KEYSHAWN JOHNSON caught 12 passes for 216 yards and a touchdown as Southern California wrote an unhappy ending to Northwestern's storybook season with a 41-32 victory in the Rose Bowl at Pasadena on Monday.

The Wildcats, appearing in the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1948, almost pulled off the miracle finish their fans were hoping for. They rallied from a 17 point deficit and took the lead briefly early in the fourth quarter but a 46 yard field goal by Adam Abrams with just over nine minutes left put Southern California in front for, good at 34-32. The loss ended a nine game winning streak for Northwestern.