Series history Notre Dame–USC football rivalry

1 series history

1.1 origins

1.1.1 conversation between wives
1.1.2 tale
1.1.3 knute rockne–howard jones connection


1.2 years: 1926–1940s
1.3 1940s–1950s
1.4 1960s–1982

1.4.1 notable games


1.5 1983–95 – notre dame s decade of dominance
1.6 1996–2001
1.7 2002–09 – usc s dominance
1.8 2010–present – parity returns

series history
origins
conversation between wives

the origin of series quite recounted conversation between wives of notre dame head coach knute rockne , usc athletic director gywnn wilson. in fact, many sports writers cite popular story main reason 2 schools decided play 1 another. story goes, rivalry began usc looking national rival. usc dispatched wilson , wife lincoln, nebraska, notre dame playing nebraska on thanksgiving day. on day (nebraska 17, notre dame 0) knute rockne resisted idea of home-and-home series usc because of travel involved, mrs. wilson able persuade mrs. rockne trip every 2 years sunny southern california better 1 snowy, hostile nebraska. mrs. rockne spoke husband , on december 4, 1926, usc became annual fixture on notre dame s schedule.

another tale

while wives story remains classic explanation starting series, college football historian murray sperber, in researching book on days of notre dame football, shake down thunder, uncovered different explanation creation of series contradicts story. sperber documents series created financial , political reasons, , rockne s resistance series misstated. during 1920s, many college institutions, including big ten (then called western conference), sought combat commercialism steadily increasing in college athletics. part of concern on commercialism stemmed large money payouts teams receive traveling long distances play in bowl games.

meanwhile, notre dame had difficulty scheduling local western conference opponents because of ban placed on member schools playing them. irish forced seek out opponents nationally fill schedule, traveling far away so. after notre dame started winning landmark games against college behemoths such yale , army, notre dame started grow in popularity , command more money games scheduled. notre dame garnered interest rose bowl committee have notre dame come , play pacific coast conference (now pac-12) opponent 1924 football season. coach rockne , notre dame administration realized how lucrative annual trip los angeles football program. notre dame s west coast alumni began lobbying rockne bring team rose bowl season finale every year. rose bowl committee favored arrangement (at time there no tie in big ten); however, pacific coast conference had reservations. specifically, 2 members schools, stanford , california refused play notre dame on account of [notre dame s] low scholastic standards. since notre dame catholic school, academics considered inferior @ time. usc s coach, gus henderson reached out rockne through correspondence stating usc welcome chance play notre dame new year s day in pasadena. while rockne favored playing usc, stanford, won pacific coast conference title, had first choice , realized playing notre dame lucrative, , 2 played in 1925 rose bowl.

the series between notre dame , usc created because of still-existing desire notre dame travel los angeles please alums , earn large payout, still-standing invitation play them coach henderson. while creation of series contradictory notre dame s efforts follow big ten in combating commercialism (the big ten had 26-year bowl ban, notre dame followed longer), rockne , other administrators justified game since created home-and-home series, played in los angeles every other year. creation of series influenced hiring of howard jones, knew rockne coaching against him @ iowa. priests ran notre dame, playing usc in los angeles every other year preferable making further trips rose bowl game. notre dame not play in bowl game until 1970 cotton bowl.

knute rockne–howard jones connection

another factor in creation of series connection between both schools coaches, knute rockne , howard jones. following notre dame s 1924 championship season, rockne approached usc take on football program. rockne entertain such advances , let news slip out notre dame administration in order raise , bolster position internally , nationally. while rockne turned down offer, recommended usc @ friend howard jones, whom knew taking notre dame teams play iowa. barry lebrock, author of trojan ten, confirms rockne lent trojans helping hand in recommending consider hiring iowa s coach howard jones, after usc fired gloomy gus henderson. creation of series influenced friendship, , jones desire take usc notre dame s elite level.

