Question on the Rose Bowl game with USC

With 16 seconds on the clock Reggie Bush uses up 8 seconds on a play and runs out of bounds on the UT 43. The next play the QB is rushed out of the pocket and throws and incomplete pass and time runs out. Why didn't Reggie cut inside and try to get maybe ten more yards to maybe get in field goal range (even though it would have been a long one)?
Of course the danger would be if he were caught down the field time would run out. Those that were at the game can possible shed some light. My guess is that on tv we couldn't see down the field and that he saw he would be caught and thought the safest course would be to get out of bounds and save the time rather than risk it right then. Can anyone that was at the Rose Bowl that day help?

 

Bill, it is frightening to think about but I thought the same thing. He could have gained more. Maybe a lot more.

 

He had to take a colossial dump.

 

My heart nearly leapt out of my throat when I saw that lane opening up for Reggie on that play-but he had to be worried about time, and maybe he was ordered to run out of bounds if there was any question about being tackled.

 

I think if the lane were as open as it looked on TV, he would have taken it.

 

From our seats in the end zone, I thought the same thing. I thought he could have picked up a lot more. Plus, the clock would have stopped to move the chains. Plenty of time to spike the ball and trot out the FG team. Shesh... glad he ran out of bounds!

 

Even with the play they had to end the game, it seemed to me that if he completed that pass instead of over throwing the guy, there is a chance that he could have been out of bounds with 1 second to go and it seemed like they could have at least had a long shot at a field goal. All I know is that was the longest few seconds of my life, but when it was over it was one of the greatest feelings ever!

 

Have you ever tried running with $50K in your pants pockets?

 

Petey didn't trust his kicker that whole season (RIP), and some will say for good reason. My guess is that it would've had to be less than 35 yards (and DEFINITELY less than 40) for USC to even attempt a field goal, so unless they made it down to around the 20, they were gonna go for a TD.

 

One of the biggest exaggerations of that whole game is that Carroll made a huge mistake by calling timeout before the 2-point conversion play. Folks, this is college football. Unless you get sacked, you don't need timeouts with 16 seconds left. You either get a first down or you don't. The clock will stop either way. There was plenty of time for USC to either run another play or spike the ball if Bush had cut inside.

It boggles my mind how much is made of their not having timeouts. IT DOESN"T MATTER! In college football, the clock stops on first downs!!!

 

Reggie didn't want to be called O.J.


on the best damn 50 touchdowns ever show, reggie did take a stutter step and cut back and made it to the end zone for a game winning td, the hosts of bf40tde said that he looked like O J about 50 times as they showed the clip.

Reggie didn't cut back because, being a little *****, he was in a snit at PC for being on the sidelines on the play where SC got stuffed, and he didn't want to be called O J again.

 

Easy. He lost focusness.


How did it take that long?

 

for what it's worth, marcus griffing was loitering in reggie bush's cutback space. i don't think anyone else was nearby, so had marcus not slowed him down at least, it could have been ugly.

unless reggie got down to the 20 and tried another lateral.

 

Reggie had been playing football professionally for a couple of years so he thought the clock would keep running unless he got out of bounds.

 

borna - your points are all good, but they make a big assumtion. What if you don't the first down? With a timeout, you can run any play in the book and stop the clock no matter what.

IT DOESN'T MATTER (if you get the first down)!!!!
fify

 

It's almost an instinct to get out of bounds to stop the clock when trailing in the late stages of a game, especially considering that USC had already used all of their timeouts.

It's also possible that Bush didn't want to try anything too fancy or risky after his botched lateral.

 

When Leinart stepped back to play it looked like he was looking to his right to hopefully throw a pass and have his receiver get out of bounds with maybe a second or two to try a long field goal.
Reggie probably instinctive ran out of bounds to save the time because had he run he would have been in danger of having the time run out if he had been tackled.

 

let's remember, this is the same cat who tried that stupid lateral in the second quarter when USC might have been on the verge of running away with the game.

also remember he was NOT on the field on 4th and 2. LenDale White was.

 

Stop it. Just stop it. How dare all of you question the best player in college football that year.

 

I always wondered why AHarris on the field?

Harris rushed and left Reggie all alone. Why not have Kelson or a DB at the position for coverage?

 

We all clearly know Reggie is one of Mensa's finest, but to his credit when you are running the two minute offense everyone is told the same thing: secure the ball, get to the sticks, and above all else get the hell out of bounds. He was just following SOP and probably did not 'strategize' getting yardage, theen a short pass, then a spike, and then the long FG. It is probably the opposite of VY two minute drill mentality that say screw what anyone else thinks, look around, if no one is open, run like hell and calmly slip inside the pylon.

 

I've watched that play...200 times. Very scary.

Had Arron Harris played his position correctly, Bush would have been held to a 5 yard gain. It was the same play as the infamous lateral. On that play as well, it appears that Harris is out of position.

 

in that situation, he should have been looking to lateral to a white guy who hadn't touched the ball all year.

 

What's really cool about that play is that Reggie went out of bounds, then Texas won the game. I love watching that Reggie play, just like I love watching Dwayne Jarrett score the 4th quarter td to go up 12 and knock out two of our safeties. What happened was Dwayne Jarrett scored the 4th quarter td to go up 12 and knocked out two of our safeties, and then Texas won the game.

I could go on.

 

The intimidation of VY had Reggie jacked up the whole game. Other than his one run, he sucked that night. His decision making was horrible, however I agree that he was probably told a million times to get to the sidelines. He did the right thing.