USC cruises past Notre Dame, 45-27

Notre Dame attempted an onside kick that was fielded by JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Dominic Davis rushed for four yards and then was tackled for a loss on the final play as the clock ran out.

USC has now won eight in a row and finishes the season a perfect 6-0 at the Coliseum.

The Trojans will not be playing for the Pac-12 championship, though. Colorado defeated Utah, 27-22, to clinch the South Division title.

If the Utes upset the Buffaloes, the Trojans win the South.

Adoree’ Jackson scored three touchdowns to lead USC to victory. The junior cornerback/receiver returned a punt 55 yards late in the second quarter to put the Trojans ahead 17-7. Moments later, Ajene Harris returned an interception 33 yards to streak USC to a 24-7 lead at halftime.

Jackson’s 52-yard catch and run answered a Notre Dame score in the third quarter for a 31-14 lead.

Then for good measure, he again answered the Irish, who had scored on a 29-yard pass from DeShone Kizer to Kevin Stepherson late in the third quarter, with a 97-yard kickoff return to give the Trojans a 38-21 lead entering the fourth quarter.

Sam Darnold completed 19 of 30 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns, the last one to JuJu Smith-Schuster, which extended USC’s lead to 45-21 with nine minutes left in the game.

Ronald Jones II rushed for 134 yards in 16 carries. His 51-yard run with 7:08 left in the first quarter put the Trojans ahead for good, 10-7.

Kizer completed 17 of 32 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns. Josh Adams, who had a 74-yard run, carried 17 times for 180 yards.

Brian Kelly inserted Malik Zaire at quarterback, and Zaire completed a 15-yard pass to Equanimeous St. Brown for a touchdown.

A two-point conversion failed.

No. 12 USC leads Notre Dame, 45-27, with 1:02 remaining in the game. The scoring drive took five plays and covered 45 yards in 33 seconds.

Zaire completed three of five passes for 30 yards.

In a funny moment, the official’s mic was left open and you could hear him yelling “Get out, let him get out!” at the Trojans defenders after they made a tackle. The remaining fans in the Coliseum chuckled. I did too.

Max Browne returned to quarterback and Dominic Davis was inserted at tailback.

Browne handed off to Davis for three consecutive carries.

He was unable to reach a first down and USC punted.

Things got chippy on the field after the punt. Chad Wheeler was called for a personal foul.

This has officially turned into a garbage-time game.

Michael Hutchings sacked DeShone Kizer on first down, and the rest of the Notre Dame series was history.

Max Browne took over at quarterback for Sam Darnold and handed off to Justin Davis for the duration of the series.

Davis rushed for 15 yards in three carries before the drive stalled.

The Trojans punted.

And more important, they took time off the clock.

Notre Dame went three and out on offense and punted.

Max Browne will come in for the Trojans.

With 8:24 left in the fourth quarter, this game appears all but over.

Notre Dame’s Nico Fertitta was disqualified after he was called for targeting on a helmet-to-helmet hit on Aca’Cedric Ware.

But watch his Fighting Irish teammate, Jerry Tillery, kick Ware in the head after he was already on the turf.

This game has had a little bit of everything, and most of it hasn’t been good — in the way of sportsmanship — in the fourth quarter.

Sam Darnold completed a two-yard pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster for a touchdown.

No. 12 USC leads Notre Dame, 45-21, with 9:40 remaining in the game.

Keeping track of this series was like trying to keep track of a train rolling off the tracks between the officials, injuries, reviews and penalties.

Jack Jones scooped up a Notre Dame backward pass and returned it for what should have been a USC touchdown, but the ACC crew called the play dead when Jones was near Notre Dame’s 20-yard line.

Nevertheless, USC won the challenge and took over at their 30-yard line.

Jalen Greene caught a 15-yard pass,Ronald Jones II rushed for 25 yards in consecutive carries and Darreus Rogers caught an eight-yard pass.

Then, Aca’Cedric Ware carried the ball seven yards before he was hit and fumbled.

Ware laid on the ground with an apparent injury. The crew reviewed the call for a fumble, which stood.

Minutes later, the crew reviewed the play again and determined Ware was targeted with a helmet-to-helmet hit and Nico Fertitta was ejected. He ran off the field to a chorus of well-deserved boos after high-fiving teammates upon the targeting call.

