In the highest-scoring Rose Bowl game in the event’s history, the final points were scored by a kicker from San Diego.
Cathedral Catholic High alum Matt Boermeester booted the game-winning field goal to give USC a thrilling 52-49 victory in the 2017 Rose Bowl.
Boermeester delivered the decisive 46-yard kick as time expired, sending the Trojans and thousands of their fans into a frenzy.
“As a kicker you dream of something like this, if anything you root for that,” Boermeester said moments after the victory.
The San Diego product had converted two field goals (a 22 yarder and a 44 yarder) in the first quarter but also missed a pair that could have cost his team dearly.
He rebounded nicely when it mattered.
Hitting clutch kicks apparently runs in the family.
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Boermeester’s father, Peter, was a kicker at UCLA for three seasons in the late 1970’s and even played for the Cleveland Browns in 1980.
Matt’s path into USC football history includes a detour at Saddleback College. Three years ago, Boermeester was sending footballs through the uprights at the junior college in Mission Viejo.
Before that he helped the Dons win a baseball Division III title as a senior outfielder for his high school.
Monday, the 22-year-old helped deliver USC its first Rose Bowl victory since 2009 (also against Penn State).
USC rallied from a 14-point deficit in the 4th quarter thanks to an impressive outing by quarterback Sam Darnold.
The freshman threw for 453 yards and 5 touchdowns against Penn State and outperformed Nittany Lions signal-caller Trace McSorley. McSorley passed for 254 yards and 3 scores but was intercepted three times.
His most costly mistake came late when Leon McQuay III picked off a pass with 27 seconds remaining and returned it to the Penn State 33-yard line. That put the Trojans on the brink of field goal position.
USC special team coach John Baxter was asked afterwards if he said anything to his kicker before the game-winning attempt. “I just said: Go Pass your final exam,” explained Baxter.
Boermeester passed with flying colors. Cardinal and Gold colors actually.
