Orange Bowl
has Rose-like
appeal, teams
The Jan. 2 BCS bowl will host
the Big Ten and Pacific-10
Conference co-champions
Bowl of the year
Mindi Rice
Freelance Sports Reporter
This year, the Orange Bowl might
want to request a name change.
The Rose Bowl is supposed to
feature the Big Ten and Pacific-10
Conference champions every year,
but it’s the Orange Bowl that pits
No. 3 Iowa against No. 5 USC, both
co-champions in their respective
conferences.
The teams will face off in Miami in
the only bowl game played on Jan. 2.
The 5 p.m. game, played at Pro Play
er Stadium, will be shown on ABC.
The Big Ten’s co-champion, No. 2
Ohio State, will play in the national
title game, while the Pac-lO’s co
champion, No. 7 Washington State,
will play in the Rose Bowl.
Iowa and USC have met eight
times, with USC leading the series
6-2. The most recent matchup re
Seniors
continued from page 2B
it feels a little good to be over and
be like a regular student for once. I
am going to miss everything about
it — it is just indescribable.”
Oregon’s senior class this year is
diverse, with some only in their sec
ond year with the team and others in
their fifth.
Moretti has been with the team for
three years, after transferring from
Chabot junior college. The Pleasan
ton, Calif., native is tied for second
in the Pacific-10 Conference in tack
les with 104.
From all of Oregon’s seniors,
which includes more than 14 who
have played, head coach Mike Bel
lotti recognizes the contributions
and knows they will be missed.
“It’s always hard,” Bellotti said.
“They have done a nice job of
blending together and providing
leadership for the team. There are
guys that I look at and wonder
where would we have been without
them. They’re realizing it might be
their last-ever football game at this
level or higher, so it’s a very emo
tional thing.”
And with the Seattle Bowl in just
three weeks, some are ready for big
ger and better things.
“I am real excited to play with
them for the last time,” senior wide
receiver Keenan Howry said. “It’s
kind of exciting getting to move on,
and knowing it’s your last game.
You’re sad, but there are better
things ahead of this.”
All of the athletes want to be re
membered as being good friends, as
loving the game of football and as
being great at what they did. But
most of all, the seniors want that
one final win.
“To me, winning is probably the
most important thing right now,”
Moretti said. “We haven’t done a lot
of it lately. It’s something that I want
to do because I came in on a winning
note, played for a winning program
for three years, and I want to go out
on a win.”
Contact the sports reporter
at jessethomas@dailyemerald.com.
suited in a 55-0 USG victory in
1976. Iowa and USG have never
met in a bowl game.
Iowa started its 2002 campaign
strong, winning two games before
losing to rival Iowa State. The
Hawkeyes lost a disappointing game
to the Cyclones, 36-31.
Iowa came back and won out the
season, finishing 8-0 in Big Ten con
ference play and 11-1 overall. The
Hawkeyes dominated opponents
throughout the season, outscoring
opponents by an average of 23
points in their 11 wins.
Senior Brad Banks will lead his
Hawkeye teammates against a USG
defense that is holding its opponents
to an average of 19 points per game.
Banks is one of the top candidates
for the Heisman Trophy and has the
second-highest quarterback rating in
the nation.
USG started its season in similar
fashion to the Hawkeyes. The Tro
jans won their first two games of
the season before dropping one.
USC suffered a 27-20 loss to Kansas
State, then two weeks later earned
the only other blemish on the Tro
jans 7-1 Pac-10 and 10-2 overall
Photos by Mark McCambridge Emerald
(Above) Senior linebacker David Moretti, chasing down Oregon State's Derek
Anderson, hopes to end his career with a win.
(Below) Senior Allan Amundson, also preparing for his last game at the Seattle Bowl,
had a career game in the Civil War, rushing for 77 yards in "place of Onterrio Smith." ~
Mark McCambridge Emerald
USC quarterback Carson Palmer led the Trojans to a 10-2 season and a trip to the Orange Bowl against Iowa.
record, with a 30-27 loss in over
time to Washington State.
USG won out its season, outscor
ing opponents by an average of 21
points in 10 wins. Redshirt senior
Carson Palmer has the* seventh
best quarterback rating in the
nation and second-best in the
Pac-10.
Without having faced each other
in 26 years, both teams are stepping
onto new territory. Rose-less territo
ry, at that.
Mindi Rice is a freelance writer
for the Emerald.
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