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USC Trojans vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football Recap

All streaks must come to an end

But for USC, that knowledge didn’t make Saturday’s 20-16 loss at the Coliseum any less painful.

The defeat snapped an eight-game winning streak against the Fighting Irish. It was also USC’s first non-conference loss since 2002.

Playing without starting quarterback Matt Barkley, USC couldn’t muster the offense it needed in a torrential downpour at the final home game of the season. Ronald Johnson dropped a third down pass from Mitch Mustain at the Notre Dame 15-yard line that would have set up USC for the go-ahead touchdown. It was just one of several drops on the day for the Trojans.

Mustain converted on fourth down but then threw an interception to Harrison Smith near the goal line to seal the game for Notre Dame.

Earlier in the quarter, Robert Hughes scored on a 5-yard run with 2:23 left to give the Fighting Irish the final advantage.

Mustain, making his first start since transferring from Arkansas in 2006, passed for 177 yards and an interception on senior night. The USC offense struggled for the second straight game after coming out flat against Oregon State and scoring just seven points.

A 1-yard touchdown plunge by Mustain gave USC its lone touchdown of the day. Kicker Joe Houston converted all three of his field goal attempts, including a career-long 45-yarder in the first quarter.

USC’s offense had plenty of opportunities to capitalize on Notre Dame mistakes, as quarterback Tommy Rees threw three interceptions and fumbled once. But it wasn’t enough for the Trojans, who stalled on several drives in Notre Dame territory.

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Without Barkley and facing unfavorable weather conditions, USC’s offense was mostly relegated to short gains. As a team, the Trojans ran the ball 30 times for just 80 yards. Mustain’s longest completion was a 34-yard strike to Robert Woods.

Despite all of its turnovers, Notre Dame found just enough on offense to knock off its rival. Michael Floyd became the centerpiece of the offense with 11 catches for 86 yards and a touchdown. With USC struggling to cover the senior receiver, the Fighting Irish frequently targeted Floyd throughout the first half.

Hughes ran for 69 yards and Cierre Wood added 89 yards on 15 carries.

The loss dropped USC to 3-3 at home this year, its worst record since 2000. The Trojans will try to regroup for their season finale Saturday against UCLA at the Rose Bowl.

By Mike Schwartz
DFN Sports Staff Writer