Dateline Los Angeles: Irish in LA along with Golden Boy Andy here reporting from The Los Angeles Coliseum on the epic victory by Notre Dame over the Trojans of USC.
Our journey began with a subway ride from North Hollywood on the Red Line to the Staples Center where we had to transfer onto yet another train an then take a bus. The closer we got to the Coliseum the more red and gold clad USC fans amassed.
We were in unfamiliar enemy territory trying to locate the Notre Dame Irishfest tailgate party. We asked several LAPD officers where Jesse Brewer Park was because that is where the Irish party was. The shrugged us off and said they “didn’t know”. How can you be a cop in LA and not know where a park is. Obviously they were biased against us and turned out to be double agents working for ESPN.
Eventually we found the party and began swilling Guinness on tap and listening to the traditional Irish music provided by the Plough Boys. We were also treated to quick performance by the ND cheer squad and the leprechaun.
It was nice and warm and sunny as we made our way into the Coliseum. USC fans walked smugly and confident that they would again beat us but this time it would not be so. My bother and I approached the Coliseum and only one thought ran thru our heads. “What a dump”. All the money USC has and they play in totally dilapidated piece of crap of a stadium.
To our dismay we also discovered that they don’t sell beer in the stadium but we we soldiered on regardless. USC has a jumbtron but it also has a relentless announcer who talks jibberish throughout the entire game mostly plugging local business. It was AWFUL.
Then the below par USC marching band took the field and and played one of the three songs they know, Fight On. The other two were songs by the White Stripes and Dr. Dre. Classy. As the Irish took the field they were received by a chorus of boos which was instantly drowned out by the much louder and enthusiastic Irish fan base.
The game ensued and turned into a very physical match early. QB Tommy Rees got off to a slow start and before we knew it USC was up by three. But the Irish recovered quickly with two touchdown passes into the endzone to Michael Floyd and Duval Kamara. Hope ensued in the Irish section going into halftime. We could taste victory but what ensued in the third quarter quickly knocked that taste out of our mouths when we turned the ball over 4 times.
Then the Trojans rallied and tied up the game at 13-13. Then another field goal put them up 16-13. But then something miraculous happened. It rained in LA. With the first drops of rain the USC faithful ran out of the stadium leaving their team to fend for themselves without a crowd to cheer them on. Enter Robert Hughes.
Brian Kelly knew the only way to win this game now was to pound the ball on the ground in the rain. We have been waiting for years for Robert Hughes to break out and this was it. He barreled his way into the endzone with two minutes remaining lifting the Irish to a 16-20 lead.
The Trojans responded with a heart-stopping drive that almost finished off the Irish if it wasn’t for two key dropped passes by the Trojan receivers. Then in a last ditch effort to put the ball in the endzone Mitch Mustains pass was intercepted by Harrison Smith who flew across the field like the angel of death.
The Irish recovered the ball and ran out the clock sealing a very tough, well earned victory and lifting an eight year curse. The Irish fan base went completely mental. Hallelujah!
