Weis, Irish sink lower
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The knock on Charlie Weis entering the season was his team's performance against elite teams.
Fueling the criticism was the dominant opinion that Weis' finest moment as Notre Dame coach had come in a loss -- two years ago to USC. The unforgettable game became a popular topic this week as the Trojans prepared to return to Notre Dame Stadium.
"You hate to be remembered as the losing coach in an epic battle," Weis said Tuesday.
Unfortunately for Weis, he's going to be remembered for much worse than that. Arguably his lowest moment as Irish coach took place Saturday.
The offense never got on track and the defense derailed after halftime as Notre Dame fell 38-0 to 13th-ranked USC. It marked Notre Dame's worst loss to its archrival and its worst home loss since a 40-0 setback to Oklahoma in 1956.
"It was a butt-kicking today," Weis said. "I'm not a big whiner. I'm the person responsible for all this stuff."
The Irish capped the worst 10-game stretch (1-9) in team history and assured themselves of a losing record after reaching back-to-back BCS bowl games.
The green and gold uniforms Notre Dame wore to honor the 30th anniversary of the 1977 championship team were as "ugly" as Weis said they would be. But the retro unis looked like designer digs next to the tacky product on the field.
"They dominated us, pretty much," defensive end Trevor Laws said. "We thought we were on an upswing, and you go 38-0. It's a tough one to swallow."
Particularly for Weis, who watched his offense backslide against USC's merciless defenders. Hoping to play a ball-control game, Weis rarely stretched the field with first-time starter Evan Sharpley at quarterback.
The Irish went 1-for-8 on third downs in the opening half, going three-and-out in USC territory after David Bruton blocked a punt.
"When you have the ball in plus territory, you need to score," said Sharpley, who went 17-for-33 for 117 with an interception. "We didn't do that."
Notre Dame trailed 17-0 at halftime, as USC sophomore quarterback Mark Sanchez, making his first career road start, began to find a rhythm. The Irish (1-7) needed a counterpunch to begin the second half but instead knocked themselves out with a Travis Thomas fumble on the second play.
The offense had zero net yards in the third quarter, and USC (6-1) recorded 3 of its 5 sacks against Sharpley.
A sarcastic cheer went up from the crowd with 9:49 left in the game after Notre Dame moved the chains for the first time in the second half. The Irish finished with 165 total yards, the fifth time this season they have been held to fewer than 200.
"I don't know how to define rock bottom," senior tight end John Carlson said. "It's never a place I'd envision being, never a place I wanted to be."
Sanchez filled in admirably for the injured John David Booty, completing 21 of 38 passes for 235 yards and 4 touchdowns. In the third quarter he threw a fade pass to wideout Vidal Hazelton, who wrong-footed Irish defenders Ambrose Wooden and Terrail Lambert on an electrifying 48-yard touchdown that put USC up 31-0.
"That was just a sick play," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "He did every move you ever heard of -- spin, run over guys, cut back, cut back again."
Carroll envisioned a drop-off for Notre Dame three years ago when the Irish depth chart swelled with juniors and seniors. But the chasm separating the rivals just two years after their classic clash remained stunning for Notre Dame.
The Irish might finally be at rock bottom, though Weis provided this battle cry from the depths.
"People better enjoy it now," he said. "Have their fun now."
Notre Dame has two weeks to recover before playing out the string against Navy, Air Force, Duke and Stanford.
"You're already out of bowl contention; it's not like you're going to go to the toiletbowl.com," Weis said. "The players and the coaching staff have an ethical responsibility to do everything they can to try to win those four games."