Not called by the officials was Jerry Tillery kicking Ware in the head when he was already down and obviously hurt.

After USC resumed play, Zach Banner was called for a false start and it appeared the drive would stall until the Irish were called for pass interference on third down.

Darnold completed the two-yard touchdown pass to Jackson on the next play.

Adoree’ Jackson.

If this is the junior’s last game at the Coliseum, what a way to go out.

Jackson fielded the kickoff and returned it 96 yards for a touchdown.

No. 12 USC leads Notre Dame, 38-21, with 47 seconds left in the third quarter.

Jackson went speeding up the far sideline and hurdled the kicker to make it the rest of the way to the end zone.

Jackson now has a touchdown on offense and two on special teams: a punt return and a kickoff return.

Notre Dame took advantage of USC’s secondary for two explosive plays and one went for a touchdown.

Kevin Stepherson caught a 29-yard pass in the end zone after he made Adoree’ Jackson slip slightly, buying him enough time to get open.

No. 12 USC leads Notre Dame, 31-21, late in the third quarter.

Equanimeous St. Brown slipped behind Iman Marshall and made a diving 40-yard catch to start the series.

Sam Darnold and JuJu Smith-Schuster haven’t been on the same page today.

Darnold looked for Smith-Schuster twice during their latest series before USC punted.

On the first attempt, Darnold’s throw appeared short and off Smith-Schuster’s route. Smith-Schuster later dropped another attempt.

Smith-Schuster has three catches for 21 yards.

Notre Dame will start from their 17-yard line.

Porter Gustin sacked DeShone Kizer and Notre Dame punted.

The Fighting Irish were moving the ball well until the Trojans’ linebackers made three stops.

Kizer completed a five-yard pass to Equanimeous St. Brown, and Josh Adams rushed for 25 yards in three carries.

The drive stalled when Dexter Williams rushed for four yards and Kizer was sacked.

On a scary note, Michael Hutchings accidentally blindsided referee Ron Cherry after the sack, and Cherry lay motionless on the turf as training staff members from both teams ran to him. After a few minutes, he walked off the field with the trainers by his side.

Adoree’ Jackson is just too fast.

Jackson took a short pass and turned on the afterburners on the near sideline to go 52 yards for a touchdown.

Notre Dame defenders had no shot at even touching him as he sped by.

No. 12 USC leads Notre Dame, 31-14, with 7:41 remaining in the third quarter. The scoring drive covered 79 yards in five plays and took 2:18.

Ronald Jones II rushed for five yards in two carries before Darreus Rogers caught a 21-yard pass over the middle.

Then Justin Davis rushed for one yard before Jackson took off.

Jackson now has a touchdown each on offense and special teams today.

The rain stopped and a rainbow formed over the Coliseum as DeShone Kizer completed a 14-yard pass to Chris Fink for a touchdown.

No. 12 USC leads Notre Dame, 24-14, with 10:08 remaining in the third quarter. The scoring drive covered 40 yards in 10 plays and took 3:30.

The Irish converted a turnover into the touchdown.

USC’s defense forced the Irish into a three and out when Ajene Harris sacked Kizer, but Adoree’ Jackson made a rare mistake on the punt return and fumbled it. The Irish recovered in USC territory.

Kizer converted on fourth and two with an eight-yard pass to Equanimeous St. Brown to set up the touchdown.

USC’s defense started slow today but has quickly picked up the pace against Notre Dame.

The Fighting Irish went three-and-out and punted for a fourth time.

Rasheem Green sacked Deshone Kizer to start the drive and the Irish continued to dig their hole when they were called for a personal foul after the play.

Ajene Harris saw this one coming the entire way.

Harris jumped the route, DeShone Kizer threw it right to him and Harris returned an interception 33 yards for a USC touchdown.

This was an idle game for most of the second quarter that just got out of hand quickly.

The Trojans have scored a touchdown on offense, defense and special teams.

Adoree’ Jackson fielded a punt and returned it 55 yards for a USC touchdown.

Jackson is singing and dancing in the rain as the Trojans now lead Notre Dame, 17-7, with 1:24 to play in the second quarter.

Jackson has returned two punts for touchdowns this season.

