trojans increased their winning streak to 33 games.


UCLA

For their final regular season game the Trojans faced their cross-town rivals, the eleventh–ranked
UCLA Bruins The UCLA Bruins are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Los Angeles. The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pac-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). ...
, led by fourth–year head coach
Karl Dorrell Karl James Dorrell (born December 18, 1963) is an American football coach who was most recently the head coach at the University of Colorado. Dorrell most notably served as the head football coach of the University of California, Los Angeles (UC ...
and quarterback
Drew Olson Drew Martin Olson (born April 6, 1983) is a former American football quarterback. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2006. Olson has also played for the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers, but never appear ...
. The Trojans got an early lead with a Mario Danelo field goal and did not slow down, scoring on a Leinart touchdown pass and a pair of rushing touchdowns by LenDale White and Reggie Bush. The Bruins were finally able to score midway through the second quarter with a field goal, and then four minutes later with another, but Bush ran for his second touchdown late in the quarter to give the Trojans a 31–6 lead at half-time. In the third quarter, Leinart threw his second touchdown of the game, and then 13 seconds later, a fumble by the Bruins was returned by Justin Wyatt for another Trojan touchdown. Leinart threw his third touchdown of the game to White and White rushed for his second rushing touchdown before the Bruins would score on a Maurice Drew rush. With backups in the game, the Trojans scored on another rush, before Olson threw his only touchdown pass of the game with 11 seconds left. With the missed extra point, the Trojans won 66–19, increasing their winning streak to 34 games, which tied them for the fourth longest winning streak of all-time. With the win, they clinched the Pac-10 title, first place in the BCS rankings, and an invitation to the Rose Bowl, which served as the national championship game.


Rose Bowl

The Rose Bowl Game served as the
BCS National Championship Game The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, was a postseason college football bowl game, used to determine a national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), first played in the 1998 college fo ...
, and as a result of the
Bowl Championship Series The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was a selection system that created four or five bowl game match-ups involving eight or ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of American college football, including ...
agreement, the Trojans, ranked first in the BCS and the
Texas Longhorns The Texas Longhorns are the athletic teams representing the University of Texas at Austin. The teams are sometimes referred to as the Horns and take their name from Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and a ...
, ranked second, would meet in the game. In the weeks leading up to the game, it had been referred to by numerous publications as one of the most-anticipated match-ups in college football history and even "the greatest college football game" of all time. Less than three weeks before the game, USC's Reggie Bush won the
Heisman trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
ahead of second place finisher, and Texas quarterback,
Vince Young Vincent Paul Young Jr. (born May 18, 1983) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. Young was drafted by the Tennessee Titans as the third overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, and ...
. Bush had the second highest number of first place votes in Heisman history ( O. J. Simpson) and the highest percentage of first place votes, while Young had a record number of second place votes. Bush's 933 point margin of victory was the 17th highest in the history of the Heisman voting. The third finalist was Matt Leinart, winner of the Heisman trophy in 2004. This meant that the Rose Bowl would mark the first time two Heisman trophy winners had ever played in the same backfield. In the game, coach
Mack Brown William Mack Brown (born August 27, 1951) is an American college football coach. He is currently in his second stint as the head football coach for the University of North Carolina, where he first coached from 1988 until departing in 1997, whe ...
and his Texas Longhorns beat USC by the score of 41–38 and ended USC's 34 game win streak. The game's outcome was still in doubt late in the fourth quarter, when the Trojans tried to convert a fourth down play that would win the game for them. After they were stopped Young led the Longhorns on a touchdown drive that was capped by his fourth down rush for the twelve yard touchdown. Since the game, the media, coaches, and other commentators have praised the game as one of the greatest ever.


Roster


Coaching staff

The Trojan team was coached by Pete Carroll and his staff. Much of the staff from 2004 remained, however, Carroll had to replace three offensive assistants and one defensive assistant.


After the season


Legacy

Throughout the season and especially after the win over UCLA, commentators had postulated that the Trojans were one of the "greatest teams of all-time".
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
analysts were virtually unanimous in their declaration of the 2005 USC Trojans as the best offense in the history of college football. ESPN analysts
Mark May Mark Eric May (born November 2, 1959) is a former American college and professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. May played college football for the University ...
and
Kirk Herbstreit Kirk Edward Herbstreit (; born August 19, 1969) is an American sportscaster and former college football player. He serves as an analyst for ESPN's '' College GameDay'', a television program covering college football, and he also provides color ...
declared, before the 2005 Rose Bowl had even been played, that the 2005 USC Trojans were the 2nd best college football team of the past 50 years (May placed them behind only the
1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers The 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and was the national champion of the 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial ...
; Herbstreit behind only the 2001 Miami Hurricanes). Stewart Mandel of ''Sports Illustrated'' later observed that, although the team "may have had the greatest set of skill players in history," "ESPN spent the better part of Christmas season comparing that Trojans squad to some of the most acclaimed teams of all time only to find out that they weren’t even the best team that season."


