Carroll looking ahead

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Southern California coach Pete Carroll already was talking about beating Notre Dame for a ninth straight time before even being asked about win No. 8.

“We’re thrilled to have had the run we’ve had and hope to keep this thing rolling. It’s a big deal to us. It’s special. So we’ve got to hang onto it,” he said. “Next time around when they come to our place, we have to get it again and see if we can keep it going.”

The fourth-ranked Trojans (5-1) stopped the Irish (4-2) from scoring on three plays from the 4-yard line in the last 9 seconds to hold on for a 34-27 victory, raising Carroll’s record to 8-1 against USC’s archrival.

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis remains winless in five tries against the Trojans, meaning another season of keeping a hat with the words “USC Owns Notre Dame” in his office as a reminder of his struggles against the team he most wants to beat.

The Irish were close Saturday, just as they were in the last-second 34-31 loss in 2005, but being close doesn’t cut it at Notre Dame.

“We want to take a moral victory out of it, but we can’t,” Notre Dame center Eric Olsen said.

Weis did not meet with the media as he usually does Sunday because about 50 high school recruits, both seniors and juniors, were on campus this weekend and he spent the day trying to persuade them to attend Notre Dame to try to end the losing streak to the Trojans.

Olsen said he hopes the recruits saw some positives in Notre Dame’s effort.

“I hope that they see we’re making a comeback to the team Notre Dame once was,” he said.

The Irish especially need help on the defensive side. The common theme in the eight losses has been Notre Dame’s inability to stop the Trojans’ offense. USC has scored 34 points or more in all eight victories, breaking the 40-point barrier in four of them.

USC tailback Joe McKnight said it was fun to leave so many fans at Notre Dame Stadium disappointed.

“Just to have them crying after the game is a good thing for everyone on the team,” he said.

Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen was asked if after eight straight wins by the Trojans the game can still be considered a rivalry.

“Oh, it is. I think you saw out there today, the game comes down to it at the end. It’s just heartbreaking we came up short,” he said. “The past few years we weren’t competitive at all. That’s one of the things that we’ve gained, starting to be competitive against whoever we’re playing.”

There was a time not too long ago that Notre Dame dominated the rivalry, winning 11 straight from 1983 to 1993, tying in 1994 and winning again in 1995 before the Trojans finally won in overtime in 1996. Notre Dame leads the series 42-34-5.

USC (2-1 Pac-10) returns to conference play with a game against Oregon State (4-2, 2-1), which hasn’t beaten the Trojans in Los Angeles since 1960. The Irish host Boston College (5-2), which has beaten the Irish six straight times.