Given the amount of ink already spilled this season describing USC’s rediscovered pride and prowess, it would have seemed difficult for the Trojans to live up to their advance billing.
But against No. 7 Notre Dame on Saturday night, the sixth-ranked Trojans put together an offensive showcase.
With 8 minutes 57 secnds left in the third quarter, USC had already exceeded 400 yards of total offense, nearly four times Notre Dame’s 103 yards to that point.
For the first time this season, Notre Dame (10-2) looked completely overmatched, falling 44-13 to a USC (10-2) team that seemed stronger and swifter in almost every phase of the game.
Early on it looked as if Notre Dame would be able to stymie USC’s high-octane offense, a unit coming off a 52-point outburst one week earlier against cross-town rival UCLA.
Through the first quarter, USC did not manage a single third-down conversion.
Neither did Notre Dame, but that did not stop the Irish from putting points on the board.
With 4:10 left to play in the first quarter, Notre Dame capped an eight-play, 63-yard drive with a 34-yard field goal by Nicholas Setta to take an early 3-0 lead.
The Trojans’ Alex Gomez fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and 24 seconds later, Setta booted a 32-yard field goal, putting the Irish up 6-0.
The lead, however, proved to be short-lived, because after frittering away the first quarter, the Trojans seemed to awaken at the start of the second.
USC began a drive at its own 7-yard line as the second quarter started. The Trojans completed the 93-yard, nine-play drive 4:11 later, when wide-open wide receiver Mike Williams grabbed a 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Carson Palmer in the center of the end zone.
After forcing Notre Dame to go three-and-out on its ensuing possession, the Trojans again put together a long drive, going 66 yards on 11 plays before kicker Ryan Killeen booted a 22-yard field goal, giving USC its first lead of the day, 10-6, with 3:34 to play in the first half.
At that point Notre Dame had only two first downs for the game. It didn’t add to that statistic before halftime, but it did add to its tally of points.
With just over a minute left in the first half, fifth-year senior Carlos Pierre-Antoine broke through the middle of the line and blocked Trojan Tom Malone’s punt. He then followed the bounces 27 yards into the end zone, falling on the football for a Notre Dame touchdown. Setta’s extra point made the score 13-10 Notre Dame with 62 seconds remaining in the first half.
That lead lasted 57 seconds. USC took the kickoff and marched 75 yards on seven plays, topping the drive with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Palmer to Williams.
Though only a freshman, Williams put together his fifth 100-yard receiving effort of the season.
Tailback Justin Fargas, aided by a 47-yard rush on USC’s first scoring drive, topped the 100-yard rushing mark.
In the second half USC continued to score at will. The Irish, on the other hand, continued to look more and more befuddled as the game wore on.
Palmer seemed to find open receivers whenever he needed them, throwing for 390 yards through three quarters. Holiday, in that same span, had managed only 46 passing yards.
By the time the third quarter had ended, USC had 500 total yards, Notre Dame only 103.
