Latest news with #BushPush
USA Today
09-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Two Notre Dame rivalries are among the best in college football
Fighting Irish tilts versus Trojans, Wolverines among the classics Before kickoff, college football rivalries bring families, friends and colleagues closer together. The outcome instantly divides those same which ones rise above the rest in the nation? Two Notre Dame rivalries have been nominated among the top 25 in college football in a list produced by The Athletic. They are, unsurprisingly, the matchups against USC and Michigan. Notre Dame faces USC just about every season, with last year's meeting in Los Angeles going to the Fighting Irish, 49-35. It's perhaps a tick more notable that Notre Dame-Michigan makes the list, considering that the two schools haven't met since 2019 and are not scheduled to meet again until 2033. The Fighting Irish versus Trojans rivalry made the number five spot on the list, while Notre Dame-Michigan is 18th. Of course, both rivalries have led to memorable moments, such as the Bush Push. The top four rivalries are all classics -- none will surprise. Michigan-Ohio State tops the list, followed by Auburn-Alabama, Oklahoma-Texas and Army-Navy. The rest of the top 10 include Nebraska-Oklahoma, Miami (Fl)-Florida State, Ohio State-Penn State, Florida-Florida State and Minnesota-Wisconsin. Other notables on the list include USC-UCLA, Texas-Texas A&M and Harvard-Yale. Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions. Follow Tim on X: @tehealey
USA Today
30-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
USC football countdown to kickoff—Brett Neilon in focus
The countdown to USC's 2025 football season is officially on! The Trojans kick off their new campaign 62 days from today. You need something to help you while away the days and hours in the spring and summer. This is one way to do so. In this new series, countdown to kickoff, we will be counting down the days by highlighting a notable Trojan who wore each number. Today, we look at former USC All-American center Brett Neilon. Position: Offensive line Years played at USC: 2017-2022 Career highlights: After redshirting in 2017 and serving as a backup offensive lineman in 2018, Neilon took over as the Trojans' starting center in 2019. He would not relinquish that role for the next four years. Taking advantage of his extra COVID year of eligibility in 2022, Neilon was named a first-team All-American, and was part of a USC unit that was named a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, given to the top offensive line in the country. Perhaps the moment that Neilon is best known for came during that 2022 season on the road at Oregon State. With the Trojans trailing 14-10 late in the game, USC faced a fourth and six from its own 43 yard line. Quarterback Caleb Williams took off in pursuit of the first down, but was stopped short of the line to gain. However, salvation arrived in an unlikely form in Neilon, who came out of nowhere to push Williams past the line to gain for a first down. The Trojans would go on to score the game-winning touchdown and prevail with a 17-14 victory. The play subsequently earned the nickname, "Neilon Nudge", a play on the famous "Bush Push" 17 years prior. After USC: Sadly, a lower leg injury in the 2022 Pac-12 Championship Game ended Neilon's USC career prematurely. After not being selected in the 2023 NFL draft, he attended rookie minicamp with the Kansas City Chiefs last year, but did not make the team. Neilon currently works as a business analyst at Buena Vista Management, per his Linkedin page.
USA Today
14-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Reggie Bush, USC had a top college football play of 21st century other than Notre Dame
Reggie Bush, USC had a top college football play of 21st century other than Notre Dame Earlier this week, ESPN ran a story of the top 25 college football plays of the 21st century thus far. As we mentioned, a famous USC play made the list, with the iconic 'Bush Push' coming in at No. 14. However, that was not the only play by USC, or even Bush, to make the list. Coming in one spot below at No. 15 was Bush's 65-yard punt return touchdown in the fog at Oregon State in 2004. Here is what ESPN had to say about the play: 'There could be a list of Reggie Bush's best 25 plays at USC, but few are as iconic as his 65-yard punt return in the fog at Oregon State in 2004. Reser Stadium was a house of horrors for the Trojans over the years, and as the top-ranked Trojans clung to a one-point lead in the fourth quarter, Bush delivered. He spun away from the first tackler, traversed back across the field before outrunning the OSU defenders to the end zone.' Don't get me wrong, this was obviously an incredible play. In terms of its place in USC and college football lore, however, almost all fans would agree that it does not come particularly close to the 'Bush Push'. Hence, the fact that it is only one spot below the legendary QB sneak (which was ranked much too low at No. 14) suggests a flawed rankings system. Perhaps this particular play was put so high on the list in order to encapsulate all of Bush's career highlight-reel plays. Which, as USC fans can tell you, there were quite a lot of.
