COLLEGE REPORT DAILY REPORT : USC

USC Coach Larry Smith said defeating Notre Dame in the regular-season finale is the key to a successful season for the Trojans, who have lost two of three games.

“In some ways, it’s all or nothing,” Smith said. “I wouldn’t feel our season hasn’t been a success, because we still have rebounded from where we were last year, but we wouldn’t have rebounded as far as what we’d like to.

“If you take a good mediocre season and if you beat Notre Dame and win a bowl game, I think you can turn it into a real good season. If you don’t, it’s mediocre. It’s cut and dry.

“I’m really happy with the way the players have responded. They came out of a hell of a hole from a year ago. But we didn’t come into this season just trying to come out of a hole. We shot for the whole thing. Sometimes when you put your goals and dreams as high as we did, you’re due for a little bit of a letdown. But that’s the only way to do it.”