Notre Dame trivia question for Week 7
Notre Dame and USC will be meeting for the 94th time at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday in South Bend. The Fighting Irish lead the all-time series 59-38-5 and have won four consecutive games against the Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium. With the Irish ranked No. 21 and the Trojans No. 10, this year’s meeting also marks the 35th time both schools are ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 at the time of the game. Notre Dame is 17-15-2 (.529) in those meetings but has won just one of the last five matchups in which both teams were ranked.
When is the last time the Fighting Irish defeated a Trojans team that was ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll at the time of the game?
A. 2017
B. 1989
C. 1995
D. 2005
Answer: C. No. 17 Notre Dame crushed No. 5 USC 38-10 in South Bend on Oct. 21, 1995. At the time, it was the Fighting Irish’s third straight victory over a Trojans team that was ranked in the top 10 (No. 1 Notre Dame defeated No. 9 USC 28-24 in South Bend in 1989 and No. 1 Notre Dame routed No. 2 USC 27-10 in Los Angeles in 1988).
Since 1995, the Irish are just 1-10 against ranked USC teams. The Trojans won nine straight — by an average margin of 23.8 points per game — against the Irish in games in which they were ranked from 2002-16. The No. 13 Irish snapped that streak emphatically with a 49-14 victory over No. 11 USC at South Bend in 2017. Last year, the No. 5 Trojans defeated the No. 13 Irish 38-27.
Notre Dame’s Last 11 Meetings Vs. Ranked USC Teams
2002 — No. 6 USC 44, No. 7 Notre Dame 13
2003 — No. 5 USC 45, Notre Dame 14
2004 — No. 1 USC 41, Notre Dame 10
2005 — No. 1 USC 34, No. 9 Notre Dame 31
2006 — No. 3 USC 44, No. 6 Notre Dame 24
2007 — No. 13 USC 38, Notre Dame 0
2008 — No. 5 USC 38, Notre Dame 3
2009 — No. 6 USC 34, Notre Dame 27
2016 — No. 12 USC 45, Notre Dame 27
2017 — No. 13 Notre Dame 49, No. 11 USC 14
2022 — No. 5 USC 38, No. 13 Notre Dame 27
