Bradley’s gaffe proved costly

In the end, Mark Bradley’s blunder didn’t decide the Orange Bowl. It merely triggered the scoring onslaught that helped Southern California drub Oklahoma.

Bradley’s ill-advised punt return proved disastrous for the Sooners when he fumbled the ball away Tuesday, setting up the touchdown that put the Trojans ahead to stay en route to their 55-19 victory for the national title in Miami.

“That was just a bonehead play,” Bradley said. “I don’t know what I was thinking. It really turned the momentum of the game.”

It was the first of five turnovers by Oklahoma, and the most costly. Barely five minutes later, USC had turned a 7-all game into a 28-7 lead.

The play began with a poor punt by USC’s Tom Malone, but the ball took a favorable bounce for the Trojans inside the 10 as returner Antonio Perkins wisely got out of the way.

Then Bradley entered the picture. A big-play receiver and the son of Danny Bradley, a quarterback for Oklahoma in the 1985 Orange Bowl, the Sooners’ senior was an unlikely candidate to become a goat.

But Bradley tried to block a USC player, and with the ball about to roll dead he inexplicably scooped it up, even though he was surrounded by Trojans. One of them, Collin Ashton, quickly knocked the ball loose, and the fumble was recovered at the 6 by Josh Pinkard, a true freshman and fourth-string safety.

“I have no idea why Mark would have done that,” Oklahoma coach Bobby Stoops said. “I was as shocked as anybody in the stadium. It’s as bad a play as there is.”

Bradley, appearing dazed by what he had wrought, walked to the bench and was consoled by teammates. Officials threw a flag on the play but huddled, then decided that there was no penalty – and that USC had not touched the ball before Bradley reached it, despite protests by Stoops.

“Mistakes can kill, and that was a big mistake,” Trojans defensive end Lawrence Jackson said. “In a big game, he thought he could get something going. It didn’t turn out real good for him.”

LenDale White scored on the next play to give USC a 14-7 lead, and the rout was on.

Matt Leinart threw five touchdown passes, Steve Smith scored three times, and Oklahoma’s Jason White was intercepted twice. But on a night filled with big plays, Bradley’s bobble loomed largest.

“It’s part of life, and part of the game,” he said. “You have to accept it and learn from your mistakes.”

Peterson sets rushing record

Oklahoma tailback Adrian Peterson broke the NCAA record for rushing yards by a freshman with an 8-yard run on the second play of the second quarter.

Peterson needed 21 yards entering the game to surpass the record of 1,863 yards rushing set by Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne in 1996, and it took nine carries for him to get them. After the run, Peterson had 1,869 yards on the season.

Earlier in the season, Peterson tied the NCAA mark by reaching 1,000 yards in his seventh career game.

Florida’s Emmitt Smith established the record in 1987 and San Diego State’s Marshall Faulk matched it in 1991.

Peterson had at least 100 yards rushing in all but one of the Sooners’ 12 games this season. He had 58 yards on a season-low 15 carries a week after dislocating his shoulder against Texas A&M.

Simpsons spell doom for Sooners

Call it the curse of the Simpson Sisters.

Last year, Jessica Simpson sang the national anthem at OU’s Sugar Bowl loss. Tuesday, Ashlee Simpson performed at halftime. Don’t expect either to be asked to perform in Norman anytime soon.

Stars come out

Comedian and film star Will Farrell, country music recording artist Toby Keith, Miami Heat president Pat Riley, Yankees outfielder Gary Sheffield, hip-hop artist P. Diddy and new Marlins relief pitcher Todd Jones were among those on the sidelines during pregame warmups or during the game.

Farrell, a USC graduate who once worked for the school’s sports information department, was a decent athlete in his pre-Hollywood days but says he had no desire to trade places with any of the Trojans.

“It’s pretty fun what I get to do. And I don’t get tackled,” said Farrell, who bragged of being an all-state standout in high school before adding “all-state bench-warmer.”

USC mascot had busy night

Traveler VII, the noble white horse that serves as USC’s mascot, also roamed the sideline, making its first appearance on the East Coast.

The Andalusian show horse, which spent eight days in a barn at nearby Calder Race Course, got a workout in the first half, prancing onto the field after USC touchdowns.