 "Photo: Joel Zink | Daily Trojan")
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - The Trojans took a page from the Irish on Saturday, more specifically a few verses from the Notre Dame Victory March.
They woke up the echoes and shook down the thunder.
USC delivered the victory and the march just in time.
After a stunning loss to Stanford and narrow escape over Arizona, the Trojans needed a breakthrough performance to prepare for their brutal road gantlet that features trips to Oregon next Saturday followed by Cal and Arizona State.
"We just wanted to come out here and prove ourselves, play football the way we know we can," wide receiver Patrick Turner said.
And they did.
Quarterback Mark Sanchez threw four touchdowns in his first career road start. On defense, the Trojans limited the Irish to 165 yards of offense and 10 first downs - five of which came in the fourth quarter with the result long since determined. Linebacker Clay Matthews blocked a field goal and corner Vincent Joseph recovered a punt that touched an Irish player.
"We played up to our capabilities. It was good to be back and we know what we can do," linebacker Brian Cushing said.
Cushing, playing his first significant minutes since suffering a sprained ankle in the season opener, only recorded two tackles. But his mere presence seemed to spark a unit that had yet to live up to its lofty billing as the best in Pete Carroll's tenure.
"Our defense was flying around today," Cushing said. "We were getting the pressure we needed, making the plays we had to."
First-time starting quarterback Evan Sharpley was flustered from beginning to end, completing only 17 of 33 attempts.
The Irish crossed into USC territory only five times, half as many punts as Geoff Price launched for Notre Dame, which fell to 1-7.
"We were attacking and making things happen," coach Pete Carroll said. "It was really a fun day."
That giddiness extended to the offense, which gained an average of 6.2 yards on its 74 plays.
It didn't seem remotely possible that it was the same unit which called two timeouts in the first minute and 36 seconds of the game. But that early tumult ultimately helped the Trojans.
"We called a couple timeouts early just to get our communication under control," said Sanchez, who made his second career start. "I told them in the huddle, 'Keep your eyes open and your ears up. Let me know that you're feeling me.' Once we got our communication under control, we started clicking as a unit."
"This was huge for Mark, huge to get on the road and play against the crowd and the whole thing and realize he can do it. He did a fantastic job," Carroll said. "This was much better than last week.
"The right step was made last week, the right step was made this week, and now, we're ready to get going."
"This is what we needed," Cushing said. "We need this to get back on track."
And that course correction could take them all the way to the national championship.
Several teams ranked ahead of the Trojans - South Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky and Cal - all fell. No. 1 Ohio State, No. 4 LSU and No. 5 Oklahoma escaped with narrow victories.
Can the team that lost to the Cardinal find itself in New Orleans?
"It's definitely a possibility," center Matt Spanos said. "We can't ever say no. Everything is still in the air."
Fullback Stanley Havili was more definitive.
"We control our own destiny," he said.
Only if USC keeps humming that same tune.
