KEYS TO THE GAME

USC run offense vs. Michigan run defense

* USC has gone all season with a tailback rotation of sophomore Hershel Dennis and freshmen LenDale White and Reggie Bush. The Trojans average 163.2 yards a game. Dennis (53.7 yards a game) will start, but White (60.7) could turn into the workhouse with Bush (40.0) providing the flash when he’s not lined up as a receiver. Linebackers Carl Diggs, Lawrence Reid and Pierre Woods are among the top tacklers for Michigan, which ranks 25th nationally against the run, surrendering 120.7 yards a game. Edge: USC.

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USC pass offense vs. Michigan pass defense

* Matt Leinart, who finished sixth in the balloting for the Heisman Trophy, operates the Trojans’ multifaceted passing game and is one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the nation. Leinart has passed for 35 touchdowns with nine interceptions and is completing 63% of his attempts. All-American wide receiver Mike Williams, who has 87 catches and 16 touchdowns, flanker Keary Colbert (63 catches, seven touchdowns), receiver Steve Smith, tight end Gregg Guenther, fullback Brandon Hancock and Bush all have made big plays and are scoring threats. Cornerbacks Jeremy LeSueur and Markus Curry and safeties Marlin Jackson and Ernest Shazor lead the nation’s sixth-best pass defense, giving up 167.1 yards a game. Edge: USC.

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USC run defense vs. Michigan run offense

* USC surrenders only 61.1 rushing yards a game, which ranks second in the nation behind Ohio State. The Trojans, however, will be facing their toughest test to date. Michigan features Doak Walker Award winner Chris Perry, a senior who averages 132.4 yards a game. Perry ran for 154 yards and scored two touchdowns in 31 carries against Ohio State on Nov. 22 in a 35-21 victory that clinched the Big Ten Conference title and sent the Wolverines to the Rose Bowl. He finished fourth in the balloting for the Heisman Trophy. Edge: Michigan.

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USC pass defense vs. Michigan pass offense

* Pass defense is the perceived weak spot for the Trojans, but much of the yardage was surrendered in the fourth quarter of blowout victories. Still, Michigan quarterback John Navarre will try to exploit the secondary with a passing attack similar to the one employed by USC. Navarre averages 255 passing yards a game. He has thrown for 23 touchdowns with nine interceptions. Braylon Edwards has caught 75 passes and scored 14 touchdowns for the Wolverines, who also feature Jason Avant (43 receptions, two touchdowns) and Steve Breaston (32 catches, three touchdowns). Perry also is an integral part of the passing game with 42 receptions. Edge: Michigan.

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Special teams

* USC kicker Ryan Killeen has made 19 of 23 field-goal attempts and 61 of 63 extra-point kicks. Tom Malone averages 49.2 yards a punt, which would lead the nation were he not five shy of qualifying with the NCAA-minimum 3.6 per game. The Trojans lead the nation in net punting average at 43.5 yards a kick. Breaston has returned two punts for touchdowns and had two others called back because of penalties. Michigan kicker Garrett Rivas has made nine of 11 field-goal attempts. Punter Adam Finley is averaging 39.7 yards for 49 punts. Greig Carlson averages nine yards per return for USC, but Bush also could return kicks against the Wolverines. Edge: USC.

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Coaching

* USC’s Pete Carroll evened his record in bowl games at 1-1 when he led the Trojans to victory in the Orange Bowl last season. Just as they did in 2002, Carroll and offensive coordinator Norm Chow had the top-ranked Trojans playing better than any team in the nation at the end of the regular season. Lloyd Carr is 5-3 in bowl games at Michigan, including a victory over Washington State in the 1998 Rose Bowl that gave the Wolverines a share of the 1997 national championship. Edge: USC.

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Intangibles

* Both of Michigan’s losses came on the road, and this basically amounts to a home game for USC. Michigan has not played since defeating Ohio State on Nov. 22. USC, which is tied for first in the nation in turnover margin, defeated Oregon State on Dec. 6. Both teams start fast. Michigan outscored opponents, 102-17, in the first quarter; USC, 141-45. The Trojans are at their best, however, in the third quarter when they’ve outscored opponents, 133-38. If Michigan falls behind early, it could have difficulty coming back. USC has blown out most opponents. The Trojans have not proven they can win a tough game in the fourth quarter. Edge: USC.

