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Today is Jan. 4, 2025. And on this date in Texas history, Vince Young scampered past the USC defense as the UT football program claimed its fourth national championship.
In arguably one of the best games in college football’s history, Texas recorded a 41-38 win over USC at the 2006 Rose Bowl. With its win in the BCS championship game, Texas claimed its first national title since the 1970 season. The Longhorns also won championships in 1963 and 1969.
In a star-studded showdown that featured the top-three finishers in the 2005 Heisman Trophy race, USC and Texas combined for 1,130 yards of offense. Texas led by as many as nine points on that Wednesday night, but it was USC that held a 38-33 advantage in the final minute.
With Texas facing a 4th-and-5 at the USC 8-yard line, Young scampered into the end zone with 19 seconds left for a program-defining highlight. Young finished with 267 passing yards, 200 rushing yards and three total touchdowns in his final game as the Longhorns’ quarterback.
That victory over USC helped Mack Brown join Darrell Royal as the only coaches to win a national title at Texas. Current UT coach Steve Sarkisian, who could join Brown and Royal in that championship club with two more wins this month, was an assistant coach with the Trojans during the 2005 season.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas football, Vince Young beat USC at Rose Bowl for national title
