USC kicks off against Notre Dame on Saturday. But when it comes to Notre Dame, the Trojans know one fact: they don’t like the Fighting Irish. Most don’t necessarily know why, but it’s an unquestionable fact. That’s what makes this rivalry so intense.
The Rivalry’s Origin
Marion Wilson is the mother of the rivalry.
The first snap between the teams set off on Dec. 4, 1926. If it hadn’t been for Marion Wilson and Bonnie Rockne, this legendary rivalry would never have been born.
In 1925, USC graduate manager in athletics Gwynn Wilson and his wife Marion boarded a train for Nebraska, as the Fighting Irish were taking on the Huskers in an away match. Their hope was to negotiate a USC-Notre Dame series with Notre Dame Head Coach Knute Rockne and his wife Bonnie.
Rockne was reluctant to hear them out, but when the Wilsons arrived, the husbands huddled in one room and the wives gathered in another. The men didn’t seem to strike a deal, as Rockne resisted the idea of a cross-country series. That is until the Rocknes got back home and Bonnie talked Knute into it, after Marion persuaded her it would be a good idea.
Thus, USC-Notre Dame was born.
The hospitality and weather of Southern California helped sell the series, and the $20,000 guarantee USC pitched to Notre Dame closed the deal.
Since 1926, the two teams have faced off every year except from 1943 to 1945, during World War II. Many consider USC-Notre Dame the greatest intersection of powers to meet the turf year-to-year.
The First Game: Dec. 4, 1926
The Trojans lost the first game in a close 13-12 match. Not much is known about this matchup, but Rockne reportedly called it the greatest game he had ever seen. From the start, fans knew this duel was something special. The following year, more than 120,000 fans showed up for the rematch at Soldier Field in Chicago. In the Trojans’ first trip east, Notre Dame pulled away by one point again, winning 7-6.
Forty years later in 1966, No. 1 Notre Dame traveled to Los Angeles to take on No. 10 USC. Notre Dame’s loaded defense returned two interceptions for scores in a 51-0 shutout, the largest margin of victory in the series to date. This game cemented Notre Dame’s ranking and playoff spot; they would go on to clinch the national championship.
Notre Dame currently leads the series 46-36-5.
The Best Game: Nov. 30, 1974
Notre Dame, the reigning national champion, showed up to the Coliseum to defend its title. The Fighting Irish led 24-0 with a minute to go in the first half, and it was do or die for the Trojans. Momentum was not on USC’s side. With six seconds left in the half, USC quarterback Pat Haden hit star running back Anthony Davis for a seven-yard score.
Momentum was back on USC’s side.
Davis took the second-half kickoff 102 yards to the end zone. Down 24-14, the Trojans were well equipped for a comeback, scoring 28 more points in the third quarter. Davis found the end zone twice more in the third, and Haden would throw two touchdown passes to longtime best friend, wide receiver J.K. McKay.
The fourth quarter was just as electric. Haden found wide receiver Shelton Diggs for a touchdown, and safety Charles Phillips came in clutch with a pick-six, returning it 58 yards.
USC went on to win 55 to 24, and the jeweled shillelagh returned to Los Angeles.
When the whistle blew, USC had scored 55 unanswered points over a 17-minute span. The Trojans ran like their feet were on fire; but more importantly, they snagged a win from the Irish.
The Legacy
USC sought out a fierce competitor long ago and 93 years later, the matchup has cemented its place as one of the most celebrated rivalries in college football.
The rivalry is intense and the competition is strong. Combined, Notre Dame and USC have produced more national titles (21), Heisman Trophy winners (14), Consensus All-Americans (158), Pro Football Hall of Famers (25), and College Football Hall of Famers (85) than any other collegiate series. The series is truly elite versus elite.
What makes the USC-Notre Dame special is that the competitive flames never dim. Year after year, the teams schedule to play each other without any conference or regional obligations. At the end of the day, both teams want to compete, and both teams want to win.
For Trojan fans, nothing is more iconic than seeing the Cardinal and Gold hoisting the jeweled shillelagh after the matchup. As the two teams go head-to-head this weekend, USC looks for redemption and a chance to turn its fortune around on the road.
Oct. 10, 6:22 p.m. - A previous version of this article stated that USC and Notre Dame did not play each other from 1943-1954. It has been corrected to 1943-1945. Annenberg Media regrets the error.