Leinart Is Feeling a Bit of Pressure

Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart understood that tremendous expectations would result from his decision to return to USC for a final season of eligibility.

But on Tuesday, in the aftermath of the top-ranked Trojans’ dramatic victory over Notre Dame, USC’s senior quarterback said the burden of carrying so much attention had affected him.

“I think at times I’ve lost track of just having fun and not thinking too much,” Leinart said after practice.

Leinart engineered the game-winning drive and scored the decisive touchdown on a sneak with three seconds left to defeat Notre Dame, 34-31, at South Bend, Ind. But two passes of his were intercepted and he did not throw a touchdown pass for the second time in three games.

“I don’t know exactly what it is -- you can’t pinpoint one thing, but I think I can be playing better,” he said.

Coach Pete Carroll said mental exhaustion was “really an issue” for Leinart.

“He is handling it as well as you can handle it, but there is a tremendous burden for him and he is just a young pup trying to make it,” Carroll said.

In recent years, USC has experienced Heisman build-up for quarterback Carson Palmer and Leinart. The Trojans also have been in the spotlight in the prelude to three consecutive appearances in bowl championship series games.

“But we have never faced a whole season with all of that following,” Carroll said.

Leinart said he does not feel sorry for himself.

“That’s just the name of the game,” he said. “I just have to know it’s only going to get worse in the future.”

Leinart said he is focusing on Saturday’s game at Washington and had put the Notre Dame victory behind.

“It will be a great memory for us when we’re 50, 60 years old,” he said.

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Running back Reggie Bush, who helped push Leinart into the end zone for the winning touchdown, said the play could be remembered as “maybe the greatest quarterback sneak ever.”

“It was so quick, I don’t think people really caught on to it until after,” said Bush, who scored touchdowns on runs of 36, 45 and nine yards.

Bush slowed down markedly toward the end of his second breakaway scoring run, allowing a Notre Dame defender to hit him in the end zone.

“I got out of my focus and tried to make a statement and that was really poor leadership on my part,” Bush said. “I apologized to the team for that, and it’s not going to happen again.”

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With cornerback William Buchanon (hip flexor) expected to sit out Saturday’s game, safety Josh Pinkard continued to work at Buchanon’s spot and he appears on track to become the Trojans’ third cornerback sometime in the next few weeks.

Pinkard also was among the players working as “gunners” on the punt coverage team because of Buchanon’s absence and the season-ending knee injury suffered by Desmond Reed.