the years: 1926–1940s

notre dame , usc played first game in 1926, 13–12 win irish. rockne quoted saying greatest game ever saw. following year, notre dame , usc play memorable game @ soldier field in chicago, slim 7–6 irish victory. estimated 120,000 people in attendance, crowd considered 1 of largest attended games in ncaa history. usc s first win in series came during same year won first national title in 1928. 1928–1932, usc , notre dame combined win national title 5 straight years, usc winning in 1928, 1931, , 1932, , notre dame winning in 1929 , 1930. during period, there talk of canceling series, due long amount of travel time took train south bend los angeles. rockne argued series against notre dame faculty board , chair, father mulcaire, countering saw day coming when college teams going air exclusively..

notable games:

1929 – notre dame 13, usc 12 
this game played @ soldier field has second largest verified attendance in history of ncaa football @ 112,912.


1930 – notre dame 27, usc 0 
notre dame won second consecutive national championship (3rd overall) , 19th straight game in turned out last regular season game under coach knute rockne. rockne himself rated 1930 squad best.


1931 – usc 16, notre dame 14 
more 300,000 fans welcomed trojans home thrilling victory in south bend — victory clinched sportswriter maxwell stiles called johnny baker s 10 little toes , 3 big points. after trailing 14–0, usc won game johnny baker 33-yard field goal 1 minute remaining. win snapped notre dame s 26-game unbeaten string , trojans first win in south bend. called ...the biggest upset since mrs. o leary s cow knocked on lantern el rodeo, usc s student yearbook, clinched usc s second national title. sports historians cite come-from-behind victory jones coach prompted school west catapult same elite circle nd.


1932 – usc 13, notre dame 0 
usc shut out notre dame on way second consecutive consensus national title, matching notre dame s feat in 1929 , 1930.

1940s–1950s

the 1940s irish, earned national titles in 1943, 1946, 1947, , 1949. meanwhile, usc fielding competitive teams, none of title caliber. still, era provided memorable games, usc playing spoiler irish in 1948.

notable games:

1938 – usc 13, notre dame 0 
played @ los angeles memorial coliseum, notre dame undefeated , ranked #1 in nation. usc ranked 8th 7–2 record. notre dame fell #5 ranking following week, still named national champions dickinson system.


1947 – notre dame 38, usc 7 
104,953 on hand, highest attendance football game in coliseum, see 7–0–1 rose bowl-bound usc lose 8–0 notre dame 38–7. notre dame awarded ap national championship. usc lose michigan 49–0 in rose bowl, leading michigan claim national championship.


1948 – usc 14, notre dame 14 
the irish undefeated , untied riding 21-game winning streak, before game on december 2.


1950 – usc 9, notre dame 7 
usc s 300th victory in dismal 4–4–1 season irish, worst under coach frank leahy.


1954 – notre dame 23, usc 17 
notre dame quarterback ralph guglielmi throws 72 pass jim morse 5:52 remaining win.


1959 – notre dame 16, usc 6 
this last game played between 2 teams in south bend in november. athletic director jess hill proposed moving usc s games @ notre dame stadium october, while continuing play coliseum games in late november, notre dame agreed.

1960s–1982

the 1960s–1982 period considered fans golden age of rivalry, notre dame , usc combined win 8 national titles. notre dame won national titles in 1966, 1973, , 1977 seasons; usc won titles in 1962, 1967, 1972, 1974, , 1978. usc played spoiler notre dame in 1964 season, costing them chance @ national title. rivalry equally intense between usc coach john mckay , notre dame coach ara parseghian.

notable games

1960 – notre dame 17, usc 0 
notre dame 1–8 coming game, having lost 8 straight games, school record still stands. trojans, under rookie coach john mckay, finished 4–6.


