Story Created:
Oct 18, 2009 at 12:40 PM EST
Story Updated:
Oct 18, 2009 at 12:40 PM EST
SOUTH BEND - Brian Smith roared out of the Notre Dame Stadium tunnel, threw his helmet down twice and appeared to be challenging the USC marching band members to come at him.
“I try to have the same emotional edge every game, but it was USC and a big game,” the ND junior linebacker said. “It’s hard to stay composed and calm in a game like this.”
A referee grabbed Smith and began talking with him, but Smith just pulled away.
“He thought I was going to go fight their team or something, and I was telling him to leave me alone,” Smith said. “I'm walking back to my sideline. He kept grabbing me, telling me he was going to give me a 15-yard penalty.”
The penalty never came, but nor did the burst of emotion ignite a vintage Notre Dame defensive performance.
Irish junior cornerback Gary Gray did come up with the only turnover of the game, a fourth-quarter interception and 30-yard return that set up a fourth-quarter touchdown in 25th-ranked Notre Dame’s eventual 34-27 loss Saturday to USC. And the Irish defense did give the ND offense the ball back with a chance to tie or win on the final offensive possession of the game.
But the bottom line was ugly. Again.
The Irish (4-2) gave up 501 total yards, with a freshman quarterback directing the opposing offense, no less. In fact, both ND losses this season came against freshman quarterbacks.
“As far as effort, we gave it,” Smith said, “but we left a lot of plays out there, as far as broken coverages, blown assignments and missed tackles. That’s unacceptable.”
The 501 yards is the fourth-most given up in the coach Charlie Weis Era, behind only the two BCS bowl losses - Ohio State in 2005 (617 ) and LSU in 2006 (577) - and a win over Purdue in 2005 (514).
“We’ve got to do a better job of recognizing what they’re trying to do to us, based on film study and what we’ve seen them do in the past,” Smith said.
No passing fancy
Eric Maust’s 25-yard pass play to Robbie Parris on a fake field goal set up Notre Dame’s first touchdown of the day. Maust, who lost his starting punter’s job a couple of games before, was the holder on the play.
If Maust looks like he’s done it before, he has. The ND baseball pitcher/football punter finished his career at Blessed Trinity High School in Alpharetta Ga., four years ago as the school’s all-time leader in passing yards (1,743) and passing TDs (11).
Personnel matters
Former walk-on David Ruffer, a standout high school golfer whom Weis plucked from the Interhall football ranks last September, kicked off for the Irish on Saturday. Freshman Nick Tausch had been handling the place-kicking and kickoff chores.
Gray got his first collegiate start Saturday and drew a pass interference penalty on the very first play from scrimmage in the game.
Sophomore wide receiver John Goodman received his first collegiate start and quickly recorded his first collegiate statistic, on ND’s second offensive play of the game - a 13-yard run out of the Wildcat formation.
Irish injured wide receiver Michael Floyd was suited up in full pads Saturday, but is still at least three weeks away from returning to game action. Floyd did practice this week, with no contact, for the first time since suffering a broken collarbone Sept. 19 against Michigan State.
Freshman Theo Riddick and senior Barry Gallup started the game as ND’s kickoff returners, but at halftime Weis switched to his 2008 return tandem of Golden Tate and Armando Allen.
By the numbers
Notre Dame junior QB Jimmy Clausen moved past Rick Mirer into fourth place on the Irish career passing yardage list (6,230). Next up at No. 3 is Steve Beuerlein (6,527).
Clausen passed Beuerlein and moved into the third spot on ND’s career passing attempts list (876).
The Irish have now played in five consecutive games decided by a touchdown or less. That’s the first time since 1983-84 that has happened.
Squibs
Faces in the crowd included comedian Will Ferrell and producer/director/actor/writer Spike Lee, both on the USC sideline.
Lee was wearing the No. 13 USC jersey - the number normally worn by injured USC running back Stafon Johnson.
Weis actually arranged Lee’s way into the game during a chance meeting between the two in New York, and yes, Lee made Weis well aware that he was a USC fan.
Lee was also at Notre Dame Stadium in 1993 for the No. 1-vs.-2 battle between Florida State and the Irish, won by ND.
The final head count for Friday night’s pep rally was 23,532.
