Notre Dame-USC: fun facts about epic rivalry

Notre Dame and USC have made up the greatest intersectional rivalries in all of college football for nearly a century and get set to meet for the 92nd time this Saturday in South Bend.

Last year didn’t see the Irish and Trojans meet due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Pac-12 not playing out of conference games, the first time the schools didn’t meet since World War II.

Order is restored and things return to normal this Saturday as Notre Dame welcomes USC to South Bend as the rivalry gets renewed once again.

Ever wondered how these two programs came to be great rivals? Here are 10 things to know about the history of Notre Dame and USC:

Wives to thank for the rivalry?

AP Photo/Joe Raymond

Legend has it that USC desired getting Notre Dame on their schedule for 1927 so sent their coach and his wife to Notre Dame’s game at Nebraska that Thanksgiving weekend to convince Knute Rockne to take his team to Los Angeles the next year.

Although the pitch didn’t initially work on Knute, his wife Bonnie was open to it and later convinced the legendary football coach to take his team west starting the next year.

Or at least that’s how the legend goes…

Actual Story - Maybe?

1 Jan 1996: Sunset descends on the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, where the Northwestern Wildcats play the University of Southern California Trojans. USC defeated Northwestern 41-32. Mandatory Credit: Jed Jacob

Notre Dame’s feud with the Big Ten (formerly Western Conference) is well-detailed. In the 1920’s a ban was placed on member schools from scheduling Notre Dame (and some wonder why Notre Dame takes pride in being independent) so scheduling meant Notre Dame would have to travel long distances which led to them being known as the Ramblers for some time.

The Rose Bowl Committee made an attempt to have Notre Dame play in it’s bowl game every year to close the season (only wound up happening once) but Notre Dame’s west coast alumni base really wanted to see their school locally. Although the annual Rose Bowl trip didn’t stick, a semi-annual trip to Southern California each November did.

So if it wasn’t actually the wives as discussed above, then who was it?

Thank Iowa for Notre Dame-USC?

USA TODAY Networks

What does Iowa football have to do with Notre Dame and USC forming one of college football’s greatest rivalries?

Howard Jones coached Iowa from 1916-1923 and became friendly with Knute Rockne, who was on Notre Dame’s schedule in 1921 (10-7 Iowa win). Rockne helped get Jones the USC job in 1925 and many believe had he not that Notre Dame and USC wouldn’t have wound up starting the rivalry in 1926.

Jones coached USC for the first 15 matchups between the Irish and Trojans which the teams split perfectly even at 7-7-1. He also led USC to four national championships during his time.

Thrilling Series Start

Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The first game of the series was played on the first Saturday of December in 1926 was a thriller. Notre Dame quarterback Ara Parisien threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Johnny Niemiec with just two minutes left as Notre Dame went ahead 13-12 on the final score of the game.

Soldier Field for Starters

Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame will step it’s toes onto the Soldier Field turf once in a while these days (four times since 1992) but the first two Notre Dame home games against the Trojans were actually played their and not in South Bend.

Historians say the 1927 game at Soldier Field between the two drew the largest crowd in college football history with estimates being north of 125,000 spectators in attendance, but only 99,573 paid for a ticket and were officially counted as present.

Notre Dame won the 1927 contest 7-6 and again in 1929, 13-12.

Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh

AP Photo/Lucy Nicholson

Since 1952 Notre Dame and USC have played annually for the Jeweled Shillelagh. Donated by the Notre Dame Alumni Club of Los Angeles the trophy was used “to symbolize in part the high tradition, the keen rivalry, and above all the sincere respect which these two great universities have for each other.”

"The Comeback"

AP Photo/Jeff Robbins, File

Notre Dame led 24-0 at USC late in the first half back in 1974. Just seconds before halftime Pat Haden found Anthony Davis to get the Trojans on the scoreboard. Davis would then return the opening kickoff of the second half for a score as USC was on there way to running off 55-straight points in a 55-24 victory over the Irish.

51-0

Photo By Malcolm Emmons- USA TODAY Sports © copyright Malcolm Emmons

In 1966 Notre Dame was coming off their epic 10-10 tie at Michigan State before the trip to USC. Looking to not only win but to do so in impressive fashion, the Irish handed USC their worst lost in program history, 51-0.

Notre Dame's 1964 heartbreak

Photo By David Boss-USA TODAY Sports © Copyright David Boss

Notre Dame was on the cusp of an all-time turnaround in Ara Parseghian’s first year on the job back in 1964. The Irish had gone from 2-7 in 1963 to undefeated and leading USC 17-0 in the final game of the year before an epic Trojans comeback kept the Heisman Trophy winner John Huarte and the Irish from a national championship.

Lou Holtz's dominance

AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

In 1986, Lou Holtz helped lead Notre Dame to an epic comeback win over USC after trailing 37-20 in the fourth quarter. Holtz and Notre Dame would dominate USC in Holtz’s run, going 9-1-1 in those 11 years.

Pete Carroll's Dominance

AP Photo/Tom Strattman, File

Notre Dame had Lou Holtz while USC had Pete Carroll. Carroll took over the USC job in 2001 and lost his first meeting to the Fighting Irish, but never would again as the Trojans took each contest in the series from 2002-2009.

Bush Push

USA TODAY Sports Copyright (c) 2005 Matt Cashore

Not just in this rivalry but in all of college football you’ll have problems finding a better all-time game than Notre Dame vs. USC in 2005. The thriller between two top-10 teams came down to the final seconds as that year’s Heisman Trophy winner pushed the previous season’s Heisman Trophy winner into the endzone to push USC’s winning streak to 28 games.

Related: Bush Push Photo Gallery

Great Rivalry:

Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Life doesn’t get much more opposite than when you compare South Bend, Indiana to Los Angeles, but as much as these programs are different, they’re also the same:

• Nobody has more all-time NFL draft picks than Notre Dame or USC who rank as the most of any programs.

• The two schools have each won seven Heisman Trophies a piece which ties them for the most by any program (Ohio State, Oklahoma also have seven).

• The two programs each claim 11 national championships each.

• The two programs wouldn’t be what they are today if it wasn’t for each other nearly a century ago.

Welcome back to Notre Dame-USC and here’s to hoping we never have to go a fall without the

All-time results:

CREDIT: JAMIE SQUIRE/ALLSPORT USA

Notre Dame leads the all-time series with USC: 49-37-5

1

1