1961 – notre dame 30, usc 0 
the irish improved 3–0 season in notching fifth straight win against trojans in dominating fashion in first meeting between 2 rivals played in october. usc ended 0 net rushing yards quarterbacks sacked repeatedly. largest margin of victory joe kuharich-coached notre dame team , in process, kuharich became irish coach date post back-to-back shutouts on usc.


1962 – usc 25, notre dame 0 
usc undefeated , ranked #1 in nation while notre dame 5–4, having won 4 straight. trojans voted national champions after game , go on outlast wisconsin in wild rose bowl victory, while irish coach joe kuharich resign following spring.


1963 – notre dame 17, usc 14 
ken ivan s fourth-quarter field goal proved difference irish avoided 0–3 start knocking off defending national champions. notre dame won 1 more game season long, 27–12 victory on ucla following week, , finished dismal 2–7 under interim head coach hugh devore.


1964 – usc 20, notre dame 17 
notre dame ranked #1, undefeated , 11-point favorite going game @ usc s los angeles memorial coliseum. ara parseghian, notre dame s first-year head coach, in midst of huge irish turnaround @ 9–0, after nd went 2–7 previous year. usc unranked , 6–3 on season. star quarterback , eventual heisman winner john huarte directed irish 17–0 lead @ halftime. lead evaporate, however, trojans, aided @ least twice on critical plays late in game highly questionable officiating, took 20–17 lead on fourth-down pass trojan quarterback craig fertig wide receiver rod sherman 1:35 remaining. first dubious call came notre dame scored touchdown in second half on one-yard dive joe kantor. official called holding on tackle bob meeker , score nullified. video shows meeker lunged forward endzone , fell onto ground, holding nothing except turf. nevertheless, error kept irish extending lead. unequivocally game changing call came on usc s last touchdown drive when fertig hit , either threw or fumbled ball backwards , recovered nd. inexplicably officials ruled incomplete pass, despite being thrown in direction of no eligible receiver. notre dame put last-minute drive, , 6 seconds left, huarte threw pass receiver jack snow broken in end zone. irish s hopes of national title stolen; trojans bid rose bowl berth fell short despite upset. notre dame fell number 3 in ranking following week, still awarded macarthur bowl.


1965 – notre dame 28, usc 7 
usc came game undefeated while irish 3–1. heisman trophy winner mike garrett held 43 yards rushing irish avenged 20–17 loss previous season. fullback larry conjar scored 4 irish touchdowns , rushed 116 yards. ara parseghian s win against trojans not come during national title year irish.


1966 – notre dame 51, usc 0 
undefeated notre dame, following controversial 10–10 tie michigan state, routed trojans, 51–0, earning notre dame number 1 ranking. backup quarterback coley o brien, came off bench previous week after terry hanratty injured, made of collegiate start, completing 21 of 31 passes 255 yards , 3 touchdowns. tom schoen , dave martin each returned interceptions touchdowns. , still stands worst defeat in trojan history , until 2009 1 of 2 times trojans had given 50 points in game. (usc lost cal 52–30 in 1991) supposedly mckay vowed never lose notre dame again after game, although denied ever making such statement. did, however, trojans never lose again score of 51–0.


1967 – usc 24, notre dame 7 
coming off previous year s worst lost in history, trojans came game ranked number 1 in polls, although notre dame heavy favorite. win marked usc s first win in south bend since 1939, behind running of tailback o. j. simpson, junior college transfer san francisco. simpson rushed 160 yards on 38 carries , scored 3 usc touchdowns after notre dame led @ halftime, 7–0. victory solidified usc s place @ top of final rankings.


