Fans Vote 2017 Rose Bowl Victory Their Favorite Moment in USC History
Aubrey Kragen
7/16/2020
We asked our Instagram followers to name their favorite moment in USC Athletics History.
Here are the Top 10!
1. USC Pulls Off the Comeback in 2017 Rose Bowl Game
The top moment in our fans' hearts took place on Jan. 2, 2017, when USC erased a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Penn State in the Rose Bowl Game.
USC surged to a 27-14 lead in the second quarter, but the Nittany Lions came roaring back, scoring 28 unanswered points and setting up a wild finish.
The Trojans faced a two-touchdown deficit when the fourth quarter began. They tied it up with 1:20 on the clock, when redshirt freshman QB Sam Darnold threaded the needle on a touchdown pass to Deontay Burnett.
Leon McQuay III intercepted a pass on Penn State's ensuing drive and the Trojans raced down the field to set up for a game-winning field goal.
As time ran out, Matt Boermeester drilled a 46-yarder to give USC a dramatic 52-49 victory.
Darnold set multiple records in USC's 25th Rose Bowl win: most touchdown passes by an individual (5), most points by an individual (36) and most total offense by an individual (473 yards).
USC also set a record for biggest comeback in Rose Bowl history.
The fairytale ending to USC's 2016 season is a fitting choice at No. 1.
2. “Bush Push”
USC and Notre Dame have duked it out over their long rivalry, but their game on Oct. 15, 2005 ended with a bang — one of the most memorable moments in the history of college football.
The top-ranked Trojans entered the game in South Bend on Oct. 15, 2005 on a 27-game winning streak, while Notre Dame was ranked No. 9 in the nation. It was a back-and-forth game that featured three ties and five lead changes, and ultimately came down to the final drive.
USC had the ball, down 3, with less than two minutes to go in the game. The Trojans marched down the field and set up for their final play on the 1-yard-line with 7 seconds to go.
Head coach Pete Carroll bluffed a “spike the ball” motion that indicated that USC should set up for a game-tying field goal. But when the ball was snapped, QB Matt Leinart snuck into the end zone, with a little help from RB Reggie Bush.
USC defeated Notre Dame 34-31.
3. Kendall Ellis Powers USC Women's 4x400 Team to Comeback Victory
In the final event of the 2018 Women’s NCAA Track & Field Outdoor Championships, Kendall Ellis and the USC women’s 4x400 relay team delivered one of the most inspirational moments in recent sports history.
The Women of Troy entered the race trailing Georgia and Stanford in total points. Only a first-place finish could propel the team to victory.
After the first three legs of the 4x400, that victory looked impossible. Kyra Constantine, Anna Cockrell and Deanna Hill put USC in third place after three legs. Hill and Ellis bobbled the final handoff, further widening the gap between the Trojans and the then-leading Purdue Boilermakers.
That’s when the magic happened.
Ellis kicked it into championship gear and made up the gap in the final 100 yards of the race. She blazed past second-place Oregon to approach Purdue, and miraculously edged just ahead in the final moment. Her closing leg clocked in at an incredible 50.05 and the Trojans finished with a time of 3:27.06, just .07 seconds ahead of Purdue.
The come-from-behind victory gave USC its first national title since 2001 and sent shockwaves throughout the sports community.
Will power https://t.co/BO9zTSmI2k
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) June 10, 2018
This!!??????? #FightOn https://t.co/560zpU982R
— Allyson Felix (@allysonfelix) June 10, 2018
This day and this moment will last forever. https://t.co/OPpClnfzHb
— Stone Cold Shea Jackson (@OsheaJacksonJr) June 10, 2018
Are you kidding me?!?? Never seen anything like the last 200M!! Heart of a Champion. Wouldn’t be denied. National Champs!! Congrats!!! https://t.co/PFVsbliPJb
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) June 10, 2018
4. Chase McGrath's 2 FGs Lift USC over Texas in 2OT
A rematch 11 years in the making.
USC finally got revenge for losing the 2006 national championship game to Texas, thanks to walk-on kicker Chase McGrath's two clutch field goals on Sept. 16, 2017.
When Texas took a 17-14 lead with 45 seconds to go in the game, it looked like the Trojans were done for. But QB Sam Darnold quickly marched the team down the field. McGrath, who had missed his first collegiate field goal attempt earlier in the game, connected on a 31-yard FG to tie the game as time ran out in regulation.
Darnold threw a TD pass to Deontay Burnett on the Trojans' first drive of overtime, and the Longhorns answered. Texas got the ball back for its first possession of double overtime, but Christian Rector stripped the ball from QB Sam Ehlinger to give the ball back to USC.
After USC's offense stalled on the ensuing possession, McGrath set up for a second field goal — this one from 43 yards out.
The true freshman drilled it, giving USC the 27-24 double overtime victory.
