USCFootball.com - Story and Video: USC vs. Illinois in Rose Bowl

December 2, 2007

Ryan Abraham and Jonathan Kay
USCFootball.com Staff

A couple of players booed, but USC greeted the announcement mostly with silence. Eventually, video assistant Sam Anno got everybody clapping.

Video of USC watching the BCS Selection

It had been a foregone conclusion, since early in the day, that Illinois would be selected as the Trojans' Rose Bowl opponent.

"Illinois presented that tradition of the Big Ten vs. Pac-10," a Rose Bowl representative said on a media conference call. "Wanting to stick with that tradition was a big factor (in selecting the matchup)."

The Rose Bowl chose Illinois from a pool that included West Virginia, Boston College, Kansas and Hawaii.

Georgia was not eligible. With LSU playing for the national title, the Sugar Bowl had the right to keep the SEC's second BCS team.

"(Illinois) has done a lot of great things," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "They'll come in here raring to go."

This will be the first time the schools have met in the Rose Bowl.

Illinois (9-3) finished second in the Big Ten, notably knocking off No. 1 Ohio State in Columbus on Nov. 1. The Illini also defeated then-No. 5 Wisconsin, 31-26, in October. Their losses came to Missouri, Iowa and Michigan.

The last time USC and Illinois met - 1996 in Champaign-Urbana - the Trojans won 55-3. In 1989, the teams were scheduled to play in Moscow, for what was dubbed the Glasnost Bowl. The schools eventually pulled out and played in the Coliseum, where Jeff George threw two late fourth-quarter touchdowns to spark Illinois to a 14-13 victory.

Illinois' last trip to the Rose Bowl came in 1984, when it fell to UCLA, 45-9. This is the Illini's first Bowl appearance since 2001.

USC president Steven B. Sample earned his bachelor's degree, masters degree and doctorate from Illinois.

Here are some notable statistics to show how this year's teams stack up:

Total defense: USC 258.8 (3rd nation), Illinois 355.4 (44th)

Scoring defense: USC 15.9 (3rd), Illinois 19.5 (19th)

Rushing defense: USC 79.2 (3rd), Illinois 114.5 (24rd)

Passing defense: USC 179.7 (8th), Illinois 240.9 (not in top 50)

Pass efficiency defense: USC 99.6 (6th), Illinois 119.0 (44th)

Rushing offense: USC 185 (33rd), Illinois 266.2 (5th)

Passing offense: USC 233.4 (not in top 50), Illinois 157.2 (not in top 50)

Total offense: USC 418.4 (38th), Illinois 423.3 (30th)

Scoring offense: USC 31.3 (42nd), Illinois 28.8 (not in top 50)

Video of USC watching the BCS Selection

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