HOLTZ STEWS OVER IRISH MISCUES : OUTGOING COACH DEALS WITH LOSS.

Byline: Eric Noland Daily News Staff Writer

The Notre Dame coach leaned forward on his elbows, pressed his face into his palms, and slowly slid his hands down his cheeks.

It was the kind of game, the kind of outcome, that has threatened to run John Robinson out of town in recent days. It was the kind of game, the kind of outcome, that made Lou Holtz not regret his decision to step down at Notre Dame at the conclusion of this season - and take a breather from the pressure that is perhaps even more intense at Notre Dame than it is at USC.

``This is probably as tough a loss as I've ever had,'' Holtz said after Saturday's 27-20 loss to the Trojans in overtime at the Coliseum. He later said, ``Right now, my guts feel like somebody reached in and cut out my insides. I never felt so low.''

With a victory, No. 10 Notre Dame would have secured an alliance-bowl bid (probably to the Fiesta) and potentially could have moved into the national top 7 this week. With this agonizing setback, the Irish dipped to 8-3, and will likely have to stage their final sendoff to Holtz anticlimactically, in a non-alliance bowl.

It was a decision that felt so firmly in hand. It was a game that got away because of a series of devastating misplays by the Irish.

Incredibly, in breaking Notre Dame's 13-game unbeaten string against USC, the Trojans roared down the stretch by making an opponent look . . . well, like USC normally looks down the stretch.

On its first possession of the fourth quarter, Notre Dame held a 14-6 lead and appeared to be going in for a put-away score. On second and 26 from the USC 34, quarterback Ron Powlus fired over the middle to split end Malcolm Johnson, who pulled in the pass and darted to the 2-yard line - where he fumbled when hit by Sammy Knight, who also recovered for the Trojans.

When the ensuing series stalled near midfield for USC, a punt was sent spiraling to the Notre Dame 12 - where Allen Rossum fumbled, losing the ball to the Trojans' Anthony Volsan. That set up a USC touchdown that cut Notre Dame's lead to 14-12.

After the Irish rallied dramatically to score a touchdown on their next possession, freshman kicker Jim Sanson hooked his extra-point attempt wide left. That opened the door for USC to force overtime with a touchdown and two-point conversion.

Holtz, asked if he had detected heightened emotions in USC players who obviously were trying to win one for J.R., said, ``I think they played with a lot of emotion, and we kept them in the ballgame because every time we had a chance to put it away, every time we had a chance to drive a nail into the coffin, we made a mistake.''

Holtz stewed over several other developments. He said his players appeared ``leg-weary,'' perhaps because they had to practice indoors to escape bitter cold in South Bend, Ind., this past week. An injury to linebacker Kory Minor late in the game undermined the effectiveness of Notre Dame's defense. And USC stunned the Irish with the success of its running attack late in the game - particularly when Delon Washington beat a blitz by scooting into the end zone on the Trojans' successful two-point conversion at the close of regulation.

``It's a very, very disappointing loss ,'' Holtz said. ``That means it has to be a very, very exhilarating win for somebody else.

``That's the way life is.''

The outbound coach could afford to be philosophical in the midst of his dejection. He, after all, is stepping down voluntarily, whereas Robinson's fate is clearly in the hands of others.

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Photo

Photo: Lou Holtz, who was showered with love last week following his final home game, ended Saturday's loss to USC with his head in his hands.

Tina Gerson / Daily News