Lou Holtz went well beyond X’s and O’s when he prepared Notre Dame for its annual clash with Southern California.
Holtz would huddle his players each day after practice to share an anecdote or key fact about the history of the series.
On Fridays, Holtz would administer a written test that even his assistant coaches had to take.
One of those assistants was Bob Chmiel, who remembers the “Are you serious?” look some of his colleagues would give him after he handed them a sheet with 20 questions.
“The purpose,” Chmiel said, “was to emphasize how important this game was and the responsibility they were bearing for Notre Dame and its extended family.”
Holtz faced the Trojans 11 times and lost only once, in 1996. Appropriately enough, it was the last game Holtz coached at Notre Dame.
Tyrone Willingham never got within 31 points of USC, but you would be hard-pressed to find a soul outside Tinseltown forecasting a Trojans blowout this time around.
The trendy pick is an Irish upset, and here’s a blueprint for it:
Ball hogs
Time of possession is one of those TV-friendly stats that game analysts love to trumpet, as if points were awarded for stalling. But the specter of USC’s star-studded offense changes everything.
“Time of possession is not just a priority but a necessity,” said ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit, who will be in South Bend for the network’s “College GameDay” show. “Notre Dame’s best defense will be (quarterback) Brady Quinn and the offense. The best way to stop USC’s weapons is to have them on the sideline drinking water or Gatorade.”
The Trojans sport the nation’s most productive offense (640.4 yards per game) and rushing attack (291.2 yards).
Reggie Bush jogs faster than most players sprint and fellow tailback LenDale White punishes tacklers with his 235-pound frame.
“USC averages 12 possessions per game,” said Chmiel, who hosts a nightly radio show in South Bend on WSBT-AM. “You have to try to keep USC to eight possessions. Notre Dame and coach [Charlie] Weis like to strike quickly, and I’m not saying you don’t try to score touchdowns. But holding on to the ball and keeping Leinart off the field is critical.”
Think outside the (coaching) box
Give Charlie Weis an hour, and he could devise a game plan to free Brad Pitt from the paparazzi. So imagine what the coach will do with twice the normal prep time. The Irish haven’t played since Oct. 1.
“Notre Dame has smart kids and it allows him to install another offense,” said Pat Haden, the former USC quarterback and NBC analyst. “It’s not going to be an option or a wishbone, but it could be something completely different from the first five weeks.”
Some possibilities: new formations, new pass patterns, a gadget play.
“Maybe he’ll use the second tight end more or you’ll see a quarterback draw,” Haden hypothesized.
See Tom run
The Irish must exploit their edge in special teams, and punt returner Tom Zbikowski is the man to do it. He is averaging 13.6 yards, compared to just 5.4 for Notre Dame’s opponents.
Bush lit up USC’s foes last season with a 15.7-yard average–and two touchdowns–on 24 punt returns, but the lightning has been bottled up in 2005. Bush has just 40 yards on seven returns.
A greater concern for USC is its kickoff coverage. Injuries have claimed some of the unit’s best tacklers, and Arizona took advantage Saturday by peeling off returns of 51 and 76 yards.
Bobbleheads
Weis isn’t bothered that his team’s defense ranks 94th nationally and is allowing 305.6 passing yards per game.
“What’s our record?” Weis asked, referring to Notre Dame’s 4-1 mark. “You are playing the wrong angle here. You are worrying about stats. If we’re up in a game, which we have been up in a few of them now, what are they going to do? They’re going to throw the ball and try to get the yards. Yards don’t mean anything. It’s how many points you score.”
And how many turnovers you create. The Irish have intercepted five passes and recovered seven fumbles.
They will need more Saturday to subdue USC’s seemingly flawless offensive attack.
Does it have any weaknesses?
“Absolutely none,” Herbstreit replied.
———-
tgreenstein@tribune.com
