Bo’s Farewell Is by the Book : USC Beats Michigan, 17-10, on Late Drive : Rose Bowl: Schembechler’s record in game drops to 2-8 as he ends career as Wolverine coach.

When it was over, when the final points had been scored and the final gun had sounded, USC’s Tim Ryan started to cry.

Not for his team. It had won Monday’s 76th Rose Bowl, 17-10, over Michigan.

No, Ryan’s tears were for himself and his fellow seniors who would never again wear a USC uniform.

USC Coach Larry Smith wasn’t crying, but it was tough for him, too. He had been on Michigan Coach Bo Schembechler’s side of the field in Schembechler’s first game at Michigan 21 years ago, as an assistant.

And he was on the opposite side Monday for Schembechler’s last game.

“I wish he could have played somebody else in his last game,” Smith said after the game, “and beat them.”

For all of its success, this was a USC team with much to prove. It had lost four consecutive bowl games, including the last two Rose Bowls.

And again Monday, it looked as if the Trojans might walk away winless in their last shot.

But with the score 10-10 and only a minute and a half left, Trojan tailback Ricky Ervins, on a first-and-10 play from the Michigan 14-yard line, broke free off right tackle.

At the seven-yard line, he met an old nemesis, Tripp Welborne, the All-American defensive back who had been a key factor in USC’s loss to Michigan in last year’s Rose Bowl.

But not this time.

Welborne dived, but got nothing more than a piece of Ervins’ ankle. Not a big enough piece.

Ervins broke free, blew past the Wolverines’ Todd Plate, who was blocked out by Gary Wellmam and, with 1:10 to play, went into the end zone with the ball, the game, and, as it turned out, the game’s most valuable player award before 103,450.

“It was a basic off-tackle play,” Ervins said. “I think Michigan was tired and they were just leaving gaps. I couldn’t believe it when I got to the end zone.”

Ervins’ whole season was kind of hard to believe. This was a guy who started the year third on USC’s depth chart at tailback. By the time it was over, he was the Pacific 10 rushing leader with 1,269 yards and added a game-high 126 more in the Rose Bowl.

But if unlikely success stories are the subject, how about USC’s redshirt freshman quarterback Todd Marinovich?

Here’s a guy who started out the preseason second-string, started out the regular season without a long pass in his playbook because his coach wasn’t sure he could execute one, and finished up confidently leading the game-winning drive in the Rose Bowl.

Marinovich completed 22 of 31 for 178 yards, but he began the game looking more like a freshman.

USC’s first drive ended at the Michigan 33 when Marinovich, scrambling toward the left sideline, threw the ball right into the waiting hands of Welborne.

The Trojans also failed to break the scoreless tie on their second drive, but only by inches.

That’s how close kicker Quin Rodriguez’s 32-yard field goal attempt came after hooking directly over the top of the left upright.

Michigan took over and drove to its 48 at the start of the second quarter, where, on a fourth-and-two, kicker Chris Stapleton went back to punt.

Instead, because of a defensive breakdown, he found himself kicking directly into the diving body of tackle Dan Owens. Owens blocked the kick and linebacker Junior Seau caught up with it at the Michigan 35 and ran it to the 11.

What really hurt Wolverine Coach Bo Schembechler was that USC wasn’t even coming with a full rush.

“It was an individual breakdown,” Schembechler said. “It was one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever had happen. They were not rushing our punter. Someone just fell asleep.”

Owens just grinned when asked how he had gotten in there.

“We lined up (punt) safe,” he said, meaning his job and that of Seau was to keep the punter honest and make sure he kicked rather than pull a fake. “Nobody blocked me. I don’t know what they were doing.”

As he rushed in, however, another picture flashed in his mind. The last time he’d had this clear a shot at blocking a punt had been back in his days at La Habra High School.

“That time,” Owens said, “I jumped up and the punter went around me.”

This time, Owens was more cautious. And more successful.

The Trojans took advantage, driving down to the Michigan one-yard line where, on a second-and-goal, Marinovich was supposed to hand off to fullback Leroy Holt.

Instead, Holt whizzed past before Marinovich could get him the ball.

“It was my fault,” Marinovich said. “Leroy just hit it real quick. When I looked up, Leroy was already by me.”

That left Marinovich standing flat-footed at the two, looking at several surprised defenders.

No problem.

“It was only two yards,” he said. “I knew I could make it.”

And he did, taking a couple of quick steps to the left side and into the end zone before the Wolverines could react.

