SOUTH BEND (AP) — Notre Dame's bitter loss to No. 18 North Carolina on Saturday reminded coach Charlie Weis of the feeling the Fighting Irish had after losing to No. 1 USC in 2005 when the Trojans scored the winning touchdown with 3 seconds left.

He hopes the Irish can use that feeling the same way the squad did in 2005, when they won their final five games, all but one by at least 20 points, and earned a berth in the Fiesta Bowl.

"We came in after that game and said there were one of two ways you can handle this loss. You can use this as an impetus to move forward and really as a rallying cry, or you can be in the tank. That's really the only two choices you have," Weis said Sunday. "So the challenge will be put to them very clearly via that analogy to move in the direction of using it as a rallying cry."

Both games involved chaotic endings with crucial calls by officials in the closing seconds.

In the game against USC, Matt Leinart was stopped just short of the end zone as he fumbled, the ball went out of bounds and the clock ran out as fans ran out on the field. But after reviewing the play, officials put 7 seconds back on the clock and placed the ball inside the 1. Leinart scored the game-winner on his second chance.

On Saturday, officials on the field ruled that Michael Floyd was down on the 7-yard line with about 5 seconds left. Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen appeared to spike the ball with a second or 2 on the clock while the Tar Heels had 12 men on the field.

But the replay official buzzed the on-field officials before the Irish ran the play. After several minutes, the replay official ruled that Floyd had fumbled the ball away.

Weis said Sunday he wasn't going to "whine" about the officiating, but then added: "Rationally thinking, I have a tough time imagining how it could have gone the way it did."

Weis watched the play 50 times Sunday morning and he didn't see anything that he thinks should have caused the replay official to overrule the call on the field.

"From my perspective I find it tough to believe that with as little evidence as I was able to see that there was enough evidence to overrule it," Weis said.

Still, Weis found encouragement in how hard the Irish took the loss.

"You know that they expected to win and didn't win, which is the only reason for them to be in the tank the way they were," he said. "When your team is starting to act like that, starting to think like that and starting to feel like that, you've turned a corner in the right direction."

Now the Irish now have a bye week to recover from some nagging injuries before traveling to Washington. Weis said he hasn't had a chance yet to research the statistics, but he believes the first half of this season feels a lot like the first half of 2006.

That team led by Brady Quinn opened the season 5-1, averaging 380 yards of total offense a game and giving up 348 yards a game. This year's team led by Jimmy Clausen is 4-1, averaging 373 yards a game in offense and the defense giving up 368 yards a game.

He expects this year's team should improve faster than the veteran 2006 team.

"We're starting to get better in a whole bunch of areas in a hurry. But I think we have holes across the board we're going to have to improve on if we're going to make a serious run at winning a whole bunch of games this second half," he said.

The Irish are on pace to go to a bowl game. They will be heavily favored in their games against Washington (0-5) and Syracuse (1-5) and will be heavy underdogs against No. 6 USC (4-1). How they do against No. 23 Pittsburgh (4-2), at Boston College (4-1) and at Navy (4-2) likely will determine where they finish their season.

Weis said although many might feel as though being 4-2 midway through the season after going 3-9 last year is good, he's not satisfied.

"Everyone else's expectations were lower based off how last year went. But I'm disappointed to be sitting here at 4-2 right now, very disappointed," he said.