No. 13 USC Blasts Notre Dame, 38-0

Notre Dame can still claim the most-lopsided victory in the history of the series, a 51-0 win over the Trojans in 1966.

Photo courtesy: USC.edu

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Mark Sanchez threw four touchdown passes - two on short drives after miscues by the Fighting Irish - and No. 13 USC beat the Fighting Irish 38-0 Saturday, the largest margin of victory for the Trojans' in the 79-game history of the stories rivalry.

Notre Dame can still claim the most-lopsided victory in the history of the series, a 51-0 win over the Trojans in 1966.

The Irish also lost 38-0 to Michigan earlier this season. The two 38-point losses are tied for the eighth worst losses in Notre Dame history.

Sanchez threw TD passes of 10, 8, 5 and 48 yards and the Trojans won their sixth straight over the Irish, the longest streak for USC against Notre Dame. The Irish won 11 straight from 1983-93.

USC (6-1), started slowly, but got rolling when a punt by Notre Dame's Geoff Price struck teammate Munir Prince and USC's Vincent Joseph recovered at the Irish 10. The Trojans scored on the next play on a pass from Sanchez to Fred Davis.

The loss ensures Notre Dame its 13th losing season since it started playing football in 1887, and its fourth losing season since 1999. It also is the fourth straight home loss, tying a school record.

The game was competitive for a while. The Trojans, who got back many players who had been out with injuries, didn't go ahead 14-0 until Allen Bradford caught an 8-yard TD pass with 3:55 left in the second quarter. The Trojans went ahead 17-0 with 11 seconds left in the half on a 30-yard field goal by David Buehler.

USC quickly turned it into a blowout in the second half after Travis Thomas fumbled on the Notre Dame 13. Sanchez threw a 5-yard scoring pass to Stanley Havili.

Vidal Hazelton scored a 48-yard touchdown, catching the pass from Sanchez at the 30-yard line and breaking three tackles en route to the end zone. Joe McKnight scored on a 51-yard run in the fourth quarter.

The game was a stark contrast to the classic two years ago when top-ranked USC beat ninth-ranked Notre Dame 34-31 in the closing seconds as the teams traded great plays in the final minutes.

Story by: The Associated Press

Courtesy: USC Athletics

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