PASADENA, 3 January 2003 — Point made. Top-ranked Southern California laid out its case for the national championship the best way it knew how — by dominating No. 4 Michigan with a 28-14 victory Thursday in the Rose Bowl.
Matt Leinart threw three touchdown passes and caught another to lead the Trojans past the Wolverines with a performance that should be enough to persuade voters to leave USC atop the poll.
The Associated Press’ No. 1 team has never dropped in the rankings after winning its bowl, and it doesn’t look as though it will happen this time, either.
While the Trojans are primed to win their first title in 25 years, they would have to share it. Voters for the USA Today/ESPN coaches’ poll are obligated to crown the winner of Sunday’s Sugar Bowl between No. 2 LSU and No. 3 Oklahoma, playing in the BCS championship game.
The Trojans were left out of the Bowl Championship Series title game because of a weaker schedule, but they felt right at home in front of a sellout crowd of 93,849.
Leinart, the game’s MVP, shredded the nation’s sixth-ranked pass defense for 327 yards, and the Trojans (12-1) had a season-high nine sacks and even blocked a field goal by Michigan (10-3.
Orange Bowl
No. 10 Miami 16, No. 9 Florida St. 14:
In Miami, Jarrett Payton ran for 131 yards, Jon Peattie kicked three field goals and Miami shut out Florida State in the second half. It was Miami’s fifth consecutive victory in the heated series — its longest winning streak since 1957. Florida State (10-3) lost consecutive bowl games for the first time since the 1979 and 1980 seasons.
Like several other memorable games in this storied rivalry, the outcome was decided by a kicker. Not only did Peattie hit a career-long 51-yarder to give the Hurricanes (11-2) the lead in the third quarter, but Florida State’s Xavier Beitia missed a 39-yarder with 5:30 to play. And yes, it was wide right. It was the fifth time a Florida State kicker has missed a decisive kick in this rivalry.
Capital One Bowl
No. 11 Georgia 34, No. 12 Purdue 27, OT:
In Orlando, Kregg Lumpkin redeemed himself for a stunning fumble late in regulation, scoring on a 1-yard run in overtime to give Georgia a victory over Purdue. The Boilermakers (9-4) rallied from a 24-0 deficit in the first half, getting a chance to tie it on a remarkable turn of events with just over a minute left in the fourth quarter.
With Purdue out of timeouts, Georgia coach Mark Richt called a run instead of ordering quarterback David Greene to take a knee. Lumpkin, a freshman, got tied up in the backfield and fumbled. After a wild scramble, Purdue recovered at the Georgia 34. Ben Jones kicked a 44-yard field goal with 49 seconds remaining for Purdue, forcing overtime tied at 27. But the Bulldogs (11-3) made up for their mistake in overtime. After Lumpkin scored on fourth down, Tony Taylor intercepted Kyle Orton’s pass in the end zone, setting off a wild celebration by the Georgia players.
Gator Bowl
No. 23 Maryland 41, No. 20
West Virginia 7:
In Jacksonville, Scott McBrien threw for a career-high 381 yards, helping Maryland rout West Virginia in a rematch of a regular-season game that was almost as lopsided.
Playing against the team he left, McBrien threw for three scores and ran for another. Steve Suter returned a punt for a touchdown and made a highlight-reel catch to help the Terrapins (10-3) reach the 10-win mark for the third straight year under coach Ralph Friedgen.
Friedgen can thank West Virginia (8-5) for part of the turnaround. Counting the 34-7 win in the regular season, the Terps have defeated the Mountaineers four times over the last three years by an average score of 35-13. The Mountaineers, co-champs of the Big East, came in on a seven-game winning streak but dropped to 1-10 in their last 11 bowl games.
Outback Bowl
No. 13 Iowa 37, No. 17 Florida 17
In Tampa, Fred Russell ran for 150 yards and one touchdown, and Iowa dominated Florida for its first January bowl win since the 1959 Rose Bowl.
Nathan Chandler threw for one TD and ran for another, Nate Kaeding kicked three field goals and Iowa (10-3) scored on a blocked punt for the third time this season to finish with double-digit wins in consecutive years for the first time in school history.
Florida’s season ended with a loss in the Outback Bowl for the second straight year, and the lopsided result is almost certain to start a renewed round of speculation about Ron Zook’s future as coach after a pair of 8-5 finishes.
Bowden Sees Tennessee as a Model for Clemson
Though Tommy Bowden took Clemson to the postseason in each of his first five seasons, a feat accomplished by no other Tigers coach, he’d like to do a lot more, starting with a victory over No. 6 Tennessee (10-2) in the Peach Bowl today. Bowden also spoke of helping the Tigers (8-4) win 10 games consistently, of getting back in the top 10 on a regular basis and of trying to help them challenge for national titles.
K-State Quarterback’s Status for Game Is Uncertain
Ell Roberson brought Kansas State unprecedented football success. Now it’s uncertain whether the senior quarterback will be allowed to play in what would be his final collegiate game tonight against Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.
The days leading up to the game between the No. 7 Buckeyes and No. 8 Kansas State had been uneventful. The Wildcats, in their first BCS contest, were optimistic and fired up about their chances of beating the defending national champions. That all changed on Thursday when Roberson was accused of sexually assaulting a 22-year-old woman at the team hotel. Coach Bill Snyder will decide whether Roberson plays, and no one keeps tighter control over his program — and the information that goes public — than the Kansas State coach.