Gary Klein’s Pick: USC, 38-24.

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*--* USC BOWL HISTORY Season Bowl Result 2002 Orange USC 38, Iowa 17 2001 Las Vegas Utah 10, USC 6 1998 Sun TCU 28, USC 19 1995 Rose USC 41, Northwestern 32 1994 Cotton USC 55, Texas Tech 14 1993 Freedom USC 28, Utah 21 1992 Freedom Fresno State 24, USC 7 1990 John Hancock Michigan State 17, USC 16 1989 Rose USC 17, Michigan 10 1988 Rose Michigan 22, USC 14 1987 Rose Michigan State 20, USC 17 1986 Citrus Auburn 16, USC 7 1985 Aloha Alabama 24, USC 3 1984 Rose USC 20, Ohio State 17 1981 Fiesta Penn State 26, USC 10 1979 Rose USC 17, Ohio State 16 1978 Rose USC 17, Michigan 10 1977 Bluebonnet USC 47, Texas A&M; 28 1976 Rose USC 14, Michigan 6 1975 Liberty USC 20, Texas A&M; 0 1974 Rose USC 18, Ohio State 17 1973 Rose Ohio State 42, USC 21 1972 Rose USC 42, Ohio State 17 1969 Rose USC 10, Michigan 3 1968 Rose Ohio State 27, USC 16 1967 Rose USC 14, Indiana 3 1966 Rose Purdue 14, USC 13 1962 Rose USC 42, Wisconsin 37 1954 Rose Ohio State 20, USC 7 1952 Rose USC 7, Wisconsin 0 1947 Rose Michigan 49, USC 0 1945 Rose Alabama 34, USC 14 1944 Rose USC 25, Tennessee 0 1943 Rose USC 29, Washington 0 1939 Rose USC 14, Tennessee 0 1938 Rose USC 7, Duke 3 1932 Rose USC 35, Pittsburgh 0 1931 Rose USC 21, Tulane 12 1929 Rose USC 47, Pittsburgh 14 1924 Christmas Festival USC 20, Missouri 7 1922 Rose USC 14, Pittsburgh 3

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*--* USC INDIVIDUAL STATS PASSING Cmp Att Yds Cmp% TD Int Matt Leinart 232 368 3229 63.0 35 9 John David Booty 7 14 90 50.0 0 0 Matt Cassel 6 13 63 46.2 0 0 Brandon Hance 4 9 44 44.4 0 0 Mike Williams 1 1 23 100.0 0 0 Keary Colbert 0 1 0 0.0 0 0

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*--* RUSHING Car Yds YPC Long TD LenDale White 133 728 5.5 66 13 Hershel Dennis 130 644 5.0 34 4 Reggie Bush 82 480 5.9 58 3 C. Washington 19 65 3.4 10 0 Keary Colbert 3 29 9.7 12 0 Mike Williams 3 26 8.7 17 0 David Kirtman 5 23 4.6 9 0 Andre Woodert 3 19 6.3 22 0 Whitney Lewis 3 11 3.7 6 0 Steve Smith 1 8 8.0 8 0 Jacob Rogers 1 0 0.0 0 0 Lee Webb 4 0 0.0 2 0 Tom Malone 1 0 0.0 0 0 Matt Cassel 1 -2 -2.0 -2 0 Brandon Hancock 1 -2 -2.0 -2 0 John David Booty 1 -10 -10.0 -10 0 Matt Leinart 30 -46 -1.5 12 0

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*--* RECEIVING Rec Yds YPR Long TD Mike Williams 87 1226 14.1 40 16 Keary Colbert 63 864 13.7 57 7 Steve Smith 16 310 19.4 73 2 Reggie Bush 13 272 20.9 60 4 Dominique Byrd 14 268 19.1 55 1 Brandon Hancock 11 152 13.8 52 2 Gregg Guenther Jr. 16 148 9.3 23 2 Hershel Dennis 10 62 6.2 20 1 Whitney Lewis 3 27 9.0 16 0 Jason Mitchell 2 27 13.5 21 0 Chris McFoy 2 23 11.5 15 0 David Kirtman 4 20 5.0 8 0 Justin Wyatt 3 20 6.7 8 0 Kurt Katnik 1 13 13.0 13 0 LenDale White 4 11 2.8 10 0 C. Washington 1 6 6.0 6 0

