SOUTH BEND, Ind. >> USC interim coach Clay Helton might be mild-mannered, but at least he knows how to coach a lively game. Winning one is another matter.
The Trojans appeared on the verge of being blown out of Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday night, but recovered and played one of the wilder recent meetings in the “greatest intersectional rivalry of them all.”
Notre Dame won 41-31 before a crowd of 80,795, but at least Helton got a performance out of the Trojans, who played a game under a cloud of distractions. Even the warmups were full of drama as Athletic Director Pat Haden dropped to a knee and complained of being light-headed.