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Southern Cal-Notre Dame Preview

Oct 14, 2009 - 1:21 PM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Writer

No. 5 USC (4-1) at Notre Dame (4-1), 3:30 p.m. EDT

Southern California has been a virtual quarterback factory over the past decade - churning out three current NFL starters and two more backups - and its signal callers have played a big role in its recent dominance of Notre Dame.

Perhaps for the first time in years, though, the Fighting Irish can claim the edge under center.

Jimmy Clausen's emergence has No. 25 Notre Dame feeling confident it can break its seven-game losing streak to sixth-ranked USC on Saturday in South Bend, but the Trojans' stifling defense awaits in the annual showdown between two of college football's historic heavyweights.

Carson Palmer, Matt Cassel and Marc Sanchez are all current NFL starters, and those three - along with NFL backups Matt Leinart and John David Booty - have all played a part in helping the Trojans (4-1) become the preeminent program of the last decade.

While USC has gone 86-10 with two national championships since 2002, it's perhaps been at its best against Notre Dame (4-1), in no small part thanks to its legion of star quarterbacks. The Trojans' signal callers have thrown for an average of 323.0 yards per game and more than three touchdowns during a seven-game winning streak against the Irish, completing 65.1 percent of their attempts.

Notre Dame's passing performances in that same stretch have ranged from mediocre to abysmal. The Irish's quarterbacks - including former Maxwell Award winner Brady Quinn - have thrown more interceptions (seven) than touchdowns (six), averaged 148.4 yards through the air and compiled a woeful 88.6 rating against USC while Notre Dame has lost by an average margin of 27.0 points.

With performances like that, coach Charlie Weis has felt as if some of his previous teams have prepared for USC expecting to lose.

"I'd say this is probably the first time since I've been here where the players really believe they're going to win," Weis said. "They might be in the minority but they certainly believe that."

In Clausen, Weis and Notre Dame finally may have a quarterback capable of moving the ball against the Trojans. The junior, who grew up 40 miles from the USC campus in Westlake Village, Calif., is the nation's top-rated passer (179.3), having completed 67.6 percent of his throws while averaging 308.8 yards per game. He has thrown 12 touchdown passes and two interceptions.

"You can't be much better than they are (in the passing game). The efficiency he's throwing at right now, Clausen's on it," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "He's finding receivers. They're protecting him well. He's keeping the negative plays down. Only two picks in all the plays he's made so far. These guys are loaded."

Golden Tate has given Clausen a great target, averaging 120.4 receiving yards and thriving even without fellow star Michael Floyd (119.3 ypg before he was injured Sept. 19) on the other side. Floyd, originally thought to be out for the season with a broken left collarbone, is now expected to return in early November.

Clausen threw for 422 yards - 244 to Tate - in Notre Dame's 37-30 overtime victory over Washington on Oct. 3.

While Clausen has looked great so far, four of the five defenses he and the Irish have faced are ranked 75th or lower in the nation. They won't be so fortunate Saturday, as the Trojans are sixth in total defense (238.6 yards) and fourth in scoring defense (8.6 points per game).

USC held California's vaunted rushing attack to 86 yards Oct. 3 in a 30-3 road drubbing of the then-No. 24 Golden Bears.

"You can't say enough good things about their defense," Weis said.

The Trojans had four defensive players - including all three starting linebackers - picked in the first two rounds of the 2009 NFL draft, but there's still plenty of talent remaining, led by senior All-American safety Taylor Mays.

Mays has helped USC hold Notre Dame to a total of three points and 256 yards of offense in the last two meetings between the schools. The Irish were limited to 91 yards of offense - Clausen threw for 41 and two interceptions - in last season's 38-3 loss in Los Angeles.

"On offense, I thought we just got manhandled. From start to finish I thought we got manhandled. They were able to manhandle us without having to bring a lot of pressure," Weis said. "They were able just to pin their ears back with four guys and get after us. I think they completely controlled the line of scrimmage, and I'd like to think that that won't be the case this week."

Clausen has been Notre Dame's starter practically from the moment he arrived on campus, and that's also been the case at USC with 19-year-old freshman Matt Barkley. The signature statement of his young career came when he led the Trojans to a game-winning 14-play, 86-yard drive at Ohio State on Sept. 12. Three weeks later, Barkley threw for a career-high 283 yards against Cal.

"I think (the coaches) have had that faith the whole time, but they've decided to open up the playbook now," said Barkley, who missed USC's loss to Washington with a bruised right shoulder. "I'm confident that the coaches believe in me, and they do. We'll open up the playbook when we need to."

While tailback Joe McKnight is averaging 7.1 yards per carry, Barkley may get to air it out even more in South Bend. Notre Dame's pass defense is 110th in the nation, yielding 263.6 yards per game.

Of the Fighting Irish's six consecutive losses to top-10 teams, three have come against USC. The Trojans are 31-2 since Oct. 19, 2002, against ranked opponents.