Uncovered from the archive, the quarter-by-quarter stream of consciousness game notes for the 2006 Rose Bowl, Texas vs. USC
Uncovered from the archive, the quarter-by-quarter stream of consciousness game notes for the 2006 Rose Bowl, Texas vs. USC
2006 Rose Bowl: Texas vs. USC Stream of Consciousness Notes
Dug from the archives from the really, really old CollegeFootballNews.com days, the on-the-fly – and occasionally cringe-worthy – stream-of-consciousness quarter-by-quarter notes for the epic Vince Young game – the Texas win over USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl.
Why now for this?
Here we go …
[jwplayer j4yxYzgW]
From January 4, 2006
Welcome again to my pretentious, goofy and self-serving stream-of-consciousness thoughts and notes on the big games, the broadcasts, the ads and the teams for the attention deficit disordered. @PeteFiutak with your own thoughts and notes and what you’d like to see.
Pregame
– I am SO sick of Texas and USC hype. I’ve been living this for almost a year, and I couldn’t be more ecstatic that the game is finally here.
– After the first three fantastic BCS games, the college football gods can’t be benevolent enough to give us a beauty for the one we really, really care about.
– On all the radio and TV shows I’ve gone on for the last six weeks, I’ve been saying this is dead even, flip-flopping the entire time. I’m now sticking with my pick of a disrespected Texas coming through with the win.
– John, Craig, Aaron cliché number one: Craig, “This is like a heavyweight fight.”
– John, Craig, Aaron cliché number two: Aaron, “You can just feel the electricity in the air.”
– What a stunner; Will Ferrell not being funny. When will America wake up?
– For those of you wondering what life would be like with a playoff, this is what the hype and excitement would be.
– It’s Fonzie! There have to be some A-list celebrities from post-1978 somewhere.
– Keith: “What about those two little black clouds that hang around college football?” Does he mean The Coaches’ and Harris Polls?
First Quarter
– Texas wins the toss and defers.
– Texas actually kicked it to Reggie Bush. Someone should be fired.
USC on its own 12
– Not today Mr. Bush. First play a handoff and he had nowhere to go. I’m on record as saying he’s going to get stuffed tonight. I’m also on record for being prepared to field about 24,346 e-mails with the word “moron” in them. (NOTE: Bush finished with 82 rushing yards and a score on 13 carries, and 95 receiving yards on six grabs)
– 3rd-and-7. Matt Leinart changed the play, called the right play, but misfired after Steve Smith didn’t get out of his cut quickly enough.
– Turnover. Aaron Ross got popped and USC gets it back. Lost in all the pregame hype was how physical USC can be.
USC on the Texas 46
– It’s a shame the Rose Bowl logo couldn’t stretch from goal line to goal line. At least a good attempt was made.
– Bush gets the first down showing good finish to his run. He had to go outside, he won’t get anything inside.
– Leinart is buying himself time and he delivered a perfect strike to David Kirtman. It’s on the six.
– Dwayne Jarrett has single coverage. Leinart had better at least look his way.
– Texas can’t be this dumb. Leinart was out of bounds, but Robert Killebrew popped him late and took a penalty. First and goal from the four.
– That was way too easy. LenDale White all but walked into the end zone after Fred Matua flattened the left side of the Texas D line.
– AHHHHHH AHHHHHH AHHHHHH. 2005 Orange Bowl flashback. No, not another Big 12 egg. Please, no.
(NOTE: USC beat Oklahoma 55-19 for the national title the season before)
– Somehow, I don’t think 7-0 will hold up.
USC 7 … Texas 0
Texas on its own 20
– Nothing was there, but Selvin Young got a few yards off the left side. It was a power play by the left side of the UT line.
– USC can’t be so indecisive on its blitzes. Even though Vince Young got the throw off, he should’ve been popped. He can’t be allowed to get comfortable.
– 3rd and 3. Young wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to do on the option and got stuffed. He has to trust his backs.
– Don’t be dumb, Texas. It’s fourth and just over one. Act like you think you can win and kick it to pin USC deep.
– Oh yeah, Mack Brown is coaching. The play gets stuffed, and USC has all the momentum. Why on Earth would you hand the ball off five yards deep to Selvin Young on fourth and one?
– Ack! What’s that floating likeness of Jason White doing over the field? Go away evil spirit, shoo.
USC on its own 49
– The temptation might be to seize the momentum and bomb deep. Nothing would take the heart out of the Longhorns more than pounding the ball.
– (Bleep)ing fantastic play call. Jarrett just barely outthrew a wide open Steve Smith. That would’ve ended this.
– Leinart is getting all day to throw. The UT D line had better step up in a big hurry. No. 11 is throwing darts.
– Oh Texas. It had Bush stopped and was going to get the ball back, but got tagged with an incidental five-yard face mask on Michael Huff.
– Super. Keep giving USC second and third chances.
– So cold. So very, very cold. Maybe the Orange Bowl, er, I mean Rose Bowl halftime show will be worth watching.
– The USC offensive line is absolutely destroying the Texas D line. It gave Bush a mile-wide hole. However, that’s a touchdown against UCLA or any other Pac-10 team. Against Texas, that’s a six-yard gain.
– Texas can’t keep giving away plays. Tarrell Brown dropped an interception.
– 3rd and 7 and Texas stops Bush just short of a first down. Bush might not make the spectacular plays tonight, but he might come up with a workmanlike 150-yard day of total offense.
(NOTE: He finished with 177 total yards)
– Aw USC, you too? 4th and 1 from the 17 and it went for it. Kick the freakin’ field goal.
– Leinart didn’t make it.
– Great job by Todd Harris on the sideline catching that USC was trying to draw Texas offsides and Pete Carroll was looking for a timeout. Good sideline reporting adds so much to a game.
Texas on its own 16
– The one weakness in this game should be the USC corners. Texas has to at least try to push it deep.
– Texas fans all over the world watch Young dance, dip and dive his way through the back seven for a big run and comment that yeah, he is Reggie Bush running the ball.
– That’s the play that will wake up the Longhorns. They need a bit of confidence.
– Oooooooh. Here could be the issue for Texas: Trying to do too much. Jamaal Charles simply dropped the ball, but UT got it back.
– Three Trojans were all over Young, but he was cool, calm and got the ball away. That’s the play the NFL scouts are going to notice more than any run.
USC on its own 22
– Is it Bush bashing to suggest LenDale White might be almost as good an NFL player? I know White can give me 25 carries a game.
– The Texas defensive line had better find its way to the stadium of this won’t be pretty.
– Keep in mind that I voted for Bush for the Heisman when I write this stuff. USC is too enamored with getting him the ball and not doing enough to get Leinart in the game. There hasn’t been much of a pass rush yet and Leinart appears to be comfortable.
First Quarter Score: USC 7 … Texas 0
NEXT: 2006 Rose Bowl: Texas vs. USC Second Quarter