1968 – notre dame 21, usc 21 
usc came game undefeated , ranked number 1 in nation behind running of eventual heisman trophy winner o. j. simpson, while irish 7–2. game 1 of viewed in college football history 22.9 rating, surpassing 1966 notre dame match-up michigan state. joe theismann started @ quarterback in place of injured terry hanratty, , on second play of game, threw interception sandy durko returned touchdown , quick 7–0 lead trojans. theismann didn t let bother him , halftime had staked irish 21–7 lead, third touchdown coming on halfback-to-quarterback option pass coley o brien. trojans scored twice in second half tie score , after 2 unsuccessful field goal attempts notre dame, game ended in tie. simpson held 55 net rushing yards, lowest output of season. irish finished fifth-place ranking 7–2–1 record, while trojans lose eventual national champion ohio state in rose bowl. marked last season of self-imposed bowl abstinence notre dame.


1969 – usc 14, notre dame 14 
for second straight year, irish tied trojans. notre dame came game @ 3–1, having lost purdue , quarterback, mike phipps, while usc undefeated. after scoreless first half, irish scored first, trojans took 14–7 lead in fourth quarter. notre dame tied after blocking usc punt deep in own territory. case year earlier, irish missed field goal late in game have put them ahead. usc finish 10–0–1 rose bowl win on michigan while notre dame make first bowl appearance in 45 years, losing eventual national champion texas in cotton bown in 21–17 thriller.


1970 – usc 38, notre dame 28 
notre dame 9–0 , ranked #2 behind texas, whom face in rematch in cotton bowl classic, while usc 5–4–1. in 1 of remarkable performances in college football history, heisman trophy runner-up joe theismann set still-standing single game school record 526 passing yards – in losing effort. fact game played in torrential downpour made theismann s feat more amazing. down 24–14 @ half, 2 fumbles, 1 in own end zone, proved costly irish, trojans extended lead 38–14. notre dame came within ten in fourth quarter, not closer. go on end texas s 30-game winning streak 24–11 victory in cotton bowl.


1972 – usc 45, notre dame 23 
usc 10–0 , ranked #1, fielding arguably best squad in school history while irish 8–1 , orange bowl-bound. trojan tailback anthony davis did damage, scoring 6 touchdowns including 2 kickoff returns went distance. trojans went on rout ohio state in rose bowl , claim national championship while notre dame suffer worst defeat under coach ara parseghian against nebraska in orange bowl, 40–6.


1973 – notre dame 23, usc 14 
notre dame 5–0. while trojans 5–0–1. anthony davis marked man day, managing 55 yards rushing. eric penick s 85-yard touchdown run in third quarter key play of game. notre dame s defense set tone on first play of game when trojan quarterback pat haden attempted swing pass lynn swann, hit hard freshman luther bradley helmet flew off. bradley s interception late in game sealed victory, third ara parseghian against trojans. irish proceed run table , stake claim national championship after thrilling 24–23 win on alabama in sugar bowl. .


1974 – usc 55, notre dame 24 comeback  
in 1 of notable comebacks in college football history, 1974 trojans erased 24-point deficit beat defending national champion notre dame, 55–24, in coliseum. many football historians cite game 1 of usc s 10 greatest games. irish jumped out 24–0 lead, 10 seconds remaining before halftime, anthony davis scored on 7-yard pass pat haden. @ start of second half, davis took opening kickoff , raced 102 yards score, opening floodgates usc rallied 35 points in third quarter. davis scored 2 more touchdowns quarter, , haden threw 2 td passes j. k. mckay, head coach s son. in fourth quarter, haden connected shelton diggs touchdown , charles phillips returned interception 58 yards touchdown. adding shock of comeback fact usc scored 55 points in under 17 minutes. after game, rev. theodore martin hesburgh, then-president of notre dame, said trojan coach john mckay, wasn t nice. mckay, irish catholic known quick wit, replied (referring parseghian s faith), s hiring presbyterian! few weeks later, ara parseghian announced resignation, , irish gave him fitting farewell present emotional 13–11 win on alabama , bear bryant in orange bowl.


