Destiny Takes A Detour Usc Polishes Image With Rose Bowl Win

There was another team in the Rose Bowl, after all.

The Northwestern Wildcats got celebrity treatment during the two weeks they spent out here, appearing with Jay Leno on “The Tonight Show” and meeting movie stars such as Charlton Heston.

But in the end, it was Southern California’s much maligned Trojans who were left smelling the roses Monday following an impressive 41-32 victory before a sellout crowd of 100,102.

The media had painted USC’s 8-2-1 season as a failure when the Trojans - picked by some to win the national title - lost to Notre Dame and UCLA. But the Trojans scorched the Big Ten champions with big plays and torched the Wildcats’ secondary with a devastating passing game.

Quarterback Brad Otton - who played the entire game instead of splitting time, as usual, with Kyle Wacholtz - completed 29 of 41 passes for 391 yards and two touchdowns.

“Brad was so dramatically effective in the game that I just felt we couldn’t take him out,” Trojans coach John Robinson said.

“It was disappointing to me that we didn’t play them both, but we made the right decision today not to play them, just as we had made the right decision during the year to play them.”

USC’s outstanding All-America wide receiver, Keyshawn Johnson, had 12 catches for 216 yards and one touchdown, a 56-yard streak that gave USC a 31-19 lead midway through the third quarter.

“This was my last game as a Trojan,” Johnson said. “And we had something to prove to the world. Everybody seemed to want to eat grapes, all of a sudden. This was Purple this and Purple that. And no one wanted to give us any respect.”

USC earned it the hard way. The Trojans jumped on Northwestern (10-2) early, cruising to a 24-7 lead, then weathered a furious rally by the Cats, who took a 32-31 lead when Darnell Autry - who rushed for 110 yards and scored three TDs scored on a 2-yard run with 13:01 to play.

But there were only so many miracles to go around in this dream season. Adam Abrams, whose previous long field goal was 41 yards, kicked a 46-yarder with 9:09 remaining to send the Trojans back ahead, 34-32. And finally, USC tailback Delon Washington let the air out of Northwestern’s balloon for good when he scored on a 2-yard run with 2:55 to play.

“I’m really proud of the way our kids kept coming back,” Northwestern coach Gary Barnett said. “It is typical of the way they’ve fought back from adversity all year. But we played against two opponents today - USC and ourselves.”

In the second quarter, with the Wildcats trailing 17-7, quarterback Steve Schnur completed a pass to Brian Musso in the flat. Musso gained 17 yards, but then fumbled at the USC 47. The ball was scooped up by freshman cornerback Daylon McCutcheon, son of former NFL running back Lawrence McCutcheon, who sprinted down the right sideline for a 53-yard touchdown.

And late in the game, after Abrams’ 46-yarder, safety Jesse Davis made what might have been the critical play of the game, intercepting a Schnur pass at his own 28 and returning it 41 yards to set up the Trojans’ final score.

In the postgame news conference, Barnett was asked if he might leave Northwestern for UCLA. Barnett danced around the speculation.

USC 41, Northwestern 32

Southern Cal 7 17 7 10 - 41

Northwestern 7 3 16 6 - 32

First Quarter USCL.Woods 1 run (Abrams kick), 4:58.

NW-D.Autry 3 run (Gowins kick), 8:45. Second Quarter USCBarnum 21 pass from Otton (Abrams kick), 1:55.

USCFG Abrams 30, 11:31.

USCMcCutcheon 53 fumble return (Abrams kick), 12:04.

NW-FG Gowins 29, 14:58.

Third Quarter

NW-FG Gowins 28, 3:58.

NW-D.Autry 9 run (pass failed), 6:43.

USCK.Johnson 56 pass from Otton (Abrams kick), 8:52.

NW-Schnur 1 run (Gowins kick), 12:02.

Fourth Quarter

NW-D.Autry 2 run (run failed), 1:59.

USCFG Abrams 46, 5:51.

USCWashington 2 run (Abrams kick), 12:05.

A-100,102.

USC NW First downs 22 23 Rushes-yards 27-33 39-139 Passing 391 336 Return Yards 59 0 Comp-Att-Int 29-44-0 23-39-1 Punts 2-45 2-39 Fumbles-Lost 1-1 1-1 Penalties-Yards 11-86 7-72 Time of Possession 29:47 30:13

RUSHINGSouthern Cal, Washington 16-51, Barnum 1-2, L.Woods 5-2, Otton 5-(minus 22). Northwestern, D.Autry 32-110, Schnur 3-13, A.Autry 2-8, Bates 1-4, Hartl 1-4.

PASSINGSouthern Cal, Otton 29-44-0-391. Northwestern, Schnur 23-39-1-336.

RECEIVINGSouthern Cal, K.Johnson 12-216, Barnum 4-42, C.Miller 3-50, Cashman 3-19, L.Woods 2-21, McWilliams 2-20, Washington 2-18, Parker 1-5. Northwestern, Bates 7-145, D.Autry 6-38, Musso 5-91, Beazley 1-16, Drexler 1-16, McGrew 1-11, Hartl 1-10, Brown 1-9.

MISSED FIELD GOALSNorthwestern, Gowins 37, 49.