The 2005 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season, winning the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10), and playing for the NCAA Division I-A national championship. The team was coached by Pete Carroll, led on offense by quarterback and 2004 Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart, and played its home games in the Los Angeles Coliseum.
With many of their starters returning, a highly ranked recruiting class, and a number one ranking before the season, the team had high expectations of repeating as national champions and planned on becoming the first FBS-equivalent team to three-peat as AP champions since Minnesota in 1936. They had nearly all of their offensive starters returning, although they had only two returning defensive starters from the previous year. The team went undefeated in the regular season with nine of their twelve wins by 17 points or more and were compared with the greatest teams in the history of college football. Once again ranked first in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) rankings, they were invited to the national championship bowl game at the Rose Bowl, where they lost to the Texas Longhorns. With a final record of 12–1, they finished the season ranked second in the nation in both the Associated Press (AP) and Coaches' Polls.
A number of players from the team won national awards, with running back Reggie Bush becoming the school's seventh Heisman Trophy winner before it was later vacated due to a violation of NCAA rules. Bush would eventually have his 2005 Heisman Trophy Award, as well as his USC statistics, reinstated. Nevertheless, punishments which the NCAA enacted against USC still remain in effect. Following the season, Bush was selected second in the 2006 National Football League (NFL) draft and was followed by Leinart at tenth and nine other Trojans during the draft, with the team sending eleven players to the NFL that season.
On June 10, 2010, USC was forced to vacate two wins from the 2004 season, and all wins from the 2005 season, after an NCAA investigation into the football program (and men's basketball program) declared Bush retroactively ineligible. Additional sanctions included a bowl ban in 2010 and 2011, and the loss of 30 football scholarships (10 per year in 2010, 2011, and 2012).Mark Saxon, NCAA delivers postseason football ban, ESPN, June 10, 2010. All official NCAA records show the Trojans as having a 0–0 record during the 2005 season, including the loss to Texas in the national championship being vacated.
Before the season
The 2003 Trojans finished the season with a 12–1 record and shared the national title with the Louisiana State University (LSU) Tigers; USC won the Associated Press championship while LSU played for and won the BCS National Championship. The 2004 Trojans finished with a 13–0 record that included a win in the national championship game. The team became only the second team to be ranked first in the AP Poll from pre-season until the end of the season, and the tenth team to repeat as national champions. Returning fourteen starters from 2004, including Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Matt Leinart, and with a 22-game winning streak, the Trojans were ranked at the top of the polls once again in the pre-season.
Coaching changes After the 2004 season, four Trojan assistant coaches were offered and took jobs elsewhere. The most notable coach lost was offensive coordinator Norm Chow who took a job in the same position for the Tennessee Titans. Also leaving, were defensive line coach Ed Orgeron, who took the head coaching position at Ole Miss, quarterbacks coach Carl Smith, who became the offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and offensive line coach Tim Davis who was hired by the Miami Dolphins. Carroll rebuilt his staff by elevating Ken Norton Jr. from graduate assistant to full-time assistant coaching the linebackers, and hiring Steve Sarkisian, who was with the Oakland Raiders in 2004 and was formerly with the Trojans, as quarterbacks coach. Pat Ruel, who was with the New York Giants in 2004, to coach the offensive line, and Jethro Franklin, who spent 2004 with the Green Bay Packers, as defensive line coach, Sarkisian would additionally be named as assistant head coach and Lane Kiffin, wide receivers coach, would add recruiting and offensive coordinating to his duties.
Roster changes Although returning 14 starters from 2004, the team lost four players to the 2005 NFL draft and another to the supplemental draft. The four players taken in the regular draft were Mike Patterson, taken 31st by Philadelphia, Shaun Cody, taken in the second round by Detroit, Lofa Tatupu, taken in the second round by Seattle, and Matt Cassel, taken in the seventh round by New England Patriots. Additionally, Manuel Wright was taken in the supplemental draft as a fifth round selection by the Miami Dolphins.
Recruiting The Trojans signed 19 recruits for the new class. Included in the top–10 class (ranked first by one source) were four five–star recruits on defense, two five–star recruits on offense, and another eight four–star recruits. Thomas Herring, who signed with the class, did not qualify for admission and sat out for the season, later enrolling in the school.
Pre-season honors Seven Trojan players were honored as part of pre-season watch lists for national awards. Darnell Bing – Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Lott Trophy, and Jim Thorpe Award Reggie Bush – Maxwell Award Dwayne Jarrett – Maxwell Award Ryan Kalil – Rimington Trophy Matt Leinart – Maxwell Award Steve Smith – Maxwell Award LenDale White – Maxwell Award
In addition to the awards, six players were honored on various pre-season All-America teams. Both Leinart and Bush were chosen by Playboy, Athlon, The Sporting News, Street & Smith, Phil Steele's, Lindy, and Blue Ribbon for their first teams. In addition, Playboy and Phil Steele chose Tom Malone to their first teams, Athlon chose Jarrett to its first team, and The Sporting News, Street and Smith, and Phil Steele chose Bing to their first teams. White was chosen to a number of third teams.
