"[Leinart] was to look back at [offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian] on the sidelines, and if we wanted to sneak it, we could sneak it," Carroll said this week. "And he had to point at him. So, we tell him to sneak it. So, he points at the line, and he looks at the line of scrimmage, and he goes, 'There's no way, they're all jammed up.' And he looks back at us, and Reggie [Bush] yelled something at him, 'Go for it. Go for it.'"
"Twenty years ago, the "Bush Push" would become one of the most unforgettable moments in college football history -- and one of its most controversial. In the box score, it was the touchdown that preserved USC's dynasty and allowed for the Rose Bowl matchup with Texas that became an all-time classic. In the rulebook, though, it was illegal. Except, it was almost never called. In fact, the rule had become a running joke among officials."
At Notre Dame Stadium, USC trailed 31-28 and had seven seconds left when Matt Leinart fumbled out of bounds inside the 1 and the clock mistakenly ran out, prompting NBC's Tom Hammond to declare Notre Dame the winner and fans to storm the field. Play resumed and Leinart sneaked left from under center; he was bounced backward into a half spin and into the path of Reggie Bush, who shoved him across the goal line for the winning score. The play, known as the "Bush Push," preserved USC's winning streak, secured a Rose Bowl berth against Texas, and remained controversial because pushing a ballcarrier violated the rulebook officials rarely enforced.
Read at ESPN.com
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