Despite all of the love the 2005 Orange Bowl gets as the peak of the Pete Carroll era, the 28-14 triumph over Michigan a year prior in the Rose Bowl was the heart and soul of USC’s dominant run.
Perhaps it’s not a coincidence that a program starving to get back to such heights needed two of the 2004 game’s biggest stars on the coaching staff to get there.
Defensive line coach Kenechi Udeze had the game of his life in the Rose Bowl, sacking John Navarre three times and forcing a fumble.
Offensive admin assistant Keary Colbert put in the most productive day as a Trojan, with 149 receiving yards and two touchdowns.