McGrath was awarded a full athletic scholarship two months later.
5. Adoree' Jackson's Hat Trick vs. Notre Dame
The electrifying Adoree' Jackson went out with a bang in the final home game of his USC career.
As rain poured down at the Coliseum, Jackson opened the floodgates with a 55-yard punt return touchdown in the second quarter.
Midway through the third quarter, lightning struck again when Jackson took a short pass from Sam Darnold 52 yards to the house for his second score of the game.
But he wasn't done.
Just before the third quarter ended, Jackson had what many call the defining moment of his career.
He returned a kickoff 97 yards for the score and famously hurdled Notre Dame's kicker on the way.
Jackson became just the third player since 2000 to score a receiving touchdown, punt return touchdown and kickoff return touchdown in the same game.
His explosive performance helped USC dismantle the Domers, 45-27.
Jackson won the Thorpe Award for the nation's best defensive back just two weeks later.
Legendary. Watch @AdoreeKnows' incredible day! #FightOn pic.twitter.com/H45jeR1ofi
— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) November 27, 2016
6. Reggie Bush Explodes vs. Fresno State
Bush's second appearance on this list is one of the most eye-popping performances in the history of college football.
On Nov. 19, 2005, Fresno State came to town to battle the top-ranked Trojans, and Bush brought his A-game.
Bush toyed with the Bulldog defense, amassing an absurd 513 all-purpose yards (294 rush yards, 68 receiving yards, 135 kickoff return yards and 16 punt return yards).
Though it wasn't the most all-purpose yards in NCAA history (Utah State's Emmett White racked up 578 all-purpose yards in 2000), it stood as a Pac-12 record until 2005 and it still stands as a USC record.
On this day in 2005, Reggie Bush won the Heisman.
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) December 10, 2016
Bush eventually forfeited the trophy, but this run against Fresno State lives on. pic.twitter.com/JqpmtlhgoN
7. Fans Rush the Field After USC Upsets No. 4 Stanford
USC's rivalry with Stanford has been fierce since the turn of the century, but the 2013 game holds a special place in the fans' hearts.
The Trojans had lost four straight to the Cardinal heading into the 2013 matchup, and were itching for an upset given Stanford's No. 4 ranking.
College GameDay came to USC's campus that morning, creating a special atmosphere in the sold-out Coliseum come game time.
After a back-and-forth game, placekicker Andre Heidari set up for a game-winning 47-yard field goal with 19 seconds left. Despite an up-and-down season, Heidari came through in the clutch and delivered USC a 20-17 victory.
Fans came pouring onto the field in jubilation after witnessing USC take down Stanford at the Coliseum for the first time since 2005.
8. USC Beats UCLA 50-0
The 2011 football season holds a special place in USC history.
The Trojans played with a chip on their shoulder all year, as NCAA sanctions precluded them from appearing in the conference title game or a bowl game.
USC, fresh off an upset at then-No. 4 Oregon, entered its season finale against UCLA ranked No. 10 in the nation, with a 9-2 record.
QB Matt Barkley put on a show, passing for 423 yards and 6 touchdowns. Marqise Lee collected 224 of those yards and 2 touchdowns, while Robert Woods posted 113 yards and 2 touchdowns.
USC jumped out to a 29-0 lead at halftime and kept pouring it on in the second half. The Trojans preserved their shutout by stopping the Bruins on fourth down at the 7 with 2:48 to go in the game.
The win sent the Trojans out on a high note, as they finished the season at 10-2, ranked No. 6 in the nation.
9. Jake Olson's Inspirational First Snap
When Jake Olson took the field against Western Michigan on Sept. 2, 2017, he made history and inspired millions of people.
Olson, who grew up a USC fan, was diagnosed with retinoblastoma as a baby and has his left eye removed at just 10 months old. When he was 12, he found out he had to have his right eye removed as well.
The night before the surgery that would leave him completely blind, Olson was a special guest at a USC football practice, strengthening his bond with USC.
He defied odds by becoming the long snapper for his high school team and eventually walking on at USC.
In the 2017 season opener, Olson made his dream come true when he took the field to snap the ball for USC's final extra point attempt.
His snap was perfect, and the crowd went wild.
Olson went on to take another snap that season against Oregon State and one more against UNLV in the 2018 season opener.
10. “4th and 9”
There is no “Bush Push” without “4th and 9.”
It was do or die on the final drive of the famous 2005 USC game at Notre Dame. The Trojans, trailing 31-28 with 1:32 left in the game, faced a 4th and 9 on their own 26-yard-line.
The game would be over if they didn't convert.
Matt Leinart dropped back and fired off a pass to Dwayne Jarrett, who caught it despite tight coverage and raced 61 yards down the field to keep the Trojans alive.
Just five plays later came the “Bush Push,” giving USC an epic win.