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*--* KICKING XP FG 1-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ LNG PTS Killeen 61-63 19-23 0/0 9/10 8/10 2/3 0/0 45 118

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*--* MICHIGAN BOWL HISTORY Season Bowl Result 2002 Outback Michigan 38, Florida 30 2001 Citrus Tennessee 45, Michigan 17 2000 Citrus Michigan 31, Auburn 28 1999 Orange Michigan 35, Alabama 34 (OT) 1998 Citrus Michigan 45, Arkansas 31 1997 Rose Michigan 21, Washington State 16 1996 Outback Alabama 17, Michigan 14 1995 Alamo Texas A&M; 22, Michigan 20 1994 Holiday Michigan 24, Colorado State 14 1993 Hall of Fame Michigan 42, North Carolina State 7 1992 Rose Michigan 38, Washington 31 1991 Rose Washington 34, Michigan 14 1990 Gator Michigan 35, Mississippi 3 1989 Rose USC 17, Michigan 10 1988 Rose Michigan 22, USC 14 1987 Hall of Fame Michigan 28, Alabama 24 1986 Rose Arizona State 22, Michigan 15 1985 Fiesta Michigan 27, Nebraska 23 1984 Holiday Brigham Young 24, Michigan 17 1983 Sugar Auburn 9, Michigan 7 1982 Rose UCLA 24, Michigan 14 1981 Bluebonnet Michigan 33, UCLA 14 1980 Rose Michigan 23, Washington 6 1979 Gator North Carolina 17, Michigan 15 1978 Rose USC 17, Michigan 10 1977 Rose Washington 27, Michigan 20 1976 Rose USC 14, Michigan 6 1975 Orange Oklahoma 14, Michigan 6 1971 Rose Stanford 13, Michigan 12 1969 Rose USC 10, Michigan 3 1964 Rose Michigan 34, Oregon State 7 1950 Rose Michigan 14, California 6 1947 Rose Michigan 49, USC 1901 Rose Michigan 49, Stanford 0

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*--* MICHIGAN INDIVIDUAL STATS PASSING Cmp Att Yds Cmp% TD Int John Navarre 243 410 3060 59.3 23 9 Matt Gutierrez 13 19 153 68.4 1 0 Steve Breaston 1 1 36 100.0 1 0

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*--* RUSHING Car Yds YPC Long TD Chris Perry 315 1589 5.0 63 17 David Underwood 52 270 5.2 35 2 Jerome Jackson 29 187 6.4 41 2 Pierre Rembert 20 84 4.2 18 3 Tim Bracken 17 76 4.5 27 1 Steve Breaston 10 44 4.4 21 2 Braylon Edwards 3 21 7.0 10 0 Calvin Bell 1 17 17.0 17 0 Matt Gutierrez 3 3 1.0 3 1 Alijah Bradley 2 1 0.5 1 0 Garrett Rivas 1 0 0.0 0 0 Mike Kaselitz 1 -1 -1.0 -1 0 Scott McClintock 1 -9 -9.0 -9 0 John Navarre 36 -33 -0.9 10 0

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*--* RECEIVING Rec Yds YPR Long TD Braylon Edwards 75 1031 13.7 64 14 Jason Avant 43 711 16.5 71 2 Steve Breaston 32 383 12.0 37 3 Chris Perry 42 366 8.7 21 2 Tim Massaquoi 14 194 13.9 45 1 Calvin Bell 8 114 14.3 43 0 Carl Tabb 10 103 10.3 21 0 Brian Thompson 12 77 6.4 19 0 Tyler Ecker 4 67 16.8 30 0 Andy Mignery 4 48 12.0 26 2 Tyrece Butler 3 40 13.3 24 0 John Navarre 1 36 36.0 36 1 Kevin Dudley 3 29 9.7 18 0 Six players with one catch

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*--* KICKING XP FG 1-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ LNG PTS Rivas 48-49 9-11 0/0 4/4 2/2 3/5 0/0 47 75 Finley 7-8 2-4 0/0 1/2 1/1 0/1 0/0 30 13

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