It Began After Fat Guy Sang Swan Song : The Streak: Robinson left USC as coach with a victory over Notre Dame, but the Trojans haven’t had one since then.

When USC played Notre Dame in 1982, the Trojans wore buttons that read, “Win One for the Fat Guy.”

And the Trojans gave the fat guy--Coach John Robinson--a 17-13 victory over the Irish as a going-away present.

But Robinson needed a controversial call to beat the Irish in his last game as a college coach.

Tailback Michael Harper fumbled as he scored the winning touchdown on a one-yard dive with 48 seconds remaining. Although Notre Dame’s coaches protested that Harper had not had possession of the ball when he crossed the goal line, the play was ruled a touchdown and USC had its fifth consecutive victory over Notre Dame.

But USC hasn’t defeated Notre Dame since, losing nine in a row to the Irish. That’s the longest losing streak in the history of the series, which began in 1926. It’s also USC’s longest losing streak against any opponent.

Although the Irish have dominated in the last nine games, the games have been close, with Notre Dame winning by four points the last three years and by one point in 1986. Excluding Notre Dame’s lopsided 37-3 victory in 1985, Notre Dame’s average margin of victory has been 9.2 points during the streak.

Ted Tollner, who succeeded Robinson, was fired after compiling an 0-7-1 record against UCLA and Notre Dame, including an 0-4 mark against the Irish, despite taking USC to bowl games in his last three seasons. Coach Larry Smith is 3-7-1 against UCLA and Notre Dame, 0-5 against the Irish.

Said Irish Coach Lou Holtz, who is 6-0 against the Trojans:

“The nine years that we’ve won it, I just marvel,” Holtz said. “We’ve been exceptionally lucky and fortunate. We’ve played well, but out of the seven years we’ve played Southern Cal (including this season), the amazing thing is that they’ve been nationally ranked five years. It’s not like Southern Cal has been down. And what is really incredible is to have two teams that close and to have everything go our way is exceptionally unusual, no doubt.”

Here’s a look at Notre Dame’s nine-game winning streak:

1983

Coach Gerry Faust motivated the Irish by pulling out the green jerseys for the first time in six years, and the ploy worked. Notre Dame defeated the Trojans, 27-6, as tailback Allen Pinkett ran for 122 yards and three touchdowns at South Bend, Ind.

Notre Dame warmed up in its traditional blue jerseys, then changed to green before the kickoff. The last time the Irish had worn green jerseys, they defeated the Trojans, 49-14, in 1977 on their way to the national championship.

1984

Rain drenched Los Angeles during the game, turning the Coliseum field into a bog. The Trojan offense bogged down, too, fumbling six times as the Irish won here for the first time since 1966, 19-7.

The Trojans set up 12 of Notre Dame’s 19 points with turnovers. With the score 7-7, tailback Fred Crutcher fumbled to set up the go-ahead touchdown, then fumbles by quarterback Tim Green led to two field goals during the third quarter.

1985

Faust, who was fighting to save his job, resorted to the green-jersey gimmick once again, but the Irish didn’t need any motivation, routing the Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium, 37-3. It remains the Trojans’ largest margin of defeat since a 51-0 loss to Notre Dame in 1966.

Leading by 27-0 at halftime, Notre Dame put on green jerseys for the second half, which angered the Trojans.

“That really bugs me,” USC cornerback Matt Johnson said after the game. “It looked like they were rubbing it in. If things were reversed, it would be like our defensive backs coming out for the second half dangling towels with our names on them.

“Pulling something like that was unnecessary. You could call it bush.”

The Irish players didn’t care.

“As for me, I don’t like USC,” Notre Dame nose tackle Eric Dorsey said. “The way I looked at it, we could have rubbed it in their faces.”

1986

Tollner was booed out of the Coliseum after USC had squandered a 17-point fourth-quarter lead and lost, 38-37, on John Carney’s 19-yard field goal as time expired. Notre Dame’s Tim Brown, who had 252 all-purpose yards, returned a punt 56 yards to the Trojan 16 in the final minute to set up the winning field goal.

Afterward, when Tollner tried to introduce the Trojan seniors, who had played their final home game, he couldn’t be heard over the booing, waved his hand in disgust and left without completing the introductions.

Tollner was fired after USC completed the season with a 16-7 loss to Auburn in the Florida Citrus Bowl.