1975 – usc 24, notre dame 17 
notre dame came game @ 5–1, losing michigan state, while usc 6–0 , ranked third in country. joe montana made first start @ quarterback notre dame, having engineered 2 fourth-quarter comeback victories in many weeks against north carolina , air force. al hunter s 52-yard touchdown run gave irish lead. point missed, , lead stayed @ 6–0. after usc subsequently took 7–6 lead, notre dame blocked punt , returned apparent touchdown, play nullified penalty. undaunted, irish blocked punt second time , returned touchdown. play stood, , after successful two-point conversion, irish in front, 14–7. took 17–14 lead fourth quarter, usc score ten unanswered points put away. following game trojans coach john mckay announced jump nfl expansion tampa bay buccaneers following season. trojans lose last 4 regular season games en route 8–4 campaign while irish finish 8–3 no bowl game.


1977 – notre dame 49, usc 19 green jersey game  
dan devine entered third year irish head coach, while coach john robinson in second year @ usc following departure of john mckay nfl. notre dame sat @ 4–1, upset loss coming unranked ole miss in second game of season. patience running thin irish fans considered devine s consecutive 8–3 , 9–3 seasons lackluster compared accustomed coach ara parseghian. loss ole miss served fuel fire. devine needed win against 5–1 trojans, blemish 1-point loss alabama. little did know devine had special in mind game. during pregame warmups, irish players wore traditional navy blue jerseys. following warmups, went locker room , found co-captains terry eurick , willie fry clad in emerald green jerseys. similar green jersey sat in each player s locker. players returned field, followed trojan horse, containing students dressed notre dame players, wearing blue jerseys, being dragged students wearing togas. sight of team wearing green sent crowd @ notre dame stadium frenzy carry on through entire game. quarterback joe montana led irish offense quick 7–0 lead, usc linebacker mario celloto tied score on five-yard fumble return. after several missed field goals, montana led offense on quarterback sneak, , directed irish 28 unanswered points, including 2 touchdown passes all-american tight end ken macafee. ted burgmeier proved unsung hero. in second quarter alone, senior defensive intercepted rob hertel pass have been sure trojan touchdown, executed fake field goal perfection , turned botched snap on point after touchdown successful two-point conversion when lofted pass halfback tom domin, made spectacular catch falling down across sideline, yet still managed keep both feet in bounds. while game quite sloppy, both teams combing 10 turnovers, usc not find end zone until 4th quarter. notre dame went on win game , wore green jerseys way victory on texas in cotton bowl classic , captured national championship.


1978 – usc 27, notre dame 25 
notre dame came game 8–2 record, having won 8 straight after dropping first 2 games , headed cotton bowl classic. 3 quarters, usc moved ball @ , overwhelming irish. trailing 24–6, irish quarterback joe montana found touch in fourth quarter , led spectacular comeback saw notre dame take 25–24 lead 45 seconds remaining. notre dame went 2 after go ahead touchdown stopped; prove critical. on ensiung series, notre dame recovered apparent fumble trojan quarterback paul mcdonald, ruled incomplete pass. given new life, trojans moved field goal range, , 4 seconds left, frank jordan drilled game winner 27–25 win. usc go on beat michigan in rose bowl , share national title alabama (who beat 24–14 in season in birmingham). montana work magic 1 last time in 1979 cotton bowl classic.


1979 – usc 42, notre dame 23 
notre dame 4–1, while usc came game @ 5–0–1. both teams accumulate on 500 yards of total offense apiece trojans pulled away in second half after being tied 7–7 after 30 minutes. heisman trophy winner charles white accounted 261 rushing yards on 44 carries.


1980 – usc 20, notre dame 3 
notre dame entered game @ 9–0–1 , headed matchup against georgia in sugar bowl , shot @ national championship. came out flat , sputtered offensively afternoon. trojan tailback marcus allen didn t play because of eye injury. final regular season game irish coach dan devine, announced in august leaving notre dame @ season s end. notre dame subsequently lose georgia in sugar bowl , finish 9–2–1.