USA Today
12-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN ranks 'Bush Push' as one of the top college football plays of the 21st century
ESPN ranks 'Bush Push' as one of the top college football plays of the 21st century The 2005 USC-Notre Dame rivalry game featured one of the most memorable moments in college football history. In the game's final seconds, Trojans quarterback Matt Leinart scored the game-winning touchdown on a QB sneak, with some help from running back Reggie Bush, who pushed him into the end zone. The play became known as the "Bush Push", and has become immortalized in both USC and college football lore. Recently, ESPN put out a story of the top 25 college football plays of the 21st century thus far. The "Bush Push" made the list, coming in at No. 14. Here is what ESPN had to say about the play: "On its own, the Bush Push' of 2005 wasn't something to marvel at. With top-ranked USC trailing Notre Dame 31-28 with seven seconds left in South Bend, Indiana, Trojans quarterback Matt Leinart -- the reigning Heisman Trophy winner -- appeared to have been stopped short on a surprising quarterback sneak attempt, only for Reggie Bush to shove him in the chest, propelling him across the goal line. The push violated the NCAA rulebook, but was not penalized, giving USC a key win as it continued its march to the BCS National Championship game." USC fans would likely argue that No. 14 is much too low on the list. The play is arguably the single most iconic moment in one of college football's greatest rivalries. Not only did it keep the Trojans' historic 34-game win streak alive, but it led to them eventually making it all the way to the national championship game. Unfortunately for the Trojans, when they got to the title game, they fell victim to another iconic play: Vince Young's game-winning touchdown run in the final minute. That play—which came in at No. 3 on the list—is one USC fans would certainly prefer to forget.
USA Today
10-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN ranks top 25 college football plays since 2000: Which Clemson moments made list?
ESPN ranks top 25 college football plays since 2000: Which Clemson moments made list? After being named Clemson Tigers head coach on a full-time basis in December 2008, Dabo Swinney ushered in not only an era of college football excellence, he created a dynasty. That dynasty produced six straight ACC titles and subsequent trips to the College Football Playoff, four appearances in the national championship game, and two national titles. Both of those national championships were won against the Swinney's alma mater, the Alabama Crimson Tide, where Swinney was a walk-on receiver in 1989 and played for legendary coach -- and Bear Bryant protégé -- Gene Stallings. Under Swinney, Clemson has had no shortage of moments over the past 17 seasons -- and counting -- that Tigers fans can describe in lurid detail from the snap of the ball right up to the final whistle. Only one of those plays made ESPN's list of the top 25 college football plays from the first quarter of the 21st century, though. The play? The one known as 'Orange Crush.' Hunter Renfrow's title-winning catch named a top ESPN college football play from past 25 years ESPN ranked Hunter Renfrow's game-winning touchdown catch with one second remaining against Alabama in the 2017 College Football Playoff Championship at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa as the sport's 13th best play since 2000. The Tigers won their first national championship since the 1981 season with a 35-31 victory over Nick Saban's Crimson Tide. Renfrow finished the night with a game-high 10 catches for 92 yards. Deshaun Watson threw for 420 yards and three touchdowns on 36-of-56 passing, and the Tigers snapped a 26-game Alabama winning streak. ESPN's Andrea Adelson described Renfrow's game-winning catch this way: The play forever known as "Orange Crush" delivered Clemson its second national title in school history in the 2017 national championship game and the first under coach Dabo Swinney. In an epic back-and-forth game, Alabama had scored to go ahead 31-28 with 2:07 left. Plenty of time remaining for the Tigers' offense. Quarterback Deshaun Watson marched them down the field, reaching the 2-yard line with six seconds left. Watson found Hunter Renfrow in the end zone for the winning score -- thanks, in part, to a rub route Artavis Scott ran to give Renfrow just enough space to get open. Clemson scored with one second left to win 35-31." Renfrow's catch ranked ahead of the "Bush Push" featuring USC Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush and quarterback Matt Leinart in the Trojans' last-second win over Notre Dame in South Bend in 2005, as well as LSU's "Blue Grass Miracle" against Kentucky 14 years earlier on Nov. 9, 2022 in Lexington. Should more Clemson highlights have made ESPN's list? The Tigers' game-winning drive against Ohio State in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl to secure Clemson's fourth national championship game appearance in five years is one that certainly comes to mind. Trevor Lawrence's 34-yard dump pass to Travis Etiennne with 1:34 to play in Arizona put the Tigers ahead for good in a 29-23 thriller over the Buckeyes to snap a 19-game Ohio State winning streak. Or how about 11 months earlier in the Bay Area during 'Clemson-Alabama IV?' The Tigers pummeled the Crimson Tide at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara with a dominant 44-16 victory behind a stellar night from Lawrence (347 passing yards, three touchdowns). The play that started it all? Cornerback A.J. Terrell's 44-yard interception return for a touchdown after picking off Tua Tagovailoa on Alabama's first drive for a 7-0 Tigers lead less than two minutes into the game. Clemson's rout of Alabama made the Tigers the first team in modern college football history to finish 15-0. Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
