Notre Dame closed the regular season and possibly the Charlie Weis era with a whimper on Saturday as USC embarrassed the Irish by 38-3. The Trojan defense was so dominant that Notre Dame did not even record a first down until the final play of the third quarter. Meanwhile, Mark Sanchez led a balanced USC attack that rolled up 450 yards to only 91 for the Irish.
The Trojans harassed quarterback Jimmy Clausen with relentless pressure, did not allow Irish receivers to gain separation, and shut down the running lanes for most of the night. To make matters worse, tailback Armando Allen was injured in the third quarter and his replacement, Robert Hughes, was ejected from the game shortly thereafter.
On the other side of the ball, the Notre Dame defense fought gamely early on, but they received no help from the offense and eventually cracked under the strain. The Irish trailed 7-0 late in the first quarter when Clausen suffered his second interception of the game. Joe McKnight swept around left end for a 55 yard touchdown on the next play, and the rout was on.
Late runs by James Aldridge and Brandon Walker’s 41 yard field goal were the only offensive highlights for Notre Dame, while the defense recorded three interceptions during the contest to keep the score from approaching triple digits.
The victory, combined with Oregon’s win over Oregon State, enabled USC to qualify for the Rose Bowl against Penn State. A berth in the BCS title game remains a remote possibility for the Trojans, but its most likely participants will be the Big-12 and SEC champions. Still, the two teams that do play for the title will be very fortunate not to have faced the Trojan defense.
The future for Weis and the Irish is anything but clear. The team is bowl eligible, but an invitation to play in an established, traditional venue is unlikely and undeserved. Many people do not believe Weis can survive the disappointing finish to the season, but the task of finding a capable replacement after four consecutive mistakes is the real challenge.
In the mean time, there is not much more that can be said about this game between two programs that once ruled college football but are now light years apart. Let’s quickly review the questions that helped determine the outcome:
Can Notre Dame’s defense hold up physically and stop the running game?
Other than McKnight’s scamper immediately following a turnover, the Irish fought gamely if unsuccessfully.
Will the Irish be able to move the Trojans off the ball and run straight ahead?
No, certainly not against the Trojans starters.
Will Clausen’s receivers be able to get open against USC’s suffocating secondary?
Not at all.
Can Notre Dame avoid costly turnovers and keep the game close?
The teams had three turnovers apiece, but the Irish could not afford theirs.
Will Clausen perform well in his return to his home state?
No, but he never had much of a chance.
Can the Irish match the intensity that USC will bring to this game?
Notre Dame was fired up and even initiated a couple of brawls, but it didn’t make a difference in the outcome.
Will USC’s explosive skill position athletes hurt the Irish with big plays?
The Trojans hit a few big plays, but the game was more of a dissection than a romp.
The 6-6 record is not what the Notre Dame community had in mind this season. The most disturbing outcome was the fact that this young team appeared to get worse instead of better as the season progressed. This does not bode well for the coaching staff, but the players and the University administration must all bear responsibility for the sorry state of the program.