1982 – usc 17, notre dame 13 
the trojans pulled 1 out in closing seconds in trojan coach john robinson s last game in first stint team; had stated wanted players to, win 1 fat guy. michael harper appeared have fumbled before crossing goal line , despite fact notre dame recovered ball, touchdown stood. notre dame finished 6–4–1 season, losing last 3 games, while trojans, on probation , not going bowl, wound 8–3.

1983–95 – notre dame s decade of dominance

from 1983 1993, notre dame entered unprecedented run of success in series, beating usc 11 straight times. including 1994 tie, usc did not beat notre dame until 1996, going 13 years without win. despite one-sided nature of series during time period, rivalry still produced several memorable games, including series first , #1 vs #2 matchup date.

notable games:

1983 – notre dame 27, usc 6 
notre dame began undefeated streak against usc did not end until 1996. coach gerry faust pulled out stops in effort halt five-game slide irish in series. in 1977, irish warmed in blue jerseys , switched green jerseys in locker room before start of game.


1985 – notre dame 37, usc 3 
notre dame head coach gerry faust had team switched green jerseys during halftime irish leading, 24–0.


1986 – notre dame 38, usc 37 
trailing 37–20 in fourth quarter, irish staged furious rally win game on john carney s 19-yard field goal time expired in lou holtz s first season head coach. more officiating controversy usc appeared have first down on 4th , 1 play deep in notre dame territory while leading 37–27. officials did not award forward progress, , hastily flagged usc qb rodney peete unsportsmanlike conduct when threw arms in disgust @ ball marked. wasn t enough prevent losing season, notre dame finished 5–6, game marked turning point in program, laying cornerstone team s 1988 national championship. breakout game future heisman trophy winner tim brown.


1987 – notre dame 26, usc 15 
notre dame entered game @ 4–1 while usc 4–2. after trojans scored quick touchdown on first possession, irish unleashed overpowering running attack net 351 rushing yards. usc not score again until closing seconds.


1988 – notre dame 27, usc 10 – #1 vs #2
for first time in storied series, both teams entered game undefeated , ranked number 1 , 2 respectively. in controversial move, coach lou holtz took 10–0 irish squad l.a. without stars ricky watters , tony brooks, whom suspended disciplinary reasons. usc trojans undefeated under head coach larry smith , standout quarterback rodney peete. irish came game underdogs, spectacular play of defensive end frank stams , cornerback stan smagala aided irish offense, led tony rice, in capturing irish victory. notre dame went on capture national championship year, beating west virginia in fiesta bowl. sellout crowd of 93,829 largest in rivalry since 1955.


1989 – notre dame 28, usc 24 
notre dame ranked #1 18-game winning streak. game marred brawl in tunnel before start of contest. once began, thriller. usc quarterback todd marinovich completed 33 of 55 passes , staked trojans 17–7 halftime lead. irish fought in second half tony rice scoring winning td on keeper, notre dame s defense held off 1 last trojan thrust.


1995 – notre dame 38, usc 10 
usc came game, played in october, undefeated , ranked #5, while notre dame ranked #17. riding six-game win streak dominating wins on #25 arizona , conference opponent arizona state, usc s best start football season since 1988. irish, however, had other ideas, , defense held usc 10 points, including spectacular forced fumble on goal line irish linebacker kinnon tatum. usc went on lose game finish @ 9–2–1 rose bowl title, while notre dame finished 9–3. holtz s last victory against usc, usc end woes against irish following year.

