Opposites Attract In This Rose Bowl Northwestern, Usc Face Off With Contrasting Expectations

Before it plays Florida State tonight in Miami’s Orange Bowl, Notre Dame’s presence will be felt a continent away in the Rose Bowl.

The Irish were key foils in the fortunes of No. 3 Northwestern (10-1) and No. 17 Southern California (8-2-1), which face each other today in Pasadena, Calif.

The Wildcats’ improbable dream season began with a stunning 17-15 upset at Notre Dame. And after a 6-0 start, the Trojans’ hopes of a national championship ended with a humiliating 38-10 loss in South Bend, Ind.

“It was a tremendous blow to this team,” Trojans offensive tackle John Michels said. “We were all frustrated by it. It took a lot of fight out of this team.”

USC finished the season 8-2-1, and two of its victories were scrambles against Oregon State and Stanford. The Trojans’ uninspired finish and the Wildcats’ out-of-nowhere performance have reduced the Pacific-10 conference champion to a bit-player status.

“It’s a pretty appealing story,” USC fullback Terry Barnum said of Northwestern’s season. “American society is set up on the underdog overcoming impossible odds to become successful. It’s a story we all love to hear, but we’ve got a story to tell, too.

“The way people are talking about us, it’s like we had a losing season and we’re not even playing in a bowl game.”

Northwestern’s last bowl game was the 1949 Rose Bowl. It is also the school’s “only” bowl appearance. USC has won 19 of its all-time best 29 Rose Bowl appearances. The Trojans are favored by three, putting Northwestern in the familiar underdog position.

With a victory, the Wildcats could wind up ranked No. 2 behind the winner of the Nebraska-Florida Fiesta Bowl. That would be a fitting end to the best season in school history.

Northwestern’s success has been based on a stingy, turnover-producing (32 total) defense that allows an average of 12.7 points. Its main challenge will be shutting down an offense that features Keyshawn Johnson, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound receiver with 90 receptions for 1,218 yards and six TDs.

“Keyshawn possesses the intangible qualities that champions have,” USC coach John Robinson said. “He loves to play the game. He can make plays in the important parts of games. Those things stick out in my mind.”

Johnson, who faced double and triple coverage most of the season, probably will be matched against Northwestern cornerback Chris Martin, a 5-8, 183-pound senior who was an All-Big Ten selection.

Robinson said he thinks the Rose Bowl will follow this postseason’s high-scoring trend. If so, that might mean trouble for Northwestern. Though its defense has provided field position through turnovers, Northwestern’s offense has been a grind-it-out affair.

The Wildcats’ steady-as-it-goes offense is led by sophomore tailback Darnell Autry. Autry, an aspiring actor, averaged 152 yards and never had fewer than 26 carries. Conversely, Northwestern quarterback Steve Schnur attempted more than 26 passes only once, in the upset of Notre Dame.

“Darnell’s ability to get better as the game progressed allowed us to hang in during the close games,” Wildcats coach Gary Barnett said.

Autry could be a key factor against a USC defense that had trouble stopping opposing runners in losses to Notre Dame and UCLA.

“USC has the most talented defense we’ve seen,” said Northwestern senior center Rob Johnson, who will set a school record with his 45th consecutive start. “They have linebackers that just fly around. They can flat-out move. It will be hard to adjust to USC’s speed on defense.”

Johnson and his teammates will take the field as underdogs in the betting line and as favorites everywhere else.

“I guarantee you half the nation doesn’t have a clue who Northwestern is playing in the Rose Bowl,” USC’s Michels said. “I think it’s a great story, and it’s exciting to be playing them. Everyone loves Northwestern, and a lot of people are calling our season a failure. We’re trying to make something out of our season.”