Champs Sports Bowl

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-5) are likely on their way to the Champs Sports Bowl after defeating the USC Trojans (7-5) yesterday with a final box score of 20-16.
We brought the fight back in the Fighting Irish," Kelly said.
This is Notre Dame's first winning season since 2006That said, the Irish's postseason fate seemed to clear up fairly significantly with the 20-16 win over the Trojans. Asked if anything is near settled with the Irish's bowl fate, Swarbrick flatly said, "Absolutely not."

"For us, right now, we're going to enjoy the victory and we're going to let our athletic director do his job," Irish coach Brian Kelly said. Your team is relying on you, and coach did a great job keeping me focused."

USC's lone touchdown "drive" was a four-play, two-yard sequence after a Rees fumble in which it ultimately punched in a score on a Mitch Mustain quarterback sneak. "My heart dropped," said Irish safety Harrison Smith, who was beat on the play. Said Mustain: "It's part of the game, you drop balls. The absurdity of Notre Dame's bowl situation was underscored by the fact that both Boise State's upset loss to Nevada and a game between two hyphenated Louisiana schools on Saturday (UL-Monroe and UL-Lafayette) actually tinkered with their bowl
Win, and the Irish were logically headed to the Champs Sports Bowl, Dec. 28 in Orlando to play an ACC team.

Now imagine the same scenario with an 8-4 or 9-3 Irish team. Once the Irish play the Champs Sports chip, they cannot return there during the length of the contract, which runs through the 2013 season.
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Champs Sports Bowl

Irish appear headed for Champs Sports Bowl

LOS ANGELES -- Once safety Harrison Smith slipped, Notre Dame's last line of defense was hope and prayer as USC wide receiver Ronald Johnson waited all alone at the Irish 15-yard line for a long pass from quarterback Mitch Mustain.

That's when fate moved its huge hand and paved the way for a long-awaited victory Saturday night. Johnson somehow dropped a can of corn that should have been a touchdown, and Smith redeemed himself four plays later with an interception that clinched Notre Dame's 20-16 victory before 85,417 soggy fans at Memorial Coliseum. 'It's about time we got a break,'' Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said after the Irish ended an eight-game losing streak against USC.

''We had the luck of the Irish and God on our side on that one,'' wide receiver Michael Floyd said. ''That was good luck on our part.''

After USC's Joe Houston kicked a 37-yard field goal to give the Trojans a 16-13 lead with 6:25 to play, Notre Dame's Robert Hughes scored on a five-yard run to cap a seven-play, 77-yard drive for the winning touchdown with 2:23 left.

Hughes rushed for 69 yards on 11 carries, including 36 yards on four carries on the winning drive as Notre Dame (7-5) won its third consecutive game, setting the Irish up for a likely berth in the Champs Sports Bowl on Dec. 28 in Orlando, Fla.
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Irish appear headed for Champs Sports Bowl