University Southern California Trojans
USC, Notre Dame Meet with Losing Records
October 19, 2001 | Football
Oct. 19, 2001
By TOM COYNE
Associated Press Writer
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - When Notre Dame played USC in the final regular-season game of 1988, Irish coach Lou Holtz declared: "This game is what college football is all about."
It was the first time in their storied rivalry that the schools met while undefeated and ranked 1-2. And the last time.
Since that game, which Notre Dame won en route to its last national title, the glamour of this matchup has faded and Holtz has long departed.
When Southern California (2-4) faces Notre Dame (2-3) on Saturday, it will be only the third time in 75 years that the schools play each other with losing records. It's also the second time in four years.
USC quarterback Carson Palmer, who grew up a Notre Dame fan, said he understands why some people outside the programs believe the game has lost its luster.
"Back in the old days, S.C. and Notre Dame would play for who would go to which bowl, one of the teams usually was undefeated and it was a big game," Palmer said. "For the last couple of years, especially with S.C., we've been down, and Notre Dame's been down a little bit. It's kind of lost a little bit of that respect that everybody had because they were always the top teams."
Notre Dame won its first national championship in 1924 and the series began two years later with a 13-12 victory by the Irish.
From 1928-32, the winner of the game won the national championship.
Then, from 1962-77, USC won four national titles and Notre Dame three. USC beat the Irish 20-17 to ruin Notre Dame's bid for a national title in 1964.
The last time they were both ranked in the Top 10 for their game was 1989, when Notre Dame was No. 1 and the Trojans No. 9.
Their game did have some meaning last year, though, when the Irish beat the Trojans 38-21 to clinch a Bowl Championship Series berth.
Irish coach Bob Davie said it's more than rankings and records that make the game important. He said the game pits traditions, Midwest vs. West, small town vs. big city.
"There's just some pageantry to it," he said. "This is my favorite. There seems to be something really magical about this."
USC coach Pete Carroll said he got an idea of how important the game was shortly after accepting the job with the Trojans. That's when the e-mails started pouring in.
"There are a lot of people who say, 'We don't care what you do on the rest of the schedule as long as you beat Notre Dame and UCLA,"' Carroll said.
Five of the 13 games listed in USC's media guide under the heading "History Shaping" involve Notre Dame - including one that didn't involve USC. In 1925, after Nebraska beat Notre Dame 17-0, the wife of a USC graduate assistant talked to Knute Rockne's wife about how much nicer the weather was in Southern California than Nebraska. Rockne's wife then persuaded him to play the Trojans, and the series began the next year.