Season
Schedule
Rankings
Game summaries
Hawaii
The Trojans began the season by traveling to Hawaii to face the Warriors led by sixth–year head coach June Jones and quarterback Colt Brennan, Leinart's backup in high school. The Trojans opened the scoring on a 65-yard interception return by Darnell Bing. The Warriors answered with a field goal, however the Trojans scored 14 points in the second quarter to take a 21–3 lead into half-time. After Leinart threw his second touchdown of the game to start the second half, Brennan was able to answer with his own touchdown pass to keep the deficit to 18, however, before the end of the quarter Leinart threw his third touchdown, Bush rushed for his second touchdown, and the Trojan defense returned a fumble for the fourth Trojan touchdown of the quarter. In the fourth quarter, most of the Trojan starters were out of the game, and backup quarterback John David Booty threw a touchdown to Dwayne Jarrett, his third touchdown catch of the game. Tyler Graunke threw a touchdown for the Warriors to bring them within 39, but backup running back Desmond Reed rushed for the last Trojan touchdown of the game to bring the final score to 63–17 and bringing the Trojans' win streak to 23 games.
Arkansas
In the Trojans' first home game of the season they faced the Arkansas Razorbacks, led by eighth–year head coach Houston Nutt and quarterback Robert Johnson. Bush opened the scoring for the Trojans with a 76-yard rush. The Razorbacks answered with a touchdown pass by Johnson, however, Leinart scored three touchdowns, two passing and one rushing, before the end of the quarter. In the second quarter the Razorbacks were able to kick a field goal before the Trojans scored two more touchdowns on a rush by LenDale White and a third pass by Leinart. Going into the half the Trojans led 42–10. In the third quarter, White rushed for his second touchdown and Leinart threw a fourth before the Trojan starters were taken out of the game. Booty threw his second touchdown of the season in the fourth quarter before backup quarterback Alex Mortensen threw a touchdown for the Razorbacks. Third-string Trojan quarterback Mike McDonald threw a 4-yard touchdown to end the game, giving the Trojans a 70–17 win and a 24-game winning streak.
Oregon
The Trojans next traveled to Eugene, Oregon to face the Ducks in both teams' conference opener. The Ducks, led by eleventh–year head coach Mike Bellotti and quarterback Kellen Clemens, came into the game undefeated, and started quickly with an early field goal. Later in the quarter, Clemens threw a touchdown and early in the second quarter another field goal gave the Ducks a 13–0 lead. Before the end of the half, Leinart threw a touchdown to Bush and a Mario Danelo field goal gave the Trojans a 13–10 deficit at the half. In the second half, the Trojans began an onslaught with two more Leinart touchdown passes, two LenDale White touchdown rushes, and a Bush rush for a touchdown. Scoring 45 straight points, the Trojans won the game 45–13 and extended their winning streak to 25 games and improved to 3–0 on the season as the Ducks fell to 2–1.
Arizona State
The Trojans next stayed on the road and faced the fifteenth–ranked Arizona State Sun Devils, led by fifth–year head coach Dirk Koetter and quarterback Sam Keller. With both offenses struggling in the first quarter, Sun Devil, Terry Richardson, opened scoring on an 84-yard punt return for a touchdown. The Trojans answered early in the second quarter with a field goal, however, two touchdowns, a Keller pass and a Keegan Herring rush, gave the Sun Devils an 18-point half-time lead. Starting in the third quarter the Trojans got on track with a pair of rushing touchdowns to bring their deficit to four, and midway through the fourth quarter they took the lead on a quarterback sneak by Leinart. Keller drove the Sun Devils to another touchdown to take back the lead, but two more rushing touchdowns by the Trojans, within a minute and a half, gave them the win, 38–28. Reggie Bush and LenDale White both ran for over 150 yards to help the Trojans win their Pac-10 record 26th consecutive game. Helping to seal the win for the Trojans were their defense who sacked Keller five times and caused him to throw five interceptions. Before the game, Keller, in his first year as a starter, had thrown for 2,165 yards in seven games.
Arizona
The Trojans next went home to face the Arizona Wildcats, led by second–year head coach Mike Stoops and quarterback Richard Kovalcheck. Though the Trojans were a 38.5 point favorite and took an early lead on a LenDale White rushing touchdown, the Wildcats answered after Kovalcheck threw his own touchdown and the game was tied at the end of the first quarter. Though both teams struggled in the second quarter, Leinart was able to complete a 22-yard touchdown to Dwayne Jarrett late in the half to take a 14–7 lead. In the third quarter, White rushed for two more touchdowns, however, Kovalcheck answered both times to keep the Wildcats within a touchdown going into the fourth quarter. Early in the fourth, Leinart threw his second touchdown to Jarrett and White rushed for a fourth touchdown to give the Trojans a 42–21 win. Both White and Bush rushed for over 100 yards for the third straight game, which was a school record, and the win increased the Trojan winning streak to 27 games.
Notre Dame