University Southern California Trojans
Banks Beaten On And Off The Field By Palmer
January 03, 2003 | Football
Jan 3, 2003
By TODD DVORAK
Associated Press Writer
MIAMI - Iowa quarterback Brad Banks couldn't beat Carson Palmer off the field. It was the same result when the two met in the Orange Bowl.
Banks, runner-up to the Southern California star in the Heisman Trophy voting last month, had his worst game of the season as the third-ranked Hawkeyes lost 38-17 Thursday night.
"He did a great job tonight," Banks said of Palmer, who passed for 303 yards, one touchdown and was voted the game's MVP. "He stepped up big time, made plays and helped out his team well. I just got to give a hat's off to him."
Banks, who led Iowa (11-2) to a share of the Big Ten title and came into the game as the nation's most efficient passer, struggled all game against the Trojans' quick defense.
When receivers got open, Banks too often fired high or wide of the mark, including overthrowing Maurice Brown in the end zone with seconds left in the first half.
Fifth-ranked USC (11-2) thwarted Iowa's chance to break a 10-10 tie at the half by blocking Nate Kaeding's 28-yard field goal attempt.
"That was tough, coming down there and not putting up any points," Banks said. "That was something we really needed."
Banks, whose emergence was one of the season's most compelling stories, finished 15-of-36 for 204 yards and one interception, his first since Oct. 19. He started his first Division I game in Iowa's opener, two years after transferring from Hinds Community College in Mississippi, and used his arm and legs to propel Iowa to its best season in 12 years.
But the Trojans, playing without two-time All-American safety Troy Polamalu, held Banks to 36 yards rushing on eight carries, and with their speed gave him few open looks at receivers.
"USC is a great team with a lot of speed, and that's something we didn't handle too well," said Brown, who had six catches for 63 yards.
USC's defense put the game in Banks' hands early by shutting down Iowa's running game. The Hawkeyes failed to score a touchdown on offense until Banks tossed an 18-yard TD to Brown with 34 seconds remaining.
Banks' performance wasn't the only one that seemed out of character with the Hawkeyes' season.
Iowa entered the game with the nation's second-best defense against the run, allowing an average of just 68.2 yards per game.
But USC tailbacks gashed the Hawkeyes for 245 yards on the ground. Justin Fargas rushed for 122 yards and two scores, while Sultan McCullough had 76 yards and one TD on 12 carries.
The Hawkeyes, playing their first game since Nov. 16, were also stung by penalties. Iowa was penalized 13 times for 86 yards, a season high.
"We had a month-and-a-half invested in this one and we all wanted to come out and play our best game of the year," Kaeding said. "But we shot ourselves in the foot quite a few times. We didn't play our best ball game of the year and we needed to do that to win this one."