USC’s defense put the pressure on Notre Dame to force a three and out.

The ACC referee crew nearly pulled a Pac-12 move first, though.

The Irish made a bad snap to their punter, and the ball flew out the back of the end zone. It should’ve been a safety, but the crew said there was no play because the ball was snapped before substitutions could be made.

This might be the one time Trojans fans are OK with missing out on points because of refs. Seven is better than two.

With exception of Ronald Jones II, USC hasn’t been able to put much together on offense yet Saturday.

Jones has rushed for more than 100 yards already against Notre Dame. It’s his fourth game in a row rushing for more than 100.

Jones rushed for 16 yards on the first play of the series before it stalled.

He was tackled for a six-yard loss on the next play, Sam Darnold rushed for eight yards and Darnold’s third-down pass fell incomplete.

USC is three for seven on third down and Darnold has four incomplete third-down pass attempts.

Notre Dame missed a 37-yard field-goal attempt, and Michael Pittman Jr. can breathe a little easier.

The Fighting Irish were forced to a three and out and punted, but Pittman was flagged for roughing the kicker, which gave the Irish a new set of downs.

Adoree’ Jackson made two impressive pass breakups during the series, and Cameron Smith tackled Dexter Williams for a big loss.

Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer has had some success, however, against the Trojans’ secondary. He completed a 12-yard pass on third down to Equanimeous St. Brown in front of Iman Marshall and followed a play later with a 26-yard pass to Chris Fink over Ajene Harris.

Sam Darnold has struggled Satruday on third down, and for a third time his third-down pass fell incomplete.

USC punted from Notre Dame’s 35-yard line.

Darnold has completed 12 of 18 passes for 92 yards.

Ronald Jones II has rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown in 10 carries.

This game was moving swiftly through the first quarter but has since been bogged down by injury and television timeouts. USC hasn’t been able to find a rhythm outside of a couple of explosive plays from Jones.

Trojans players have been bouncing around on the sideline trying to inject life into the unusually soaked Coliseum crowd.

Yellow ponchos now speckle the Coliseum and the rain has started to come down.

Notre Dame punted.

Stevie Tu’ikolovatu tackled Dexter Williams on first down then sacked DeShone Kizer on second down, which forced third and long, and the Fighting Irish couldn’t convert.

Tu’ikolovatu has been an exceptional addition for the Trojans on their defensive line this season and he will be missed.

USC punted for the first time, and things got chippy between the Trojans and Fighting Irish after the return.

Uchenna Nwosu appeared to be in the middle of it, but there were no flags thrown.

JuJu Smith-Schuster caught a seven-yard pass, and Justin Davis rushed nine-of-12 passing for 61 yards. Two of his three incomplete passes were on third down.

The Coliseum grew to a roar as Notre Dame tried to convert on fourth and one from USC’s 39-yard line, but the Fighting Irish were called for a false start and their punt team trotted onto the field.

DeShone Kizer was moving the football until the stall on fourth down.

Equanimeous St. Brown caught a nine-yard pass, and Corey Holmes caught an 11-yard pass during the drive.

Exciting things happen when Ronald Jones II touches the football.

Sam Darnold handed off to Jones, who made it to the far sideline and booked it 51 yards for a touchdown.

No. 12 USC leads Notre Dame, 10-7, with 7:08 to play in the first quarter. The scoring drive covered 75 yards in seven plays and took 2:36.

Two plays before Jones’ run, Adoree’ Jackson converted on an improbable third and 11. Jackson took a handoff and broke three tackles as he made a second-and-third effort to reach the first down. It was an impressive play for a guy who is fast, yet has a small frame.

Darnold has completed seven of nine passes for 49 yards and also has rushed for eight yards in two carries.

This wasn’t the start you’d expect from a 4-7 Notre Dame team.

Josh Adams broke off a 74-yard run on the Fighting Irish’s first play of the series and DeShone Kizer, from USC’s one-yard line, kept it on the next play for an Irish touchdown.

Notre Dame leads USC, 7-3, with 9:51 to play in the first quarter. The scoring drive covered 75 yards in two plays and took just 31 seconds.

USC moved the ball well but had to settle for a field goal during its opening series.

