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USC Trojans Legend Reggie Bush Recaps 'Bush Push' in Win Over Notre Dame

Former USC Trojans icon Reggie Bush detailed the moments leading up to the infamous “Bush Push” against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on the "Games With Names" podcast, hosted by New England Patriots Super Bowl champion Julian Edelman.

Kyron Samuels

Apr 2, 2006; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans tailback (5) Reggie Bush and quarterback (11) Matt Leinart arrive at the 2006 USC pro day at Katherine B. Loker Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images © Copyright Mark J. Rebilas
Apr 2, 2006; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans tailback (5) Reggie Bush and quarterback (11) Matt Leinart arrive at the 2006 USC pro day at Katherine B. Loker Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images © Copyright Mark J. Rebilas / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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The 6-5 USC Trojans play host to the No. 5 ranked 10-1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum this Saturday. The battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh is one of the longest-running rivalry games in the country and happens to be between two of the most successful programs in college football history. Notre Dame leads the all-time series 49-37-5, but since 1951, the series has been much closer at 34-30-3, with Notre Dame still holding the lead. 

With a rivalry as storied as this one, there are iconic moments that hold a place in college football lore. In 2005, No. 1 USC and No.9 Notre Dame faced off in South Bend in one of the most memorable college football games ever. The controversy-riddled ending featured Heisman winner running Reggie Bush (arguably illegally) pushing Heisman winner quarterback Matt Leinart into the endzone after a quarterback sneak was initially stuffed, with three seconds remaining to take a 34-31 victory. 

On the "Games With Names" podcast hosted by former New England Patriots Super Bowl Champion Julian Edelman, former USC Trojans icon Reggie Bush joined the show & ended up detailing the origins of the “Bush Push." The play is now infamous because of Bush and the Philadelphia Eagles that have replicated the move widely known as the “Tush Push” that spawned from that classic Notre Dame game 19 years ago.

“Before that play, we’ve been in the huddle and it’s a timeout. Everything is going crazy. Matt [Leinart] just gets knocked out of bounds…I go to Matt [Leinart] and I say what are you going to do? He’s like I’m going to sneak it. So he hikes the ball and he starts getting knocked backward on a quarterback sneak. . . . I just shove his ass, push him as hard as I can over the line," said Bush.

USC is trying to play spoiler this weekend as Notre Dame is playing to clinch a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff. The stakes aren’t as high as they were in 2005, but winning a game like this can be the turning point in the ever-present search to return to those glory days. The Trojans need a win to provide some proof of concept. 

Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, who clinched the Heisman Trophy with his performance against the Fighting Irish in 2022, will be in attendance as he gets honored by the university. Maybe some of that signature Williams luck can rub off on the Trojans and outweigh the luck of the Irish. 

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Kyron Samuels
KYRON SAMUELS

Kyron Samuels is a former college and professional football player now a writer, analyst, & digital host. Kyron is a writer for USC Trojans on SI and contributes to Oregon Ducks on SI. A graduate and letterman at Jacksonville State University, Samuels was a three-year starter, two-time all-conference, and won three consecutive conference titles. After a four-year professional stint between the AFL & XFL, Samuels retired from football. In 2022, Samuels was inducted into the Fairhope Athletic Hall of Fame. Post-playing career, Samuels has become a credentialed sports media member covering the NFL, UFL, USFL, & college football. The NFL Combine, Reese’s Senior Bowl, & East-West Shrine Bowl are amongst the events Kyron has covered. As a guest and host, Samuels has been featured on ESPNRadio, FoxSportsRadio, & IHeartRadio. Outside of sports media, Samuels works as a scouting consultant and has experience coaching at the collegiate level.

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