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✦ TOP STORYLINES: NOTRE DAME VS. USC the goal line only once in their 30-13 set- back against the Fighting Irish. It was the epitome of Notre Dame's bend-but-don't break principles that center on: • Stop the run and control the line of scrimmage, first and foremost, because USC running backs Silas Redd and Curtis McNeal (24 carries for 118 yards at Notre Dame last year) average 127.1 yards rush- ing per game and — most significantly — 5.8 yards per carry between them. • Keep everything in front of you with the pass. • Minimize the YAC (yards after catch). • Force field goal attempts. This could be called the "rope-a-dope" defense, the boxing principle Muhammad Ali used to win the world heavyweight boxing title from George Foreman in 1974. While leaning most of the match against the ropes, Ali allowed Foreman to swing and swing and swing away while playing sound defense … and finally, when no haymaker connected, he wore out Foreman and knocked him out in the eighth round. It worked to a tee in Norman, Okla. Can it succeed in Los Angeles, too? WRONG LANE? Fair or unfair, USC's 37-year-old head coach Lane Kiffin, while achieving much as an assistant, is often perceived nation- ally as in over his head as the USC head coach. Many might compare it to Mike Shula serving as the head coach from 2003-06 at Alabama, where he was fired after post- ing a 26-23 record. Both Shula and Kiffin come from strong pedigrees and took over powerhouse programs that had fallen into turmoil and NCAA sanctions. "For all his star-studded recruiting classes and creative ways he's handled USC's scholarship restrictions, Kiffin lacks the coaching acumen to match his recruiting prowess," wrote Sports Illus- trated's Pete Thamel in a scathing article on SI.com following USC's 62-51 loss to Oregon Nov. 3, which dropped the Trojans to 6-3 after they were the preseason No. 1 choice. "When asked by SI.com how much of the blame is on him and his coaching staff, a subdued Kiffin said, 'All of it.'" DECADE OF DOMINANCE While the talk this November has centered on whether Notre Dame can make it to the BCS national champion‑ ship game, the reality is the Fighting Irish have lost to USC in nine of their last 10 meetings. That ties the best 10‑game stretch any opponent has ever had against Notre Dame with a dozen years, first set by Michigan State from 1955‑65. "It's not a great rivalry right now. We Notre Dame Football Tickets 24 years in business BCS BOWL PACKAGES AVAILABLE BEST SELECTION & PRICES www.NotreDameTickets.com Call 1-800-925-2500 for friendly, personal service and a Special Discount today! haven't won enough games," Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly noted. "They've had the upper hand on this. We need to make this a rivalry — and that is we need to win some more foot‑ ball games against a great opponent in USC. Our guys know that. I don't have to tell them that … they were here last year when we got beat [31‑17]. "We want to make this a rivalry. We're versus the Irish from 2002‑09 before it was snapped at the Los Angeles Memo‑ rial Coliseum in in 2010 when Kelly's Notre Dame unit won 20‑16 in his first season. Kelly will attempt to become the third Notre Dame head coach to win on his first two trips to the Coliseum. The other two were Frank Leahy (1942 and 1947) and Lou Holtz (1986 and 1988). Tickets also available for other nationwide events including MLB, NFL, Auto racing, NBA, all sports, concerts going to have to play great football against a really good football team." USC had an eight‑game winning streak — Lou Somogyi ✦ PAGE 9