In the game against the Irish, the Trojans felt they were deprived of the victory because of an error by the officials. Leading by 37-27 midway through the fourth quarter, Tollner gambled by going for first down on fourth and inches at the Notre Dame five, instead of kicking a field goal.

Quarterback Rodney Peete went over the top of a pile and thought he had the first down. The officials didn’t, awarding the ball to Notre Dame on downs. They didn’t measure and when Peete protested, he drew a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Steve Beuerlein and Brown combined on a 49-yard pass play as the Irish drove 80 yards to a touchdown, then Beuerlein passed to tight end Andy Heck for the two-point conversion to trim USC’s lead to 37-35 with 4:24 to play.

1987

After spotting the Trojans a touchdown on the first series, the Irish scored 26 consecutive points and won, 26-15, at Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish outrushed the Trojans, 351-91.

Peete threw a school-record 45 passes, completing 23 for 275 yards with one touchdown and an interception.

“I have a sick feeling inside my stomach,” Peete said afterward. “I thought we would dominate the whole game after the first drive. But we didn’t have the same intensity after that.”

1988

The top spot in the polls was at stake when No. 1 Notre Dame played No. 2 USC at the Coliseum. It was the first time in the history of the series that both teams were undefeated and untied going into the game.

But the Trojans fumbled away the game, 27-10. Their four turnovers led to two Notre Dame touchdowns before 93,829 at the Coliseum.

USC had lost only five fumbles before that game, but tailback Aaron Emanuel fumbled at the Trojan 19, setting up an Irish touchdown, and tailback Ricky Ervins killed a Trojan drive with a fumble at the Irish 19.

Peete threw two interceptions, one of which was returned 64 yards for a touchdown by cornerback Sam Smagala.

1989

After fighting with the Irish in the tunnel at Notre Dame Stadium before the game, the Trojans gave the Irish a fight on the field before losing, 28-24, on Tony Rice’s 15-yard touchdown run with 5:18 to play.

The Trojans, who squandered a 17-7 halftime lead, took the setback hard.

“This is the worst thing that’s ever happened to me in my life,” USC defensive back Tim Ryan said. “I’ve got to pick myself up, but I’ll never forget it.”

Quarterback Todd Marinovich completed 33 of 55 passes for 333 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions as USC took a 24-21 fourth-quarter lead.

Marinovich had a chance to pull out the victory after Rice’s touchdown, driving the Trojans to the Irish seven with two minutes left, but D’Juan Francisco batted away Marinovich’s fourth-down pass in the end zone.

1990

Notre Dame’s defense stifled the Trojans, limiting them to 29 yards on the ground during a 10-6 victory at the Coliseum.

“Any time you score six points against Notre Dame, you don’t give yourself a very good chance of winning,” Larry Smith said.

Marinovich completed 26 of 39 passes for 273 yards, but he was sacked six times for 35 yards as the Trojans failed to score a touchdown.

1991

The Irish, who have had good luck in the series during their winning streak, got another break and held off the the Trojans at South Bend, 24-20.

After fullback Raoul Spears had scored on a four-yard run to pull the Trojans to within four points with 1:50 left, USC kicker Cole Ford dribbled an onside kick. USC cornerback Marvin Pollard emerged from the pile with the ball but the officials awarded possession to Notre Dame, ruling that Irv Smith had recovered the ball, and the Irish ran out the clock.

“You always hear all this talk about the luck of the Irish,” Pollard said. “It makes you wonder.”

But Holtz, who had a clear view of the play, maintains the officials made the correct call.

“It happened right in front of my bench,” Holtz said. “When they unpiled everybody, the official got down and Irv Smith had control of the football. And the official made the ruling and Irv would not give it up because (Pollard) was still down there with him. So, consequently they didn’t get up off the ground for a long time. Finally, the official said, ‘It’s Notre Dame’s ball, give it up.’ Irv then gave the ball up and (Pollard) jumped up with the football.”

Notre Dame got another break.

Tailback Tony Brooks appeared to have fumbled before crossing the goal line on Notre Dame’s second touchdown and USC linebacker Gidion Murrell recovered in the end zone. The officials ruled it a touchdown, though, saying that the fumble had occurred after Brooks had scored. TV replays seemed to show he had fumbled before getting into the end zone.

Asked what it will take for USC to end the streak, USC cornerback Calvin Holmes had a simple answer.

“Refs on our side,” Holmes said.