Special Teams Could Be Key

USC and Michigan have high-powered offenses and stingy defenses, leading some to predict that special teams will decide the Rose Bowl outcome.

USC features one of the nation’s top punters, sophomore Tom Malone, and the Wolverines counter with one of the nation’s top punt-return specialists, freshman Steve Breaston.

Malone averaged 49.2 yards a kick this season, which would have led the nation had he not fallen five kicks shy of meeting the NCAA-minimum 3.6 punts a game. The Trojans lead the nation in net punting -- the punt minus the average of the return -- with an average of 43.5 yards.

“I’ve gone into games thinking I was going to punt and never did, and I’ve gone into games where I thought I wasn’t going to punt once, and I did a few times,” said Malone, who has punted 39 times. “In the Rose Bowl, I just have to be ready for whatever I get.”

Malone said he is well aware of Breaston, who scored on returns of 69 yards against Indiana and 74 yards against Illinois. Breaston also had two returns that went for touchdowns called back because of penalties.

“They block well and he runs well,” Malone said. “There are a lot of times where there’s nothing and he’s just kind of made something happen.

“We’ve been good all year on punt coverage so we’re not going to let that change what we do. I’m aware of him, but I’m not going to do anything different than I have all season.”

Breaston averaged 14.1 yards in 44 punt returns. He ranks third in punt-return yardage (619 yards) behind Oklahoma’s Antonio Perkins, who has 50 returns for 632 yards and four touchdowns, and Miami of Ohio’s Ryne Robinson, who has 38 returns for 654 yards and three touchdowns.

“USC’s punter does a great job getting the ball downfield and they do a great job covering,” Breaston said.

“It’s hard to get past them and hard to break a play on those guys. We just have to prepare well and be ready to meet the challenge.”

Michigan punter Adam Finley is averaging 39.7 yards in 49 punts.

Sure-handed Greig Carlson averages nine yards a return for USC, but speedy freshman Reggie Bush also could return kicks against the Wolverines.

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Michigan kicker Garrett Rivas has made nine of 11 field-goal attempts.

USC’s Ryan Killeen has made 19 of 23 attempts, and is hoping for several opportunities against the Wolverines.

“I want to get a couple of field goals in this game,” he said. “It would be great to win it with a field goal. If it comes down to it, I’d love to do it.”

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Freshman quarterback John David Booty had a cast removed from his left wrist, which was broken on Nov. 22 when UCLA’s Dave Ball sacked him. “It hurts a little bit,” said Booty, who wore a lace-up brace for support.... Junior linebacker Matt Grootegoed, who has an injured ankle, made it through an entire practice for the second consecutive day on Monday, raising Coach Pete Carroll’s already high spirits. Carroll said Grootegoed would play as a backup against Michigan. “I didn’t think he could make it,” Carroll said.