Rose Bowl Game Guide
POSTED: 8:42 am PST January 4, 2006
Game Guide
Top-ranked USC, 12-0, allowed an average of 21.3 points per game during the regular season, compared to 14.6 for second-ranked Texas, 12-0. Each of the last four Bowl Championship Series Championship Games have been won by the team that had allowed fewer points during the regular season.
However, there is a bit of history in the Trojans' favor. USC has allowed an average of 15 points in its four bowl games under coach Pete Carroll, who is also its defensive coordinator, which experts attribute to the extra time to prepare for bowl games.
"He'll have a lot of things Texas hasn't seen before," said Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts, who will be the analyst on ABC's telecast. "Pete's a play caller. A big part of that is intuition. He's very intuitive as to when to blitz, when not to blitz, when to change personnel."
Fouts' broadcast partner, Keith Jackson, expects both teams' defenses "to step up."
"They'll be heard from," Jackson said. "We always go into these things dealing with the offensive stars, but ultimately9eventually in most big games, but not all, you win with your defense."
With an offense averaging 50 points per game, the Trojans haven't had to punt much, but when they have, bad things have often happened. USC was last among the 117 NCAA Division I-A teams in defending punt returns with opponents averaging 17.7 yards per return. The Trojans are 115th in net punting, with a 28.9-yard average.
"If Texas can get them to punt the ball -- which is the problem -- then we might see as we saw in the Notre Dame game, (Tom Malone) outkicks the coverage and you get a good guy running the football back there, you can beat USC."
The Longhorns could have that good guy in Aaron Ross, ninth in the nation, who is averaging 15 yards per return and has returned two punts for touchdowns. Carroll said he is "real concerned" about the special teams matchup.
"We have not had a great season on special teams," Carroll said. "We've had our ups and downs, we've had our issues at times and had to overcome them. I'm sure they're excited about that matchup."
The Trojans bring a 34-game winning streak into the game, matching the sixth-longest in Division I history, while Texas has won 19 consecutive games.
This Rose Bowl marks the first time two Heisman Trophy winners have played for the same team in a game, with running back Reggie Bush, the 2005 winner, being joined in the Trojan backfield by quarterback Matt Leinart, the 2004 winner.
Texas counters with quarterback Vince Young, the 2005 Heisman Trophy runner-up, college football's leader in passing efficiency and catalyst of an offense averaging 50.9 points per game, the most in Division I-A.
"He's an incredible competitor," Carroll said. "You can't asked for a guy to have more ability. He's fast, he's big, he's strong, he's confident, (has) a great arm, knows when to escape. Looking at him last year versus this year, you can see the maturity in the throwing game and his decision making." Fouts expects the game to "start out a little slow." "There'll be a little feeling out," Fouts said. "Maybe a bomb here or there to loosen things up. It's kind of like a heavyweight fight. There going to feel themselves out and see what they've been studying the last month is true or how much the teams have changed."
The game has drawn a frenzy of interest from would-be ticket buyers with end zone tickets, which have a face value of $175, going for $1,000 each on various Web sites. A pair of tickets on the 30-yard line sold for $3,451.99, while four seats on the 50-yard line sold for $4,286 each, the Daily News reported recently.
Security
Fans attending the Rose Bowl game are being encouraged to arrive early because security measures could cause delays in entering the stadium.
Fans entering the stadium will be subject to full pat-down searches and all items carried into the stadium will be inspected, a game official said.
Each gate will include several express lanes to speed entry of fans not carrying personal belongings into the stadium, the official said.
Gates will open at 3:20 p.m., two hours before the scheduled kickoff. A heavy police presence is expected around the stadium. Some vehicles entering the area may be searched.
This year's Rose Bowl is the first since a 24-camera surveillance system was installed last summer, courtesy of a $75,000 grant from the Department of Homeland Security. "You can see every square foot inside and 360 degrees outside," the stadium, Pasadena police Officer Mark Oberon told the Pasadena Star-News.
The system can see a face in a crowd or read the license plate of a suspicious vehicle, the Star-News reported.
Parking
Fans attending the game between USC and the University of Texas should carpool or take public transportation to avoid delays and long walks to the stadium, transit officials say. Parking for the national championship game will be extremely limited, Rose Bowl officials said. Fans are encouraged to take the Metro Gold Line to the Memorial Park exit and walk to Parsons Engineering at the corner of Walnut Street and Fair Oaks Avenue. From there, a shuttle service will take fans to the stadium beginning at 11 a.m.
Fans who cannot part with their cars should expect significant delays, according to he Pasadena Police Department and California Highway Patrol.
RV parking at the Rose Bowl is already sold out. Parking will be available at Brookside Golf Course, but on a very limited basis because of recent rains. Parking will be available at Pasadena City College at Del Mar and Hill streets beginning at 11 a.m. It will cost $15 for cars and $50 for limousines and RVs. A free shuttle will take fans to the Rose Bowl.
Recycling
Fans attending today's Rose Bowl game between USC and the Texas Longhorns will be encouraged not only to root on their favorite team but to recycle their bottles and cans.
The Los Angeles Conservation Corps and state Department of Conservation will be collecting aluminum, glass and plastic beverage containers during pre- game tailgate parties and inside the stadium.
The groups will also be passing out recycling information and have exhibits of products made from recycled goods.
This will be the fourth year LA Conservation Corps and DOC have teamed to encourage recycling at the Rose Bowl.
During the past three Rose Bowls combined, the Corps collected about 94,000 aluminum cans, 60,000 plastic bottles and 27,000 glass bottles, the group reported.
