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✦ top storylines: notre dame vs. USC Redshirt sophomore quarterback Cody Kessler will try to lead USC to its sixth consecutive win in South Bend. photo by John McGillen.courtesy usc four carries for 79 yards, highlighted by a 40-yard run. After surrendering 138 yards on 21 carries to Arizona's Ka'Deem Carey during USC's 38-31 victory Oct. 10, the Trojans still ranked 15th in rushing defense with a 107.2 yards per game average while yielding just 3.7 yards per carry. If the Irish can't match last year's rushing total against USC, then they must do at least much better than their previous failures with the run at home against the Trojans. For The Record USC will attempt to become the second team in history to win at Notre Dame Stadium in six consecutive trips to the venue. The Michigan State Spartans achieved the feat relatively recently: 1997 (23‑7), 1999 (23‑13), 2001 (17‑10), 2003 (22‑16), 2005 (41‑38 in overtime) and 2007 (31‑14). The streak finally ended with a 33‑30 Irish victory in 2009. Now, the Trojans will be entering with a five-game winning streak at Notre Dame Stadium: 2003 (45-14), 2005 (34‑31), 2007 (38-0), 2009 (34-27) and 2011 (31‑17). The last time Notre Dame vanquished the Trojans at home was in head coach Bob Davie's final season and USC head coach Pete Carroll's first year, a 27-16 victory in 2001. It was one of the Irish highlights of a disappointing 5-6 season that saw Davie get fired shortly after the final game. Much of this comes down to where USC's head is while searching for a new head coach. The last time Notre Dame faced a team that had just fired its coach and had an interim figure — Miami in the 2010 Sun Bowl — it was evident early on that the Hurricanes didn't have their mind on the game. The Irish took a 14-0 lead after two possessions, were up 27-3 at halftime and cruised to a 33-17 win. The "get-the-season-over-with" attitude does not seem applicable at USC right now under fiery interim coach Ed Orgeron, who had been a prominent assistant at USC from 1998-2004 (and 2010-13) prior to a short-lived head coaching stint at Ole Miss (2005-07). "Coach O was awesome," USC athletics director Pat Haden told the Los Angeles Times after the 38-31 win over Arizona Oct. 10. "An entirely different energy for our team. It was just fun watching our kids having a blast. The game is supposed to be a game of joy and they played with joy tonight." On Sept. 28, Notre Dame's 10-game winning streak at home — tied for the third longest in the 84-year history of Notre Dame Stadium — was snapped by Oklahoma. Starting a new winning streak while ending a dubious one to the Trojans at the same time would apply some salve to Notre Dame's sputtering start in 2013. ✦ Award-Winning Full Service Restaurant Private Rooms Available Hand-Cut All Natural Meats Award-Winning Homemade Desserts The Freshest Seafood Reservations Encouraged LUNCH: Sat 11am-4pm DINNER: Mon-Thur 4pm-9:30pm Fri & Sat 4pm-10:30pm • Check Us Out At: tripadvisor • Text Yesterdays at: 72727 For Special Offers • Find Us on Facebook at: Facebook.com/YesterdaysGranger • Find TO L L FREE us in the Best Book ® 12594 SR 23 • Granger www.yesterdays-granger.com ©2012 Studio A Advertising ✦ Page 8