Wow, what a game. The Rose Bowl lived up to and may have surpassed the hype as Texas defeated USC 41-38. I should just stop here and list the game stats for Vince Young. He may have had the greatest performance ever by an individual in a championship game. He scored the winning touchdown with 19 seconds left in the game. Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart may have Heismans, but Vince Young has a MVP performance in a game that will live in infamy in the annals of sports. He was phenominal. With his team down he took command of the game and willed himself and his team to victory.
To see him play you almost feel sorry for the defense. His running ability is a constant threat and it also buys him time to find the open receiver. He really is a bigger stronger version of Michael Vick, and that is scary for any defense. I wasn't convinced of his throwing ability until seeing this game. He can throw from the pocket or on the run with accuracy. I'll say it now, he deserved to be this years Heisman Trophy winner if this is how he performed all season.
I give honorable mentions to USC's Lendale White, a bronco of a running back. He had a better game than the feared Reggie Bush. Reggie did give us some highlight reel moments but his ill-advised lateral became a costly fumble that affected his play later on. Matt Leinart also had his hot moments and seemed to have USC on the road to victory, but in college football no lead is safe. The tight end for Texas, David Thomas caught 10 passes for 88 yards and was a huge part of the Texas passing game. Both defenses played as well as expected given the offensive power of both. I give credit to the Texas defense for stopping USC on 4th and 2 late in the game. If USC had made that first down, they would have most likely won the game.
The game's momentum changed a few times which made the ending drama that much more exciting. A few controversial calls and missed calls added to the intrigue but did not decide the game. It was an evenly matched championship game that could have been won by either team. It took the phenominal play of Vince Young to make the difference and win the game for Texas.
A game for the Ages. If you missed it you should check it out on ESPN Classics. I'm sure it'll be showing soon.
Congratulations Texas Longhorns. 2005 NCAA Football National Champions.
Vince Young Passing Statistics
C/ATT YDS AVG TD INT
30/40 267 6.7 0 0
Vince Young Rushing Statistics
CAR YDS AVG TD LG
19 200 10.5 3 45
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