NCAA investigation and sanctions

In June 2010, the NCAA imposed sanctions on USC as a result of an investigation into the football program. One of the major focuses was improper gifts given to
Reggie Bush Reginald Alfred Bush Jr. (born March 2, 1985) is an American former football running back who now serves as an on-air college football analyst for Fox Sports. He played college football at USC, where he earned consensus All-American honors twi ...
. The NCAA found that Bush had received gifts from two sports agents from at least December 2004, including a limousine ride to the 2005 Heisman Trophy presentation and a rent-free home. As a result, USC was placed on four years' probation and forced to vacate its last two wins of the 2004 season (including the 2005 Orange Bowl) as well as all of its wins in the 2005 season. It was also banned from bowl games in 2010 and 2011 and lost 30 scholarships over three years. Running backs coach Todd McNair was banned from off-campus recruiting for one year after the NCAA determined he'd known about Bush's dealings with the agents. The NCAA also forced USC to permanently disassociate itself from Bush. These sanctions have been criticized by some NCAA football writers, including
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
’s Ted Miller, who wrote, “It's become an accepted fact among informed college football observers that the NCAA sanctions against USC were a travesty of justice, and the NCAA’s refusal to revisit that travesty are a massive act of cowardice on the part of the organization. That's the take of all clear-thinking people.”


Awards


Conference

Near the end of the season, the Pac-10 Conference named its award winners. Reggie Bush was named as the conference player of the year and Pete Carroll was named as the conference coach of the year. In addition, twelve players were named to the All-Conference team. Bush, Matt Leinart, Dwayne Jarrett, Taitusi Latui, Sam Baker, Ryan Kalil, Darnell Bing, Lawrence Jackson, and Frostee Rucker were named to the first team while LenDale White, Fred Matua, and Scott Ware were named to the second team. Nine others were also named as honorable mentions.


National

After the season, a number of Trojans were named as national award winners and finalists. Reggie Bush became USC's seventh Heisman Trophy winner with the second largest margin of victory ever. However, after the aforementioned NCAA investigation, USC would return its copy of Bush's Heisman Trophy, considering that Bush was determined to be ineligible to play by the NCAA. On September 14, 2010, Bush announced that he would forfeit the Heisman and return his copy of the trophy. Bush also won the
Doak Walker Award Since 1990 the Doak Walker Award honors the top running back in college football in the United States. It is named in honor of Doak Walker, a former running back who played for the SMU Mustangs from 1945 to 1949 and in the National Football Le ...
. Despite not winning the
Maxwell Award The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the college football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best all ...
, he won two other Player of the Year awards. Leinart, who was voted third in the
Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
ballot, was named as a finalist for the
Davey O'Brien Award The Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Co ...
and the
Maxwell Award The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the college football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best all ...
, won the
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is given annually in the United States to the nation's top upperclassmen quarterback in college football. Candidates are judged on accomplishments on the field as well as on their character, scholastic achievemen ...
, and was named by
The Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
as their Sportsman of the Year. In addition, Pete Carroll was named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award, and Jarrett was named a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, though neither won. In addition to the individual awards, ten players were named to
All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
teams. On first teams, Bush was named by nine different publications, Leinart was named by two, Jarrett was named by seven, Lutui was named by six, Bing was named by two, and Blake was named by one publication. Besides the first teams, Kalil was named to a second team along with White and Matua, while Lawrence Jackson was named to a third team.


Roster changes

A week after the loss in the Rose Bowl,
Reggie Bush Reginald Alfred Bush Jr. (born March 2, 1985) is an American former football running back who now serves as an on-air college football analyst for Fox Sports. He played college football at USC, where he earned consensus All-American honors twi ...
announced his plans to skip his senior season and declare for the 2006 NFL Draft. Along with Bush, ten other Trojans were drafted. Bush was the first Trojan selected and the second overall pick by New Orleans Saints, New Orleans, while 2004 Heisman-winner,
Matt Leinart Matthew Stephen Leinart (born May 11, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football at USC, where he won the Heisman Trophy ...
, was taken tenth overall by Arizona Cardinals, Arizona. Three players were taken in the second round, Winston Justice by
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, Taitusi Lutui by Arizona, and
LenDale White LenDale Anthony White (born December 20, 1984) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round (45th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft. He has also been a member of the Seattle Seahawks and De ...
by Tennessee Titans, Tennessee, and two more were taken in the third round, Frostee Rucker to Cincinnati Bengals, Cincinnati and Dominique Byrd by St. Louis Rams, St. Louis to end the first day of the draft. On the second day, Darnell Bing was taken in the fourth round by Oakland Raiders, Oakland, David Kirtman taken in the fifth round by
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, LaJuan Ramsey taken in the sixth by Philadelphia, and, finally, Fred Matua was taken in the seventh by
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
to end the Trojans' draft day.


Staff


References

{{Pac-12 Conference football champions 2005 Pacific-10 Conference football season, USC USC Trojans football seasons Pac-12 Conference football champion seasons 2005 in sports in California, USC Trojans football