They Take Case to Polls Today : USC-Notre Dame Game Could Settle Score for No. 1

Seldom has there been a regular season-ending college football game of more magnitude than the USC-Notre Dame matchup today at the Coliseum.

There have been 23 previous games involving the nation’s top two ranked teams. Some of these showdowns were in bowl games and two of the more memorable--Army-Notre Dame in 1946 and Michigan State-Notre Dame in 1966--were late-season games.

However, considering that USC and Notre Dame are traditional rivals with prestigious football programs dating to the 1920s, today’s game, in context, might stand alone historically.

Moreover, it’s the first time that top-ranked Notre Dame (10-0) and second-ranked USC (10-0) have played when both teams were unbeaten and untied.

Lou Holtz, Notre Dame coach, has repeatedly played down the national championship aspect of the game, saying that the Irish still have to play unbeaten West Virginia in the Jan. 2 Fiesta Bowl. He has even said it’s just a normal week of preparation for a respected opponent.

“It’s just like any week in the season,” Holtz said. “At least, I’m trying to keep it that way.”

By contrast, USC Coach Larry Smith regards today’s game as a national championship match, even though he’s mindful that his team still must play Michigan in the Jan. 2 Rose Bowl.

“The winner will be the odds-on favorite to win it all,” he said. “It’s truly America’s game.”

That Notre Dame and USC have ascended to the top of the polls in late November is a credit to the coaching abilities of Holtz and Smith.

The Irish were ranked 13th in the preseason Associated Press poll, the Trojans sixth.

Holtz, in his third season as Notre Dame coach, has restored the football program to its accustomed national prominence after it had floundered for 5 seasons under Gerry Faust.

Smith has moved even faster, taking USC from a 7-5 record in Ted Tollner’s last season in 1986 to two Pacific 10 Conference championships and an overall 18-4 record.

Significantly, USC has a 10-0 Coliseum record under Smith, the Trojans last losing here to Notre Dame, 38-37, in 1986.

“That game still leaves an ugly taste in my mouth,” recalled Peete, who remembers that USC squandered a 17-point lead.

Peete, a senior, is also aware that USC has lost five straight games to Notre Dame and neither team has ever won six straight in the series.

“One of the reasons you come to USC is to play UCLA and Notre Dame,” Peete said. “I’d like to go out with a victory and make this game a special one.”

It has been a traumatic 2 weeks for Peete. First, he got the measles before the UCLA game, but recovered enough by week’s end to play. Then, earlier this week, he had laryngitis, restricting him from calling signals in practice.

But his voice has returned and he’s seemingly fit for the most important game of his college career.

USC has a more balanced offense than Notre Dame. The Trojans have averaged 222.9 yards by rushing, 249.2 by passing.

Notre Dame, with its option-type quarterback, Tony Rice, is committed to the ground game. With Rice and tailbacks Tony Brooks and Mark Green as the leading rushers, the Irish are averaging 267.7 yards by rushing, but only 133.9 by passing.

Strategically, the test for the Trojans is to try to control Notre Dame’s ground game and force Rice to throw on obvious passing downs.

Smith said his defense was ripped last season at South Bend, Ind., when the Irish gained 351 yards rushing in a 26-15 victory. USC now leads the nation in rushing defense, yielding an average of 68.1 yards a game.

“The key to the game is whoever controls the line of scrimmage,” Peete said. “They knocked us off the ball last year and we can’t let that happen again.”

Don Gibson, USC nose guard, agreed, saying: “It’s their running game against our running defense. They won’t stop running, even on third and long.”

Scott Ross, USC inside linebacker, said: “Notre Dame is by far the best team I’ve seen on film, even better than UCLA. Their linemen come out low and hard and they like to hold and get away with it.

“I’m not so concerned with their passing. We have good defensive backs to cover that. It’s the run. It’s going to be a defensive type game.”

Holtz said he would prefer such a game, saying, “If it’s high scoring, we’re going to lose.”

With the exception of Miami, Notre Dame hasn’t played a team as multifaceted on offense as USC. And Holtz says that Peete is the catalyst because of his ability to throw accurately on sprint and roll-outs and from the pocket.

“I can’t think of any quarterback that we’ve prepared for that I could put in Rodney Peete’s class,” Holtz said. “Peete and Southern Cal present us with more problems than I’ve ever encountered as a football coach--although I haven’t thought about it a lot.”

Holtz has tried to maneuver his No. 1 team into an underdog role (the Trojan are favored by 4 1/2 points) by saying enigmatically that Notre Dame doesn’t get much respect around the country and that his team is much smaller than USC’s.

Notre Dame’s offensive line is, perhaps, smaller by its standards, although there’s plenty of bulk in tackle Andy Heck (6 feet 7 inches, 277 pounds), guard Tim Grunhard (6-3, 279) and tackle Dean Brown (6-3, 283).

It’s generally agreed, though, that the Irish are a quicker team overall than they’ve been in the past.

Smith says it’s an even physical matchup.

As for those who believe in omens, today’s game is the 50th anniversary of USC’s 13-0 victory over previously unbeaten and untied Notre Dame, depriving the Irish of a national championship.

Trojan-Irish Notes

The Coliseum, 92,516 capacity, has been sold out for several weeks. Temporary bleachers have been installed to increase the crowd to about 94,000. . . . Although it rained Friday, the weather forecast is for clearing sky today. . . . Notre Dame tailback Mark Green, from Riverside Poly High School, said he was recruited by USC and UCLA, but wasn’t interested because the schools wanted him as a defensive back. . . . USC Coach Larry Smith said that turnovers and the kicking game will be the decisive factors today.

USC ranks third nationally in turnover margin with +17. The Trojans have lost only 5 fumbles this season. Notre Dame ranks 15th in turnover margin at +9. . . USC’s Chris Sperle and Notre Dame’s Jim Sexton have almost identical punting averages, 38.5 yards and 38.4, respectively.

Inside linebacker Scott Ross of USC says that Notre Dame has an average size offensive line, similar to Washington’s. “I guess that’s small for Notre Dame,” he said. . . . USC restricted Oklahoma’s wishbone offense to only 89 yards rushing. Ross said that the Irish operate a different type option than the Sooners use, one that freezes inside linebackers. “I’ll have to have good peripheral vision,” he said.

USC tailback Scott Lockwood and outside linebacker Michael Williams, who each suffered sprained ankles against UCLA, will be able to play today. . . . Irish split end Raghib Ismail, a freshman, is averaging 37.7 yards on 11 kickoff returns and has scored 2 touchdowns. USC’s Quin Rodriguez has had difficulty reaching the 10-yard line as the kickoff specialist.

Smith said his secondary will play a key role in today’s game: “We must have great run support, like we had against Oklahoma, but also we have to be good enough not to have bombs go over our head. They’re basically a power option team offensively and throw long. And they’re very sound.” . . . USC’s 14-game regular-season winning streak is currently the country’s longest.