 "Photo: Shannon Sibayan / Daily Texan Staff")
By Jake Veyhl Daily Texan Staff
PASADENA, Calif. - Vince Young led the Longhorns to their first ever Rose Bowl appearance and victory last season with a 10-point fourth-quarter rally.
Apparently that wasn't enough drama.
Staring at a fourth and five with Texas down 38-33 and a little more than 20 seconds left in the game, Young went through three passing progressions then scrambled right and trotted eight yards into the end zone to propel Texas to a 41-38 victory before 93,986 fans at the Rose Bowl.
Young rallied the Longhorns from a 12-point deficit with less than seven minutes remaining and led the Texas earned its fourth national title in football and its first since 1970.
Young topped last year's Rose Bowl performance of 192 yards rushing, 180 yards passing and four touchdowns. He completed 30 of his 40 passes for 267 yards and rushing 19 times for 200 yards and three touchdowns. The redshirt junior won his second consecutive Rose Bowl MVP award and helped head coach Mack Brown win his first national championship.
Texas' defense jumped out of the gate with three plays and out but Aaron Ross fumbled the ensuing punt, allowing USC to recover and drive for the game's first touchdown.
Texas responded with 16 consecutive points in the second quarter.
David Pino got the Longhorns on the board by nailing a season-long 46-yard field goal 21 seconds into the quarter. Then, with USC driving on the next possession, safety Michael Griffin nabbed a Matt Leinart pass on the end zone sideline and tapped his left foot for a touchback.
Texas responded with a seven play, 80 yard scoring drive that ended when Vince Young rushed to the left then, while falling down, pitched the ball to Selvin Young for the Longhorns first touchdown. David Pino missed the extra point, giving Texas a 9-7 advantage.
Texas kept rolling with their no-huddle offense after forcing a USC punt. Young engineered a four-play, 51-yard drive capped by Ramonce Taylor's 30-yard counter run.
The Trojans managed a field goal before halftime and narrowed the gap to 16-10.
Points came at a premium in the first half but the nation's two most explosive offenses found a rhythm in the second.
USC put up 28 second-half points on the Longhorns, but the Texas defense came up with a big stop when it needed it most. Trojans coach Pete Carroll decided to go for a crucial fourth and two situation inside of three minutes remaining. The Longhorns held LenDale White, who rushed for 124 yards and three touchdowns on the evening, to only one yard and turned the ball over to Young and the Longhorns' offense.
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