Seniors Are Set for Final Home Game

With top-ranked USC’s game against Notre Dame only two days away, Trojan seniors are preparing for their last appearance as college players at the Coliseum.

“I tried not to think about it at the beginning of the week, but as the week has progressed it’s getting clearer,” senior defensive tackle Shaun Cody said Wednesday. “So much stuff has happened to me the last four years of my life. I’m trying to keep it less emotional, but we’ll see what happens on Saturday.”

Cody, a Lombardi Award finalist, was regarded as the key recruit in Coach Pete Carroll’s first recruiting class. He has a team-best eight sacks for the 10-0 Trojans, who have won 19 consecutive games and 20 in a row at the Coliseum.

“I think we did a good job, as seniors, to help turn the program around,” Cody said. “I’m just going to try and suck up every moment during the game.... I’m just going to play my heart out and leave it out on the Coliseum field.”

Kevin Arbet, a sixth-year senior, missed the Arizona game because of a knee sprain, but he said there was no way he would sit out Saturday.

“I want to play,” he said. “It’s my last home game ever.”

*

USC will practice this morning and then break for Thanksgiving until Friday afternoon. Quarterback Matt Leinart invited all out-of-state players to dinner at his family’s home in Orange County.... Linebacker Matt Grootegoed sat out part of practice after bumping knees with another player during drills.... Notre Dame has never defeated a top-ranked USC team. The Trojans beat the Fighting Irish in 1962, 1967 and 1972. USC defeated top-ranked Notre Dame in 1938 and 1964.