USC and Oklahoma battle
for National Championship
Only one team will walk
away from Orange Bowl
unbeaten for the season
BY ALEX TAM
DAILY EMERALD FREELANCE REPORTER
When quarterback Matt Leinart
graduated from Mater Dei High
School in Santa Ana, Calif, more than
four years ago, two schools beck
oned for his services.
One was Southern California, the
other Oklahoma.
Leinart eventually chose USC (11-0),
which now looks to defend its split na
tional championship against Okla
homa (12-0) in the 71st annual Orange
Bowl in Miami, Fla., on Jan. 4.
Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator
Chuck Long told ABC Sports on Sun
day that he is not at all shocked that
Leinart has succeeded in his tenure
as the Trojans’ leader on offense.
“We were recruiting Matt Leinart a
few years ago,” Long said. “We liked
him coming out of high school. It’s
really no surprise to us that he’s done
a good job at quarterback there.”
This season, Leinart won his sec
ond consecutive Pacific-10 Offensive
Player of the Year Award. In 25 games
as USC’s starter, the 6-foot-5,
225-pound quarterback has led the
Trojans to a 24-1 record.
He also has 66 career touchdown
passes, which is second in USC histo
ry only to former Trojan and current
NFL quarterback, Carson Palmer,
who had 72.
However, Long said his biggest
concern entering the national cham
pionship game is the strong USC de
fense led by linemen Shaun Cody
and Mike Patterson.
The Trojans have the second-leading
defense in the nation, allowing a pal
try 12.5 points per game.
“They’re obviously aggressive
on defense,” Long said. “(USC head
coach Pete) Carroll’s background
is defense, and they get after it
against you.”
Carroll said on Sunday that his
team is probably “more complete”
than it was last season when the TVo
jans became the co-national champi
ons with Louisiana State.
“I think all phases of our game can
Courtesy | Southern California Athletic Department
USC junior quarterback Matt Leinart has led the Trojans to a 24-1 record as a starter. The
Heisman hopeful has thrown for 2,990 yards and 28 touchdowns this season.
be lethal on game day,” he said. “We
have a lot of elements that come to
gether on this team.”
A stingy USC defense will be severe
ly tested by a high-octane Oklahoma
offense, which ranks ninth in the na
tion in scoring. The Sooners average
more than 36 points per game.
Oklahoma also has explosive players
at each of the skill positions, including
senior quarterback Jason White and
freshman tailback Adrian Peterson.
This season, White has thrown for
2,707 yards, 30 touchdowns and just
four interceptions. His freshman
teammate Peterson has impressed
everybody in college football by rush
ing for 1,671 yards and 12 touch
downs this season.
“They’re a great group of guys, and
they’ve been together for a long time
with the exception of Adrian,” Long
said. “He’s brand new this year, but
they’ve grown up together, and they’re
an unselfish bunch. (Oklahoma head
coach Bob) Stoops is big on that and
has taught that from day one.”
Carroll said his team will ultimately
be prepared to face its stiffest test of the
season in the national spotlight.
“It’s a great matchup in all ways
and all areas for us, and we’ll prepare
for great excitement and great enthu
siasm,” Carroll said.
He added that it’s been a tough
challenge for his squad to stay fo
cused on keeping its No. 1 spot in
polls through the year.
A sense of relief surrounded the
Trojans when they defeated rival
UCLA 29-24 on Saturday in the
ORANGE, page 9B
Jones: Bowl
game tops
team's list
Continued from page 4B
we want to try and quench their thirst.
6) Not only that, we want to go to
a bowl game.
Staying home for the holidays is a
tough way to realize that a bowl
game is a gift, not a right. Watching
our rivals to the north beat us for that
gift was hard, real hard.
Next year, a Las Vegas or an Insight
Bowl would be great. But if something
better comes along, we won’t mind.
7) Finally, we want to come through
and make plays at the end of the game.
We came close this season in many
games, including losses to California,
Indiana and UCLA. In each, we had
a chance to take the win or tie.
We have all the talent in the world
coming back next season, and we
just want to put it together for one
good run and sneak up on the rest of
the Pac-10 Conference.
Sincerely,
The Oregon football team
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Oregon State and
Notre Dame heat
up for Insight Bowl
The Beavers will get to enjoy some warm weather
when they head to the Phoenix, Ariz. howl game
BY SCOTT J. ADAMS
DAILY EMERALD FREELANCE REPORTER
The 16th annual Insight Bowl
features two of the nation’s premier
offenses as Notre Dame battles Ore
gon State. The 2004 version of the
Insight Bowl is scheduled for 6:30
p.m. Dec. 28 at Bank One Ballpark
in Phoenix, Ariz.
“This matchup has a chance to
be one of the better games during
the bowl season,” Oregon State
head coach Mike Riley said.
These two teams have not played
each other since the 2001 Fiesta
Bowl — a fond memory for
Oregon State fans, whose Beavers
shellacked the Fighting Irish 41-9.
Several current Oregon State play
ers were redshirt freshmen on that
Fiesta Bowl roster, including free
safety Mitch Meeuwsen and tail
back Dwight Wright.
Fourteen members of this year’s
Beaver squad are making their sec
ond trip to the Insight Bowl, where
two years ago they found themselves
on the losing end of a 38-13 game
against Pittsburgh. The win was
spear-headed by former Panther re
ceiver Antonio Bryant, who now
starts for the Cleveland Browns.
“We have enjoyed our two
INSIGHT, page 10B
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