CHAPTER 1 TEXAS SIZED COMEBACK Quarterback Vince Young and the Texas Longhorns had been in the spotlight since before the 2005 season even began Texas was ranked second in the preseason Associated Press AP Poll and was expected to contend for a national title Young and the Longhorns left no doubt about that going undefeated during the regular season They scored 40 or more points in all of those wins but one a 25-22 win over fourth ranked Ohio State Over in the Pac 10 Conference the University of Southern California USC Trojans were the other marquee team that year Fans had been waiting for months to see Texas and USC play each other Now the two teams would finally meet in the Rose Bowl with the national championship on the line The Trojans had won back to back national titles in the two years prior They were in the midst of a 34 game winning streak Texas wide receiver Limas Sweed catches a touchdown pass in the Longhorns 2005 win over Ohio State
Many people believed the Trojans were one of the best teams of all time They featured a backfield of senior quarterback Matt Leinart and junior running backs Reggie Bush and LenDale White Leinart won the Heisman Trophy in 2004 as the nation's top college player And Bush was the Heisman winner in 2005 But many thought the Texas quarterback deserved the award Young who finished second to Bush in the Heisman voting was a dynamic player He proved to be the difference in many games that year He was a fast and elusive runner He also threw the ball well He did all of those things against USC in the Rose Bowl Young had to be at his best to lead the kind of comeback Texas needed The Longhorns defense had trouble stopping the Trojans all night Because of that Texas trailed 38-26 with 6:42 remaining in the game But Young led the Longhorns down the field and scored on a 17 yard run The extra point made it 38-33 with 4:03 remaining It still looked like the Trojans were going to win though USC drove to the Texas 45 yard line with 2:13 left in the game It was fourth down All USC needed was two yards to keep the drive going and run out the clock The Trojans had scored on all four of their possessions in the second half So USC coach Pete Carroll decided to go for the first down instead of punting Leinart took the snap and handed the ball to White who tried to run up the middle The Longhorns sent every defender toward the line of scrimmage There they ran into White and stopped him short of the first down The Texas defense had finally stopped USC 6
Texas quarterback Vince Young eludes USC tacklers during the 2006 Rose Bowl Texas took control of the ball with a little more than two minutes remaining Young then guided the Longhorns to the USC 8 yard line The Longhorns trailed by five with 26 seconds left in the game Young stood five yards behind center waiting for the snap He needed five yards to convert on fourth down 7
