Trojans dominate for 38-24 win, their third Rose Bowl crown in a row
By Ben Malcolmson
USCRipsIt
PeteCarroll.com
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PASADENA — For the third straight year, the Trojans are Rose Bowl champions.
And for the third straight year, boy does it feel good.
USC charged to a 31-7 halftime lead en route to a dominating 38-24 win over No. 6 Penn State in the 2009 Rose Bowl, capping off a 12-1 season with another championship effort.
“I don’t think anyone can beat the Trojans right now,” Coach Pete Carroll said after the victory.
Mark Sanchez accounted for five touchdowns — four in the air and one on the ground — as he threw for 413 yards on 28-of-35 passing, earning him Rose Bowl Offensive MVP honors. Linebacker Kaluka Maiava was named the Defensive MVP.
Check out the behind-the-scenes story from the Trojan conquest:
Before it all
Observations from the locker room before the game:
- The 26-minute break between warm-ups and taking the field was unusually long, so the players had more than the normal amount of time to rest and relax, and they took full advantage, though the locker room was atypically quiet and calm for much of the nearly half-hour. Players spent the time stretching, listening to music and chilling — and Brian Cushing even did some bicep curls with five-gallon water jugs (that’s about 40 pounds).
- Offensive line coach Pat Ruel, to his players: “They’re going to find out how relentless and how tenacious we are!”
- Defensive line coach Dave Watson while roaming through the locker room: “It’s showtime in L.A.!”
- Coach Carroll noticed how long the break was and said while walking through the locker room, “It’s a big broadcast, we’ve gotta wait a little bit, fellas. They’ve got to set this one up for us.”
- Coach Carroll’s pre-game speech: “Everybody bring all your love, all your energy out there today! Let’s do this together!”
- After leaving the locker room, the players were held up where the tunnel meets the field, so they chanted “We ready!” and repeatedly sang the chorus of “Zombie Nation” before pouring out onto the turf.
On the sideline
Seen and heard on the USC sideline during the game:
- With the sun setting over the south end zone, Mark Sanchez remarked how difficult it was to see his receivers downfield when heading in that direction (during the second and third quarters), especially with a Pasadena haze that magnified to the glare. Even so, the Trojans scored 24 of their 38 points going toward the south end zone.
- Offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian gathered his offense together between the first and second quarters and said, “Be physical every chance you get!”
- Linebacker Rey Maualuga had his jersey trimmed so he wouldn’t have to tuck it in and so that it was just long enough to reach his waist — basically 1980s style. It was a comfort issue instead of a fashion statement, though.
- After the offense went up 31-7 near the end of the first half, Mark Sanchez paced the sideline telling his teammates, “We are not done!”
At the half
Observations from the locker room at halftime:
- “Finish” became the battle cry, as players and coaches repeatedly mentioned that word through the intermission.
- Offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, to his players: “Don’t settle! If you want to send a message, this is the half to do it. Don’t let up!”
- Defensive coordinator Nick Holt, to his players: “Tackle well and don’t let them run the ball. These first two series are huge. Shut them down and get the ball back. Seniors, this is the last time you’re a Trojan. Only 30 more minutes. Dominate.”
- Coach Carroll’s halftime speech: “We’ve always been all about competition. The mark of a true competitor is not how you start, but how you finish.”
- When walking out of the locker room and down the tunnel toward the field, wideout Damian Williams ran across Marcus Allen, who slapped him on the helmet and said, “Keep playing, keep doing your thing!”
Party starters
Coach Carroll implored his players to be full of energy at the Rose Bowl — whether they were playing or standing on the sidelines.
It’d be fair to say they followed through on his request.
On the sidelines, players bounced, danced, sang, chanted and yelled throughout the game, turning the USC sideline into a party.
And the party only got crazier as the game wore on.
The walk-ons and redshirting players were the instigators of the buffoonery on the sideline — the same players who filled the scout teams this season to prepare the first-team offense and defense for Saturdays. Their effect was being felt in many ways on this day.
It got so wild that the officials warned Carroll at halftime that his players better tone it down or they’d be penalized.
“Fine! That’s awesome!” Carroll told the Trojans in the locker room at halftime. “I love the energy! But let’s keep it on our sideline and not on the field. We’ll have plenty of fun afterward, I promise you.”
In the end, Rose Bowl champs
The Trojans gathered in an intimate setting in the locker room following the 38-24 win, with just the players and coaches — and the Rose Bowl trophy — huddled around Coach Carroll and celebrating the victory and the season.
“You played a great team but you kicked their ass anyway,” Carroll said with a smile wider than a football field. “Another big-time bowl win.
“We’ve done it again, boys.”
• Ben Malcolmson is the Director of Online Media for USCRipsIt/PeteCarroll.com. You can contact him at Ben@PeteCarroll.com.
