FIRST QUARTER

THE SCORING: Notre Dame: Nicholas Setta, 38-yard field goal at 6:31; 59-yard drive, seven plays. * USC: Chad Pierson, 54-yard pass from Carson Palmer at 4:05; 80-yard drive, six plays. PAT--David Davis (kick).

TURNING POINT: Palmer’s touchdown pass could have been intercepted if Fighting Irish cornerback Vontez Duff had not mistimed his jump and let the ball float over his hands to Pierson.

NOT IN THE SUMMARY: Notre Dame, which had run the ball on 55 of its previous 56 first-down plays from scrimmage, opened its initial drive with a 17-yard pass completion from Carlyle Holiday to David Givens.

STAT WATCH: USC’s Sunny Byrd ran for 32 yards in 10 carries. Palmer threw for 102 yards, completing five of six attempts. Holiday had a 43-yard run, and completed three of five passes for 30 yards.

SECOND QUARTER

USC 13, Notre Dame 10

THE SCORING: USC: Keary Colbert, 20-yard pass from Palmer at 14:08; 20-yard drive, one play. PAT--kick failed. * Notre Dame: Terrance Howard, four-yard run at 2:56; 28-yard drive, four plays. PAT--Setta (kick).

TURNING POINT: USC appeared to take control of the game after recovering a Holiday fumble at the Irish 20 and scoring on the next play. But a bungled fake punt gave Notre Dame the ball on the Trojan 28, and the opportunity to get back into the contest before halftime.

NOT IN THE SUMMARY: USC suckered Notre Dame on its second touchdown. Palmer noticed the Irish were slow coming out of their defensive huddle, had the ball hiked to him before Notre Dame got up to the line and threw to a wide-open, who scored. Davis missed the extra point, however, his kick going wide right.

STAT WATCH: Byrd’s rushing total stood at 48 yards in 15 carries and Palmer had completed nine of 13 passes for 144 yards. Holiday had rushed for 39 yards in six carries and passed for 46 yards, completing five of seven attempts. Holiday went out of the game briefly because of an injured left ankle; he was replaced by Matt LoVecchio, who completed his only pass for five yards.

THIRD QUARTER

Notre Dame 17, USC 16

THE SCORING: USC: Davis, 18-yard field goal at 9:30; 50-yard drive, 11 plays. * Notre Dame: Holiday, 35-yard run at 5:07; 71-yard drive, eight plays.

TURNING POINT: On third and goal at the Notre Dame one-yard line, Byrd was tackled for no gain by linebacker Tyreo Harrison. Instead of trying again on fourth down, the Trojans settled for the field goal. On Notre Dame’s next possession, Holiday’s touchdown run gave the Irish the lead for good.

NOT IN THE SUMMARY: Notre Dame held the ball for 11:14 of the quarter, dominating the smaller USC defense. Holiday also revived the Irish passing game, completing four of four passes in the quarter. Three came on third-down plays to get first downs, including an 18-yard completion to Javin Hunter on third and 15 from the Notre Dame 27.

STAT WATCH: Byrd ran only four times in the quarter, for nine yards. Palmer completed three of six attempts for 37 yards. Holiday ran for 48 yards and passed for 87. He became the second Notre Dame quarterback this season to pass for more than 100 yards in a game.

FOURTH QUARTER

Notre Dame 27, USC 16

THE SCORING: * Notre Dame: Setta, 19-yard field goal at 2:48; 45-yard drive, seven plays. * Notre Dame: Julius Jones, five-yard run at 1:21; 22-yard drive, five plays. PAT--Setta (kick).

TURNING POINT: Turnovers thwarted three Trojan comeback bids. After Ryan Nielsen recovered a Holiday fumble less than a minute into the quarter to halt an Irish drive at the Trojan three, Palmer threw his first interception, to defensive back Abram Elam at the USC 38. In the final minutes, with USC trailing, 20-16, Palmer was stripped of the ball by Elam at the Trojan 22, and safety Donald Dykes recovered to set up Jones’ clinching touchdown. Palmer would be intercepted again, this time by Duff with 26 seconds to play, to thwart the Trojans’ last possession.

NOT IN THE SUMMARY: Bob Davie, who took a step back from the cliff where his coaching job is hanging, is 17-2 in October.

STAT WATCH: Palmer finished 19 for 30 for 230 yards, with two touchdowns. Byrd ran 22 times for 62 yards. Holiday ran for 98 yards in 18 carries, and had the biggest passing day by an Irish quarterback this season: nine for 11, 133 yards. The Notre Dame defense was credited with five sacks and two interceptions. The USC defense had three sacks and recovered three Holiday fumbles.