1996–2001

for six-year period, usc , notre dame went .500 against each other, southern california winning first 3 games , notre dame winning last three. 2001 notre dame victory last until 2010 defeat of trojans.

notable games:

1996 – usc 27, notre dame 20 
after 11 straight years of losses , 13 straight years without beating notre dame, trojans defeated irish. usc struggling @ 5–6 after wild double-overtime loss ucla previous week. while notre dame standing tall 8–2 record. , new year s day bowl bid in works. trojans managed stay in game despite playing without starting quarterback brad otton large portions of game due injury. when notre dame scored touchdown go ahead 20–12 (with pat pending) in fourth quarter, things looked bleak usc. irish kicker jim sanson missed point , margin stayed @ eight. trojans responded eight-play, 67-yard drive culminating in delon washington s 15-yard touchdown run 1:50 remaining. washington ran in two-point conversion , score tied @ 20. neither team score before end of regulation , overtime ensued. on usc s first drive, otton passed rodney sermons five-yard touchdown pass , trojans went ahead first time, 27–20. jubilation erupted in coliseum when mark cusano batted down ron powlus fourth-down pass trojan victory. lou holtz s last game coach of irish , first loss trojans. first overtime game in series. holtz compiled 9–1–1 record against usc.


1998 – usc 10, notre dame 0 
usc came matchup @ 7–4 under first-year coach paul hackett while notre dame 9–1 , hoping secure major bowl bid victory. chances dealt severe blow previous week when quarterback jarious jackson suffered knee injury on last play of game against lsu, sidelining him usc game. without jackson, irish offense powerless, suffering first shutout in series since 1962. had settle gator bowl, losing georgia tech.


this first game in rivalry not attended usc superfan giles pellerin, had died previous week during usc–ucla game. had attended every usc game, home , away, since 1925.


1999 – notre dame 25, usc 24
in otherwise dismal season irish, notre dame overcame 21-point deficit beat trojans 25–24 @ notre dame stadium. game winner came in 1 of many lucky breaks, tight end jabari halloway recovering jarious jackson fumble in endzone 2:40 remaining on game clock. irish had wind @ backs in both third , fourth quarters, helping irish kickers field position , field goal attempts. marked first time since 1996 notre dame beat usc.


2000 – notre dame 38, usc 21
the irish secured first bcs bowl berth in history knocking off trojans. head coach bob davie rewarded contract extension afterwards, lasted 1 more season.


2001 – notre dame 27, usc 16
after 0–3 start, first in school history, bob davie s squad managed win against usc in south bend. last win irish recorded against usc until 2010. until 2009, irish team have beaten pete-carroll-coached trojan squad more 7 points.

2002–09 – usc s dominance

from 2002 – 2011, usc defeated notre dame 8 straight times, in games winning in lopsided fashion unprecedented in series. despite one-sided nature of stretch, series still produced classic game in 2005.

notable games:

2002 – usc 44, notre dame 13

this game reestablished usc on national level after decade-long absence elite ranks. trojans had not played in such high-stakes game since 1988 no. 1 vs. no. 2 loss irish. victory trojans helped them clinch first-ever bcs bowl berth , established trojan quarterback carson palmer heisman trophy candidate, won. game culminated usc s successful season since 1979. capacity crowd , national television audience saw usc quarterback carson palmer throw 425 yards , 4 touchdowns—then notre dame opponent records. palmer led trojan offense 610 total yards, yards ever against irish. notre dame briefly took 13–10 lead, palmer led trojans on 75-yard drive in on minute culminating in pass sailed on outstretched hands of 2 irish defenders , waiting arms of mike williams 19-yard touchdown. trojans sprinted locker room 17–13 halftime lead , never looked back. usc s 44 points against irish usc team since troy s 55–24 victory in 1974.

2005 – usc 34, notre dame 31 bush push  

after beating irish 31 points each of past 3 years, trojans came south bend meet notre dame , first-year head coach charlie weis. irish players entered stadium before game wearing green jerseys, , put crowd frenzy. close game throughout, irish took lead 2 minutes left on brady quinn touchdown run. trojans stormed after 4th , 9 pass matt leinart dwayne jarrett brought ball inside nd 15-yard line. leinart scrambled , tried dive endzone, hit hard short of goal line, , ball knocked out of bounds 7 seconds go. however, clock continued count down, , after hit zero, irish fans began storm field. there no replay in game, @ request of coach pete carroll, after huddling, officials spotted ball on one-yard line , put 7 seconds on clock. on next play, instead of securing tie have resulted in overtime, trojan offense surprised irish running ball. trojan running reggie bush pushed matt leinart, although technically against rules @ time, referees seldom, if ever, made call. weis said hope running make play in similar situation. trojans went on face texas longhorns in bcs championship game, losing in equally thrilling fashion.

