The Irish are 11-4-1, with the most recent a 45-27 loss at USC in 2016 to finish 4-8. My, how fortunes can change:
Bronze Medal, 1927: In what is still believed to be the largest crowd ever to attend a football game (unofficially listed at 120,000 at Chicago's Soldier Field, and 99,573 officially paid), Notre Dame edges USC 7-6 in their second ever meeting. Per The Fighting Irish Football Encyclopedia, Bucky Dahman scores the lone Irish TD on a 25-yard pass, kicks the extra point as well, pins USC at its two-yard line with a 65-yard punt and then intercepts the pass to clinch the game.
Slight edge over 2005 Stanford, where the Irish rallied for a 38-31 win to conclude Charlie Weis' first year with a 9-2 regular season.
Silver Medal, 1988: At the Los Angeles Coliseum, No. 1 Notre Dame (10-0) and No. 2 USC (10-0) have their first showdown ever as the nation's top 2 teams. Although the Irish are "out-statisticed," by the Trojans, including 21-8 in first downs, it uses a 65-yard touchdown run by QB Tony Rice in the first quarter and a 64-yard pick six by Stan Smagala right before halftime to build a 20-7 lead at the intermission. The Irish also win despite head coach Lou Holtz sending leading rusher Tony Brooks and leading receiver Ricky Watters home for repeated tardiness.
Gold Medal, 1966: The reason we have this ahead of 1988 is this 51-0 demolition of Pac-8 champ and No. 10 USC actually clinched the national title. Starting in place of the injured Terry Hanratty at QB, Coley O'Brien completes 21 of 31 passes for 255 yards and three scores, two to Jim Seymour. The defense also tallies on two interception returns by safety Tom Schoen and LB Dave Martin. It is ND's first consensus national title in 17 years. (Until 1968, the AP final vote came at the end of the regular season, part of why Notre Dame didn't go to bowl games until 1969.)
Bronze Medal, 1927: In what is still believed to be the largest crowd ever to attend a football game (unofficially listed at 120,000 at Chicago's Soldier Field, and 99,573 officially paid), Notre Dame edges USC 7-6 in their second ever meeting. Per The Fighting Irish Football Encyclopedia, Bucky Dahman scores the lone Irish TD on a 25-yard pass, kicks the extra point as well, pins USC at its two-yard line with a 65-yard punt and then intercepts the pass to clinch the game.
Slight edge over 2005 Stanford, where the Irish rallied for a 38-31 win to conclude Charlie Weis' first year with a 9-2 regular season.
Silver Medal, 1988: At the Los Angeles Coliseum, No. 1 Notre Dame (10-0) and No. 2 USC (10-0) have their first showdown ever as the nation's top 2 teams. Although the Irish are "out-statisticed," by the Trojans, including 21-8 in first downs, it uses a 65-yard touchdown run by QB Tony Rice in the first quarter and a 64-yard pick six by Stan Smagala right before halftime to build a 20-7 lead at the intermission. The Irish also win despite head coach Lou Holtz sending leading rusher Tony Brooks and leading receiver Ricky Watters home for repeated tardiness.
Gold Medal, 1966: The reason we have this ahead of 1988 is this 51-0 demolition of Pac-8 champ and No. 10 USC actually clinched the national title. Starting in place of the injured Terry Hanratty at QB, Coley O'Brien completes 21 of 31 passes for 255 yards and three scores, two to Jim Seymour. The defense also tallies on two interception returns by safety Tom Schoen and LB Dave Martin. It is ND's first consensus national title in 17 years. (Until 1968, the AP final vote came at the end of the regular season, part of why Notre Dame didn't go to bowl games until 1969.)
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