Leinart Has a Magical Day

In a perfect world, Matt Leinart would have taken the microphone after his Trojans’ 28-14 victory over Michigan in the Rose Bowl and made a speech that would have brought world peace.

But he didn’t, proving that even perfection has limits.

World peace notwithstanding, Leinart’s day of football in a high-profile game was nearly free of flaws, the only blemish a meaningless fumble late in the fourth quarter.

The tall, dark and handsome sophomore from Santa Ana Mater Dei, in only his first year as USC’s quarterback, punched the clock about 2:15 p.m. Thursday and turned in this workday:

* A passing mark of 23 completions in 34 attempts for 327 yards and three touchdowns.

* No interceptions.

* An offense that compiled 410 yards for an average of 6.8 yards a play.

* The completion of his first year as USC starter with Brett Favre-like statistics: 3,656 yards passing, with 38 touchdown passes and only nine interceptions.

* The player-of-the-game award.

* And, probably best, participation, in a very un-quarterback-like manner, in the play of the game.

It was late in the third quarter and Michigan had just scored to cut USC’s lead to 21-7. Few in the crowd of 93,849, with the possible exception of a few die-hards dressed in blue, sensed a Wolverine comeback victory in the offing, but one more USC score would pretty well confirm the direction this game had headed almost from the start.

On second and goal from Michigan’s 15, Leinart pitched to tailback Hershel Dennis, who headed right, then quickly pitched to All-American wide receiver Mike Williams, who was looping back to the left.

The left-handed Williams quickly spotted an open receiver downfield and lofted a perfect pass. The receiver caught the ball with his hands first, just as receivers are taught to do, and turned quickly and smoothly toward the end zone, arriving seconds before most of the Michigan team had time to turn their heads.

USC 28, Michigan 7. Game over. National championship, or at least some form of it, assured.

The receiver? Mr. Perfect, of course, Matt Leinart, making his first-ever reception, including his high school days.

“I have good hands,” Leinart said afterward. “I always catch that one in practice.”

Williams, teased a bit about challenging Leinart for his job next year, said he would “never” play quarterback and added, “It’s just one of those plays and today it just worked. All Matt had to do is catch the ball.”

The play is called “troops right 18 toss reverse quarterback throwback.”

“We tried it every week in practice,” Leinart said. “I just kept waiting for them to use it in a game.”

Leinart’s performance, besides putting him in the early lead for the 2004 Heisman, made him one of only four players in the history of the Rose Bowl game to be responsible for four touchdowns. None of the other three passed for three and caught one.

When the perfect day had ended for Leinart, he began a teammate hug-athon that got around to most of the other players in cardinal and gold and then took him to the northeast corner of the Rose Bowl, where Trojan players gathered to celebrate with their fans. Leinart was led to a ladder, where he was asked to direct the proceedings.

In his left hand was a Trojan helmet, in his right, a sword, the same sword used by Tommy Trojan to direct Trojan ceremonies during the game.

Now, Leinart was the real maestro. It was fitting and symbolic that he had it.

In fact, it was perfect.