Fansided

30 most shocking moments in college football history

By Nathaniel Reeves

Boise State's Ian Johnson scoring the winning 2-point conversion during the Fiesta Bowl between Boise State and Oklahoma at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on January 1, 2007. (Photo by Steve Grayson/WireImage)
Boise State's Ian Johnson scoring the winning 2-point conversion during the Fiesta Bowl between Boise State and Oklahoma at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on January 1, 2007. (Photo by Steve Grayson/WireImage) /
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15 Oct 2005: USC quarterback Matt Leinart (11) is pushed in to the endzone by teammate Reggie Bush (5) for a touchdown in the closing moments of the USC Trojans 34-31 victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Altenburger/Icon SMI/Icon Sport Media via Getty Images)
15 Oct 2005: USC quarterback Matt Leinart (11) is pushed in to the endzone by teammate Reggie Bush (5) for a touchdown in the closing moments of the USC Trojans 34-31 victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Altenburger/Icon SMI/Icon Sport Media via Getty Images) /

26. The Bush Push

A terrific game between archrivals is always memorable, but the ending of the 2005 tilt between USC and Notre Dame was positively jaw-dropping.

The 2005 Trojans were at the peak of the Pete Carroll dynasty with back-to-back national championships and a 27-game winning streak entering the annual rivalry showdown with Notre Dame in mid-October. Led by Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush, USC easily won its first five games and had an iron grip on the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll, although it figured to get its toughest test of the regular season in South Bend,

Following a decade of mediocrity, the Fighting Irish appeared to be finally regaining their place as a national title contender under upstart first-year head coach Charlie Weis in 2005. The Fighting Irish stunned No. 3 Michigan in the Big House as part of a 4-1 start, leading to endless hype with the Trojans coming to town.

Neither team could get any separation in a  one-score game throughout, with Notre Dame grabbing a 24-21 lead near the start of the fourth on a D.J. Fitzpatrick field goal. Bush put the Trojans back in front ten minutes later, only for the Fighting Irish to race down the field and go up 31-28 on a Brady Quinn run with 2:04 remaining.

What followed was one of the craziest drives ever, with USC eventually ending up on the 1-yard line after the field had to be cleared due to a timekeeping error and premature field storming. With a running clock reading seven seconds, Matt Leinart’s sneak appeared to be stopped short by a number of Irish defenders, but Bush managed to shove him into the end zone for the winning touchdown.

Nobody on either team seemed quite sure what had just happened or if Bush’s move was even legal, but USC came away with the 34-31 victory nonetheless. The Trojans went on to lose the legendary title game against Texas, while Notre Dame finished at 9-3 and would eventually fade under Weis.

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