Matt Boermeester kicked a 37-yard field goal, and the Trojans lead Notre Dame, 3-0, with 10:22 remaining in the first quarter. The scoring drive took 11 plays and covered 61 yards in 4:38.

Sam Darnold completed five of six passes for 45 yards. His only incomplete pass came on third down, which forced the field-goal attempt.

Adoree’ Jackson was inserted late into the series on offense.

JuJu Smith-Schuster caught one pass for nine yards but had to tap out after the play and hobbled to the sideline. He returned two plays later.

Ronald Jones II rushed for 14 yards in three carries.

Michigan and Ohio State are going into overtime on ABC.

The start of the USC-Notre Dame game can be seen on ESPN News.

USC-Notre Dame kickoff time has been moved from 12:30 p.m. PST to 12:41 p.m. on ABC.

Skies were clear and blue this morning at the Coliseum, but storm clouds have started to roll in and forecasts predict rain in Los Angeles after 1 p.m.

The last time USC played in a rain-soaked Coliseum?

It was 12 years ago, 2004, when the Trojans defeated Notre Dame, 41-10. Matt Leinart passed for 400 yards and five touchdowns.

No. 12 USC wraps up its regular-season schedule against rival Notre Dame at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, but the most important matchup for the Trojans will be played in Boulder, Colo., where No. 9 Colorado is hosting No. 22 Utah at 4:30 p.m.

If the Utes pull off an upset, the Trojans will clinch the Pac-12 South division title and will play No. 5 Washington, which they beat two weeks ago, in the Pac-12 vhampionship game on Friday in Santa Clara.

Notre Dame, 4-7, is coming off a loss at Virginia Tech while the Trojans defeated rival UCLA and are on a seven-game winning streak.

Today will be the final home game for Trojans seniors Zach Banner, Justin Davis, De’Quan Hampton, Michael Hutchings, Taylor McNamara, Leon McQuay III, Darreus Rogers, Jordan Simmons, Zach Smith, Stevie Tu’ikolovatu, Chad Wheeler and Isaac Whitney.

USC running back Ronald Jones II scores the first of four touchdowns against Oregon during a game Nov. 5 at the Coliseum.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

If prompted, Ronald Jones II can produce a bag containing a prodigious set of dreadlocks, which he keeps at his residence.

They are his — or used to be. He cut his hair this summer and couldn’t summon the will to discard the locks.

By the middle of USC’s season, he was glad they were still around. Jones was struggling, and no one could crack the puzzle. He looked a little impatient. His vision was off. But why? After one game, he suggested to reporters that it was the hair. Everyone laughed. Jones, it turned out, was not joking.

“I was thinking about reattaching it to give me my strength,” Jones said, sitting outside USC’s football facilities one day this week. He did not laugh.

“We kind of compared it to Sampson in the Bible,” his mother, Jackie Jones, confirmed. “He really thought that.”

Jones, USC’s explosive starting tailback, knows what makes him happy. He likes the Texas fast-food chain Whataburger. He likes to run the football. And he liked his dreads.

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Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer looks to pass against Virginia Tech during the first half of their game.

(Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press)

Notre Dame has endured a miserable season, but its record is a little misleading. Six of seven losses have been by seven points or fewer. (The seventh loss was by eight points.)

“You come away feeling their record does not match the personnel that’s on the field right now,” USC Coach Clay Helton said.

A win would mark the 20th time USC has swept Notre Dame and UCLA.

The two rivals’ struggles this season already have produced four “perfect days” for USC fans — when USC wins and UCLA and Notre Dame lose during the same week. That is the most in USC’s history.

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USC defensive tackle Stevie Tu’ikolovatu comes upfield on a pass rush against Colorado on Oct. 8.

(Shotgun Spratling / Los Angeles Times)

USC players were openly crying after a team meeting in early December 2013.

This season’s seniors were freshmen at the time, and they had just learned USC would not be retaining their popular interim coach, Ed Orgeron.

“Feel like I lost my dad,” defensive lineman Kenny Bigelow Jr. tweeted after emerging from the meeting.

He added one word, which would become an epitaph for that freshman class’ time in the program: “again.”

USC’s seniors will play their final regular-season game on Saturday against Notre Dame, and, again, there will be drama — some of it beyond their control.

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