Jan. 1, 2008

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PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- The game featured 1,078 yards of offense and Rashard Mendenhall had a stellar day in a losing effort, rushing for 155 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, as USC defeated Illinois 49-17 in the Rose Bowl Saturday.

Sixth-ranked USC (11-2) tied a Rose Bowl record with the 49 points and the total offense was a record, too. The win gave the Trojans 11 wins for an unprecedented sixth straight season and made them 5-1 in their last six bowl games, all of them BCS affairs.

The game featured 1,078 yards of offense. Despite the margin, things were truly competitive. Illinois' Rashard Mendenhall broke a 79-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter to trim what had been a three-touchdown deficit to 21-10.

Minutes later, Mendenhall scooted 55 yards with a screen pass from Juice Williams, and Ron Zook's 13th-ranked Illini (9-4) were looking as if they might really complete the impossible dream, from 2-19 over the last two years to Rose Bowl champions.

But two plays later, Kaluka Maiava popped the ball out of receiver Jacob Willis' hands and USC's Brian Cushing won a scramble in the end zone.

Then came the play of the game, when John David Booty threw a sloppy lateral to McKnight, who didn't catch it, but was able to scoop it up on the bounce and run 65 yards. McKnight was chased down by defensive back Vontae Davis but four plays later, Booty hit Fred Davis with a 2-yard touchdown pass and the rout was on.

Booty threw for 255 yards and three scores to set a Rose Bowl career record with seven TDs.

McKnight, hyped as USC's next Reggie Bush, finished with 125 yards rushing and 45 yards receiving, and his broken play in the third quarter wasn't the only time the Trojans made something crazy and unexpected happen.

It started in the first quarter, when Booty lateraled to Garrett Green, who is listed as a receiver-quarterback, and Green threw crossfield to Desmond Reed for a 34-yard touchdown strike and a 14-0 lead.

Mendenhall finished with 214 total yards. Williams had 245 yards passing for the Illini, whose last Rose Bowl trip came 24 years ago.