USC Beats Bo in His Last Rose Bowl, 17-10

Ricky Ervins scored on a 14-yard run with 1:10 to play, lifting 12th-ranked USC to a 17-10 victory over third-ranked Michigan in the Rose Bowl game at Pasadena on Monday.

Bo Schembechler, in his last game as Michigan’s coach, closed his career with a 2-8 record in Rose Bowl games.

The Trojans finished the season 9-2-1; Michigan is 10-2.

In Monday’s other bowl games:

--Peter Tom Willis threw for 422 yards and five touchdowns, both Fiesta Bowl records, as fifth-ranked Florida State routed No. 6 Nebraska 41-17 Monday.

The victory capped a 10-2 season for Florida State, which won its final 10 games. Nebraska also finished at 10-2.

It was the worst overall loss for Nebraska since Oklahoma beat the Cornhuskers 38-7 in 1977.

--Chuck Webb ran for 250 yards, the second-best rushing performance in Cotton Bowl history, as eighth-ranked Tennessee beat 10th-ranked Arkansas, 31-27, at Dallas.

Webb, a freshman, carried 26 times and scored twice, including a 78-yard run. Rice’s Dicky Maegle set the Cotton Bowl record of 265 yards against Alabama in 1954.

Tennessee finished with an 11-1 record; Arkansas is 10-2.

--Reggie Slack completed his last 12 passes before halftime and led ninth-ranked Auburn to a 31-14 victory over 21st-ranked Ohio State in the Hall of Fame Bowl at Tampa, Fla.

After suffering two interceptions, Slack threw touchdown passes of 11 and 4 yards to Greg Taylor that gave the Tigers the lead for good. Greg Frey, quarterback for Ohio State, was sacked four times. Auburn finished at 10-2, Ohio State at 8-4.

--In the Citrus Bowl at Orlando, Fla., Jeff George passed for a season-high 321 yards and three touchdowns as 11th-ranked Illinois defeated 15th-ranked Virginia, 31-21.

It was the first bowl game victory for the Illini (11-2) since their 17-7 win over Washington in the 1964 Rose Bowl. The Cavaliers finished at 10-3.

The final rankings in the Associated Press poll will be released today.