Trojans Enter Lore Zone

USC players know some of the storied history.

The top-ranked Trojans are very well versed in the hype.

But today, when top-ranked USC plays ninth-ranked Notre Dame in the 77th installment of one of college football’s greatest rivalries, the Trojans say neither legends nor legacies will matter when they take the field at hallowed Notre Dame Stadium.

“We approach every game the same way,” junior running back LenDale White said. “This one is no different.”

That might be the case for the Trojans, who have won 27 consecutive games and are on a quest for an unprecedented third straight national championship.

But the atmosphere and expectations are markedly different around Notre Dame.

Longtime observers of the program say the frenzied buildup for today’s game has not been seen since 1993, when Florida State arrived here ranked No. 1 and lost to the second-ranked Fighting Irish.

“Every college program wants that dynasty -- and they are on the verge of doing it,” Notre Dame linebacker Brandon Hoyte said of USC. “But, at the same time, every college program wants the opportunity to be that team that stops that dynasty. We are fortunate to be in that situation.”

Notre Dame has a long history of ending winning streaks -- and not only in football.

Just across the street from the football stadium is the Joyce Center -- it was then the Athletic Convocation Center -- where the Irish broke UCLA’s record 88-game winning streak in basketball in 1974.

The football team’s feats are no less impressive. Notre Dame ended Oklahoma’s national record 47-game winning streak -- on the road -- in 1957.

Notre Dame broke USC’s 23-game unbeaten streak here in 1973 and went on to win the national title. The Irish also won the national championship in 1988 after ending Miami’s 36-game winning streak here 17 years ago today.

Notre Dame, however, has had four shots at USC when the Trojans were ranked first and missed them all.

Last season, top-ranked USC whipped the Irish, 41-10, in the Trojans’ third consecutive 31-point victory over Notre Dame. That ended Tyrone Willingham’s tenure as coach of the Irish.

USC Coach Pete Carroll faces a more formidable challenge today.

Carroll, also the Trojans’ defensive coordinator, will match wits with Charlie Weis, who succeeded Willingham after collecting three Super Bowl rings as offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots.

Carroll and Weis schemed against each other several times in the NFL.

“It’s clear what his offense is -- I’ve watched it for years,” Carroll said. “I know who I’m going against in that regard, as he does. We don’t have anything over on each other.”

Said Weis: “Pete knows me very well. He knows what I like to do. I like to think I know what he likes to do. It’s just going to come down to us having to execute very well against what they do.”

Notre Dame began with road victories at Pittsburgh and Michigan before losing at home to Michigan State in overtime. The Irish rebounded with road victories at Washington and Purdue and had an open date last week.

Just as he did in New England, where he helped Tom Brady develop into one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks, Weis is working similar feats with Brady Quinn.

“It all starts with the quarterback,” Weis said. “We don’t put anything in the offense that the quarterback can’t handle. We don’t put anything in the offense that the quarterback doesn’t like.”

Quinn became the starter the fourth game of his freshman season in 2003 but completed only 47% of his passes and threw for nine touchdowns, with 15 interceptions. Last season, he raised his completion percentage to 54% and passed for more than 2,500 yards with 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Quinn correctly anticipated improved performance when Notre Dame hired Weis, a Notre Dame alum.

“I was excited about the opportunity that it presented for me because I was a Tom Brady fan,” said Quinn, who has completed 65% of his passes for 13 touchdowns, with only three interceptions. “I watched the Patriots and their success before, so when [Weis] was hired, I was able to almost visualize myself in [Brady’s] shoes.”

USC is coming off a 42-21 victory over Arizona, a game in which the Trojans amassed more than 700 yards but still took heat for giving up big plays.

Carroll and his players said this week that they were working to avoid the slow starts that plagued them against Oregon, Arizona State and Arizona.

USC trailed by 13 points at Oregon and by 18 at Arizona State before coming back to win.

“Hopefully we can rid ourselves of that,” Carroll said. “I am not dwelling on it, thinking that is the kind of team we are. If anything, it shows that we can finish.”