2005 USC vs Notre Dame — 'The Bush Push' — Final 20 Minutes of the Game

Tested like never before, Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and Southern Cal showed they have a championship jaw to go along with all that talent. Leinart pushed and spun his way into the end zone with 3 seconds left to cap a chaotic finish and No. 1 USC escaped with its 28th straight victory, a back-and-forth 34-31 win Saturday over No. 9 Notre Dame in a game that lived up to the hype. "You gotta believe you're going to win the way that happened," USC coach Pete Carroll said. For a moment the Irish (4-2), dressed for success in kelly green jerseys, thought they had added another stunning upset to their illustrious history. Leinart scrambled from inside the 5, launched himself toward the end zone but was stopped short and the ball was sent flying out of bounds. With the clock ticking down to 0:00, Notre Dame's fans rushed the field and coach Charlie Weis raised his hands in victory. But USC coach Pete Carroll sprinted down the sideline to plead his case. The officials huddled, then put 7 seconds back on the clock and the ball inside the 1. The Heisman Trophy winner had the option to spike the ball to regroup his team or go with what he had. He chose the latter, took it in himself over the left side and got a little help moving the pile from Bush. "I used all 200 pounds of my body to push Matt in," said Bush, who ran for 160 yards on 15 carries with three touchdowns. Carroll said USC (6-0) never even considered settling for a field goal attempt to send it to overtime. Irish quarterback Brady Quinn had given Notre Dame a 31-28 lead with 2:02 left, dashing around right end for a 5-yard touchdown, extending his right arm across the goal line with the ball. But Leinart wasn't done. He completed a 61-yard pass to Dwayne Jarrett on a fourth-and-9 at his own 26 and a few plays later called his own number for the winner. "I just saw it, I thought it was there and I just wanted to get in," Leinart said. "I didn't want to spike the ball so I made the choice and they were looking down from up above and we got in. That was all that mattered." Produced by NBC Sports Follow us on Instagram:   / uscfb   Follow us on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@uscfb Follow us on TikTok:   / uscfb   Follow us on Twitter:   / uscfb   Tickets, news, roster, schedule, and more: https://www.usctrojans.com/football The USC Trojans football program, based in Los Angeles, is a powerhouse in college football with a rich history and tradition. Competing in the Big Ten Conference, the Trojans have achieved numerous successes, including 11 national championships and 8 Heisman Trophy winners. The team is known for its passionate fan base, iconic home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and a legacy of producing top-tier NFL talent. © 2024 University of Southern California #FightOn✌️