COLLEGE FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : USC : Smith Would Rather Play Irish Earlier

USC Coach Larry Smith, whose team will play Notre Dame on Saturday at the Coliseum in its regular-season finale, said last week that he would rather not have to play UCLA and Notre Dame on consecutive weekends every other year.

“I think it’s asking a hell of a lot,” said Smith, who is 0-5 against Notre Dame since being hired away from Arizona before the 1987 season. “Notre Dame has us right where it wants us.

“I’d much rather play that game among the first three in the season, and then get into conference and finish with your conference rival. That’s the way it it should be. But they’ll never change that. We could get on our knees and beg and they’d never do that.”