in 2010, usc sanctioned ncaa displaying lack of institutional control football, men s basketball , women s tennis programs. result, usc football victories december 2004 through 2005 season vacated, including classic game. these sanctions have been criticized ncaa football writers, including espn s ted miller, wrote, s become accepted fact among informed college football observers ncaa sanctions against usc travesty of justice, , ncaa s refusal revisit travesty massive act of cowardice on part of organization.

2007 – usc 38, notre dame 0


notre dame , usc take field in 79th edition of rivalry.

this largest margin of victory trojans have put forth on irish. first shutout against them since 1998. usc came game 5–1, while notre dame came in 1–6. notre dame head coach charlie weis announced during summer team wear throwback green jerseys matchup, signifying 30-year anniversary of irish beating trojans in green jerseys in 1977, when weis senior @ notre dame. because of john david booty s injured finger, usc back-up quarterback, mark sanchez, starter. in second game starter, sanchez managed complete 21 of 38 passes combined total of 235 yards , 4 touchdown passes. trojans 6th consecutive victory on irish well. in process, became third team accomplish feat (michigan , michigan state share record 8 straight wins in non consecutive years).

2010–present – parity returns

2010 – notre dame 20, usc 16

for first time since 1941, both teams faced each other first-year head coaches – had never met , did not know each other. irish coming off of 2 stellar performances against #14 utah , army (27–3 @ yankee stadium), notre dame riding high, while usc 1 week removed 1 of one-sided defeats in last decade, 36–7 loss oregon state beavers , starting fifth-year senior , backup qb mitch mustain first time due injury starter matt barkley. 3 key touchdown drives taking place in last 3 minutes of either half , dropped pass ronald johnson little on minute remaining in game led irish first victory on usc since 2001. go on defeat miami in sun bowl , finish 8–5 under new coach brian kelly.

2011 – usc 31, notre dame 17

usc defeated notre dame on road unprecedented fifth straight win in south bend. first night game played in south bend in 21 years. turning point came in third quarter. down, 17–10, notre dame drove way usc 1-yard-line , poised tie score when fumbled snap center returned other way touchdown usc s jawanza starling make 24–10. game, notre dame debuted shiny gold helmet. 50 recruits attended game.

2012 – notre dame 22, usc 13

going game, teams found in unforeseen reversal of preseason expectations. notre dame ranked #1 in ap poll after being unranked in poll start season, while usc entered game unranked after starting season preseason #1 team. balanced offensive attack , several late goal-line stands on defense, notre dame won game 22–13. irish held on #1 bcs ranking , propelled bcs championship game in miami. more 16 million viewers, most-watched regular-season college football game on abc since 2006 , most-viewed abc saturday night game ever. notre dame vacated win in 2016 after ncaa determined notre dame trainer committed academic misconduct 2 football players , provided 6 other players benefits; ncaa identified 1 player ineligible every game in 2012 season, , player ineligible every game in 2013 season.

2014 – usc 49, notre dame 14

both teams ranked in preseason, usc @ #15 in both ap , coaches polls while notre dame #17 in both polls. going game, both teams unranked identical 7–4 records. 49–14 victory, usc scored highest points in series in 40 years (#6 usc s 55–24 victory on #5 notre dame in 1974) , highest score either team in series in 37 years (#11 notre dame s 49–19 victory on #5 usc in 1977). usc quarterback cody kessler threw 6 touchdown passes, first time in notre dame history team had ever made 6 touchdown passes against irish.