Trouble for the Trojans: yes, Notre Dame can slay the dragon on Saturday in South Bend. Here's how

It was a big day in the Weis household last Saturday. Dad took young Charlie Jr. to get a haircut. Then he took some home video of his wife, Maura, riding one of her two horses. Then he plopped on his couch, turned on the satellite dish and watched some team run around a bit.

Perhaps you've heard of them--the Southern California Trojans.

"You can't really see the same things when you watch the games on television," Weis says.

Oh, no? The Trojans are faster, more dynamic and more dangerous than anybody else no matter where you're watching them. And Weis knows it.

Who could have guessed that in only his sixth game as coach at Notre Dame, Weis would be staring at the biggest game in South Bend in more than a decade. Maybe more than two decades. Certainly, in a hell of a long time.

If USC isn't cause for the Irish to break out their special-occasion green jerseys, only Touchdown Jesus himself knows what is.

"Obviously," Weis says, "they are the bar now."

USC hasn't lost since September of 2003--a span of 27 straight wins--but has looked relatively beatable the past three weeks while being pressed by Oregon, Arizona State and Arizona. From those three games--and after watching the Irish develop quickly under Weis--we've come up with a five-step plan for Notre Dame to beat the Trojans and throw the race for the Rose Bowl sideways.

Big guys, big plays--Samardzija and his fellow receivers give ND an advantage.

1 Pressure Matt Leinart and force turnovers

If Leinart sets his feet and squares his shoulders, he'll cut apart a secondary. If the lefthander is forced to move in the pocket--especially to his right--his accuracy decreases and his throws float. Leinart also has ball-security issues when scrambling; he tends to hold the ball away from his body.

Now, the hard part: How to get to him? Teams that can't get pressure with just the front four can't play strictly zone or man coverage. The Irish will use a variety of blitz packages, many of which will be zone blitzes. Notre Dame's secondary is shaky--cornerbacks Ambrose Wooden and Mike Richardson can't be left alone in man coverage.

USC wideouts Steve Smith and Dwayne Jarrett are too physical to be bumped off routes and jammed at the line of scrimmage, so the interruption of the timing has to begin and end with Leinart, and more than likely that means some risky blitz combinations.

2 Don't lose Reggie Bush

As crazy as it sounds, opponents often lose sight of where Bush is in the offense. How can you miss the most dynamic player in the game?

"They try to get him alone in space, even if just for a few seconds," says a Pac-10 defensive coordinator. "I'm telling you, all it takes is one little juke and he's right by your man."

The Trojans will use Bush on flanker screens and bubble screens to get him one-on-one against slower safeties. They'll use him on wheel routes out of the backfield, matching him with slower linebackers. Bush has lined up at tailback, fullback, slotback and wideout. He is used in a variety of sets and formations, all with the goal of getting him matched up in single coverage in pass situations. In run situations, USC will spread the defense with three wideouts, leaving less traffic to fight through in Notre Dame's front seven.

If Bush is lined up as a flanker or slot, the Fighting Irish must jam him at the line with a linebacker and roll a safety over the top in coverage. If he's running a pattern out of the backfield, the defensive end must recognize and jam or chip him--slowing his route--as he releases from the backfield.

3 Don't give up on the running game

Too often, USC's opponents get behind and abandon the running game. The Trojans' interior line isn't nearly as dominating as it was in previous seasons. In fact, other than nose tackle Sedrick Ellis, USC's front four has been spotty this season against the run.

Notre Dame's offensive line, on the other hand, has been a strength, and if the middle three of center Bob Morton and guards Dan Stevenson and Dan Santucci can get a push, running backs Darius Walker and Rashon Powers-Neal have the ability to gash the USC front seven. Arizona State had early success running with tailback Keegan Herring before abandoning the plan as things unwound in the second half.

Walker and Powers-Neal not only are hard runners, but both rarely put the ball on the ground.

4 Take deep shots in the passing game

If there's an area of vulnerability on the USC defense, it's the secondary--more specifically, the secondary's ability to cover the deep ball. Notre Dame doesn't have game-breaking deep speed with receivers Jeff Samardzija and Maurice Stovall, but tight end Anthony Fasano has the ability to stretch the middle of the field.

If the Irish run the ball between the tackles, Fasano will find space down the middle when safeties are forced to play closer to the line of scrimmage in run support.

USC will use various blitz packages to rattle Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn. But those gambles will leave Stovall, Samardzija and Fasano--all three 6-5 with big frames--matched up against smaller defenders. And all three have shown the ability to make terrific adjustments when the ball is in the air.