Later in the quarter, Michigan made it 7-3 on a 19-yard field goal by J.D. Carlson.

Another USC drive stalled at the Michigan 26 when Coach Larry Smith passed up a field goal attempt on fourth-and-10 at the Michigan 26 and opted for the pass. Marinovich spotted an open Larry Wallace in the end zone, but couldn’t get him the ball, Welborne stepping in to knock down a potential touchdown.

“I went for it, it was there and I underthrew the ball,” Marinovich said. “That’s one play I’d like to have back.”

There were others in a frustrating half for the Trojans that brought back memories of last year’s Rose Bowl, when USC couldn’t put Michigan away in the first half and the Wolverines came back to win.

But USC saved its most frustrating drive for the final minutes of the half.

After letting nearly half a minute expire following a Michigan punt, USC took over on its 26.

The Trojans drove to the Michigan 30 where Marinovich scrambled for 23 yards, his longest run of the season, to give the Trojans a first-and-goal at the seven.

Fifty-one seconds remained.

But an overthrown pass and an intentional grounding call left USC back at the Michigan 19 with 14 seconds to play.

Marinovich rolled left, found nobody open, then spotted Frank Griffin open to his right. Griffin caught the ball, but stumbled and fell at the 16.

That worked to USC’s advantage, because only three seconds remained. Had Griffin kept going, there were a couple of Wolverines in front of him who probably would have tackled him, and that would have ended the half.

Instead, USC was able to call a timeout, setting up Rodriguez’s 34-yard field goal to close out the first 30 minutes.

Michigan tied the game in the third quarter on a two-yard run by Allen Jefferson, culminating a 10-play, 56-yard drive.

But the best Michigan running back on this cold Pasadena afternoon was the same guy who starred in last year’s Rose Bowl and was named the game’s MVP.

Leroy Hoard, at tailback in place of injured Tony Boles, gained 108 yards rushing, becoming the first runner to get 100 yards on the USC defense since Hoard did it in the last Rose Bowl. Hoard’s 31-yard run set up the tying touchdown.

In all, Michigan rushed for just 119 yards while quarterback Michael Taylor added 115 through the air on 10 completions in 19 attempts.

But it was the Wolverines’ special teams that were involved in a crucial play.

Stapleton set up to punt on a fourth-and-two at his 46. Instead, he faked and ran for 24 yards to apparently position Michigan for the go-ahead touchdown at the USC 30.

Until the flag dropped.

Apparently, Michigan’s Bobby Abrams was whistled for holding, a call that ignited Schembechler on the sideline.

By the time he was done ranting and raving and tangling himself in the cord from his headset, Schembechler had been hit with another penalty, 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct, and Michigan was facing a fourth-and-27 at its 21.

USC began its winning drive at its 25 with 5:15 to play.

In the huddle, center Brad Leggett made a little speech.

“This is the last time we’ll all be together,” he told his teammates. “So everybody take care of their man and do your job.”

It was the perfect motivator, said receiver John Jackson.

“Everybody’s sights were focused,” he said. “You could see fire in everybody’s eyes. We didn’t want to go out at 10-10. A tie would kill us.”

Instead, USC came up with a drive that killed Michigan’s faint hopes of a national championship.

On third-and-four at the USC 31, Marinovich got the first down with a seven-yard run.

On the next play, Marinovich, facing a furious rush, kept backing up toward the right sideline, waiting it seemed for an eternity, until Ervins got open. Then, Marinovich completed a pass to him for 13 yards.

On third-and-five from the Wolverine 44, Marinovich completed a 20-yard pass to Jackson.

“Everybody was running curl patterns,” Jackson said. “It wasn’t specifically designed for me, but my right-hand man got it to me.”

And finally came Ervins’ run to send Schembechler into retirement with a loss.

Excusing himself from a reporter in the locker room, Smith turned to ask if Schembechler was still in the stadium.

He was gone, Smith was told.

The USC coach grimaced.

Heck of a way to say goodby.

USC Notes

The Trojans finish 9-2-1, Michigan 10-2. . . . Bo Schembechler’s bowl record winds up 5-12, including 2-8 in Pasadena. . . . USC’s John Jackson caught five passes for 56 yards. It was the 37th consecutive game in which he had caught a pass, breaking former Trojan Randy Simmrin’s Pacific 10 record. . . . USC guard Brent Parkinson was sidelined in the first quarter because of a sprained right knee.