USC earning its letters

They refused to get caught up in the hype.

The history did not make them flinch.

And a possible trip to the national championship game was neatly out of mind.

A year after playing one of the most dramatic games in college football history against Notre Dame, third-ranked USC on Saturday night convincingly dispatched the sixth-ranked Fighting Irish, 44-24, in front of 91,800 at the Coliseum.

“With all the history, a lot of teams might like to make it a bigger deal than it really is,� nose tackle Sedrick Ellis said. “When it comes down to it, even with all the heritage of this game, it still comes down to playing football.�

Quarterback John David Booty threw three touchdown passes to Dwayne Jarrett, freshman C.J. Gable rushed for 107 yards and the resurgent Trojans defense controlled Notre Dame’s high-powered offense en route to a win that could push USC past Michigan into the coveted No. 2 spot in the Bowl Championship Series standings.

“I think this proves we really are that team, we’re great and good enough to compete with anybody,� senior linebacker Oscar Lua said. “This proves we’re more than capable of competing in Arizona.�

That would be Glendale, Ariz., site of the Jan. 8 BCS national championship game, where USC (10-1) could meet No. 1 Ohio State if the Trojans defeat UCLA next week at the Rose Bowl.

USC jumped out to a 21-3 lead early in the second quarter, then survived a stretch that included a blocked punt and two interceptions.

The Trojans regrouped and improved their chances of reaching their third consecutive BCS title-game appearance by defeating Notre Dame for the fifth consecutive time. USC also extended its home winning streak to 33 games.

“As a team I felt like we were in the zone,� said Jarrett, the All-American split end who scored on touchdown catches of nine, five and 43 yards and made several spectacular catches.

Last year, USC pulled out an epic 34-31 victory at Notre Dame Stadium by making clutch plays down the stretch.

None were required Saturday.

“We really felt in command the whole game,� said Coach Pete Carroll, who is 20-0 in November games.

USC won handily by neutralizing Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn.

The senior had his moments, including a 60-yard run on a scramble and a seven-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. But he failed to convert several passes in key situations.

Quinn finished 22 for 45 for 274 yards and three touchdowns, but USC’s secondary foiled 11 of Notre Dame’s 18 third-down attempts and four of the Fighting Irish’s tries on fourth down.

“He was far from perfect, but join the club,� Notre Dame Coach Charlie Weis said. “I was far from perfect.�

USC’s defense was not as dominant as it had been against Stanford, Oregon and California, but the Trojans once again came up big when they needed to.

“They had a couple deep passes but other than that, I think we played good defense,� cornerback Terrell Thomas said. “We knew they were going to dink the ball around, spread us out with quick routes, but overall we just had to tackle and wait for them to mess up.�

Booty, who finished 17 for 28 for 265 yards, looked as if he was on his way to an error-free night when he completed eight of his first nine passes, including two first-quarter touchdowns to Jarrett. Booty also scored his first career touchdown on a one-yard sneak early in the second quarter for a 21-3 lead. But then he struggled through a mistake-prone second quarter after twisting his ankle.

Notre Dame (10-2) blocked a punt and intercepted two passes on three consecutive series but came away with only one touchdown and trailed, 21-10, at halftime.

Jarrett’s spectacular lunging, one-handed catch for 19 yards highlighted the first possession of the second half, which ended with Chauncey Washington’s two-yard touchdown run for a 28-10 lead.

Quinn brought the Irish right back, completing a 42-yard pass the Rhema McKnight early in a drive that he capped with a two-yard scoring pass to the former La Palma Kennedy High star to trim the deficit to 28-17.

Mario Danelo’s 34-yard field goal pushed the lead back to 14 points, setting the stage for Quinn, who had led the Irish to dramatic comeback victories over Michigan State and UCLA.

Lua, however, broke up a second-down pass and linebacker Dallas Sartz sacked him on third down.

Jarrett seemed to put the game away with a 43-yard touchdown reception for a 37-17 lead with 8:21 left.

Quinn’s touchdown pass to Jeff Samardzija with 3:39 remaining pulled Notre Dame to within 13 points, but Brian Cushing ended any threat by returning an onside kick 42 yards for a touchdown.

“I just had a feeling they were going to kick it right at me,� the sophomore linebacker said. “I saw a seam was open and I just caught the ball and ran.�

Many college football observers thought USC was out of the chase for the national title when it lost, 33-31, at Oregon State on Oct. 28. But the Trojans are now positioned to reach the championship game with one more win.

“Early on this season, not many people gave us much of a chance and really questioned us,� Jarrett said. “But we always believed in ourselves.�

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KEYS TO THE GAME

Times staff writer Gary Klein’s keys to the game and how the teams measured up:

1. Pressure packed. USC got good pressure on Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, linebacker Dallas Sartz and defensive linemen Sedrick Ellis and Fili Moala each recording sacks. USC’s offensive line did a good job protecting John David Booty, who was sacked once.

2. Run for it. Freshman C.J. Gable had another outstanding game, rushing for 107 yards in 20 carries in his second consecutive start. The Trojans limited Darius Walked to 56 yards in 14 carries. Quinn led the Fighting Irish with 74 rushing yards, 60 coming on a scramble.

3. Turnovers. USC survived despite Notre Dame’s intercepting two Booty passes and blocking a punt. Notre Dame lost a fumble, but Quinn did not have any interceptions.