The USC Trojans are trying to put a rough week behind them, though that will not be easy going into South Bend to play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (14).
But despite playing against the odds on the road and the team's hardships regarding Steve Sarkisian's termination, playing a football game might be exactly what the Trojans need. And the last time USC fired a head football coach mid-season, the interim coach won six of eight remaining games.
Click here to watch the game live online via NBC Sports Live Extra. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET in South Bend, Ind. You can also listen to the game live via TuneIn.
Clay Helton will lead USC through its remaining seven games and will try to help the 3-2 Trojans get back into competition in the Pac-12. Helton has been the offensive coordinator for the team for three years, dating back to Lane Kiffin's tenure as head coach.
When Kiffin was fired in Sept. 2013, defensive coordinator Ed Orgeron took over and led the Trojans to a 6-2 record to close out their season. Ahead of the team's appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl, Orgeron resigned when he learned he would not be considered for the vacant head coaching job. Helton led the team to a victory in that game.
"A lot of these guys, fortunately or unfortunately, have been in this situation before," he told reporters at a recent press conference. "You have to be yourself, and you have to coach it your own way. I told the guys, we're going to win a lot of ballgames here and we're going to have a lot of fun."
Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly is keenly aware of USC's talent and the energy they will play with.
"Teams come together under those circumstances and they're going to play their very best," he said in his weekly press conference. "It's a rivalry game for them as well. It's a chance for them to respond. You look at the way Texas responded this past weekend with a lot of media scrutiny. I expect USC to respond the same way."
