Keyshawn Johnson Called Notre Dame Stadium a Dump: Then Watched USC Get Blown Out
Prior to kickoff of last night’s Notre Dame – USC game, a 48-20 drubbing of the Trojans by the Fighting Irish – USC alum Keyshawn Johnson tweeted out a picture from inside the stadium calling it a “dump”. He then got to see his alma mater’s playoff hopes dashed in front of him as Notre Dame blew out USC for the second time in their last four tries inside Notre Dame and their sixth straight time inside the House that Rockne Built.
You’d think that Johnson might have learned from his own experience at USC inside Notre Dame Stadium, but apparently not. In October 1995, Johnson’s USC squad came into South Bend with national championship aspirations and a 6-0 record. They left with the tails between their legs after a two-loss Notre Dame team that lost to Ohio State and Northwestern already blew their doors off 38-10. Hmmmmm, a 28-point victory ya don’t say?
Much like Saturday night, the Irish shut down a high-flying USC offense while feasting off turnovers. In 1995, they only forced four compared to last night’s five. The ’95 edition, however, gave us one of the most iconic hits in Notre Dame football history.
Notre Dame fans with no love loss for Keyshawn Johnson will most certainly love the irony of Johnson calling Notre Dame Stadium a dump only to watch his Trojans lose by 28 at the hands of the Fighting Irish the same way he did 28 years ago.
Legend has it that Johnson and fellow Trojans made remarks about the Irish that made their way to the Notre Dame locker room prior to the 1995 showdown. Afterwards, the LA media that covered USC claimed those remarks were never said but rather conjured up as motivation for the Irish that afternoon. Whether or not they did, the players certainly used them. “Some people can do it with their mouth, and we proved that we could do it by action,” said Notre Dame wide receiver Derrick Mayes after the win.
Twenty-eight years later, another Trojan team with title hopes came into town with a high-profile offense and a quarterback who infamously wrote disparaging remarks about Notre Dame on his fingernails before last year’s LA contest. This time, the Fighting Irish dumped 48 points on USC in front of Keyshawn Johnson.
Frank Vitovitch has been Co-Owner and Editor in Chief of UHND.com since joining forces with Kyle Flavin in 1999. Since that time, he has written over 2,000 articles covering Notre Dame football, recruiting, and basketball. He also works with all staff and external writers on all articles published on UHND.com. Frank's love for Notre Dame football started at a young age watching Rocket Ismail give opposing coaches ulcers in the late 1980's. By day Frank works in marketing and holds a degree in Digital Media from Drexel University. Frank's work has been cited by online/print editions of NBC Sports, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated and has been quoted on air by ESPN's Collin Cowherd. He's conducted interviews with Notre Dame legends Rocket Ismail, Randy Kinder, Lee Becton, Reggie Brooks, Michael Stonebreaker, and Ned Bolcar among others over his 20+ years of covering Notre Dame football. He's also been published in the print edition of USA Today Sports Weekly and the USA Today College Football Preview multiple times. Other Published Works/Citations for Frank Three Reasons Notre Dame Will Beat Alabama - USA Today Notre Dame Suspends WR Kevin Stepherson, RB C.J. Holmes Indefinitely - Bleacher Report Notre Dame / Ohio State Fiesta Bowl Preview - Eleven Warriors Brace Yourself: The Fighting Irish are Relevant Again - Sports on Earth Interviews with the Enemy: A Q&A with Frank Vitovitch of UHND - Yahoo! Sports Five Good Minutes: Notre Dame Football Preview With UHND.com - BC Interruption Vicious Electronic Questioning with UHND - MGO Blog
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Who knew such an innocuous tweet would elicit this many responses.
Can we please get a new article on the website so I don’t have to look at Keyshawn every time I check the site? Change the picture or do something
A one……
“Harbaugh denied any wrongdoing by Michigan’s staff”
And a two…..
“Michigan has suspended analyst Connor Stalions with pay for the duration of the NCAA’s investigation into alleged sign stealing”
Michigan! Because the rest of the world is totally stupid!
I hate to say it as I learned to hate the Wolverines after living in DETROIT. But I’d bet on them winning the NC. Very little competition in the Big 10. Only 3 teams in the Big Ten as good as the MAC. And Penn State is overrated.
Michigan is conditioned well and they won’t get beat down during the season. Plus the University will make allowances to make sure school doesn’t interfere with football.
The Louisville game is a killer as ND had a chance to test the other teams in the Playoff.
Washington might surprise if they get in. SEC is down this year.
Michigan cheats. If you have to cheat….in this, an unparalleled momennt of “do whatever the fuck you want”, you’re a most pathetic loser, regardless of any trophy.
Ignore them.
Wash, Oregon, UCLA…..three great shots to watch him implode.
I never watch NFL, or any ‘pro’ sport that has a competitve amateur level.
The Olympics is now a complete farce, and “college” football and basketball are now just delusion.
American sport has been epalced with the “gambling entertainment sector”. Celebrities of high or low character welcomed!
Football diva Caleb Williams is putting the NFL on notice…..following his stellar (reportedly easy) victory vs. ND.
Demanding partial ownership in whatever team drafts him…!!!?!.
Saturday not only didn’t rightly humble him. It broke his brain.
“….Williams has a hissy fit breakdown…” Well, I’d say thaat call was a damn BULLSEYE!
USC 7-0!! And SO easy!
(I said easy…..not “yeasty”)
My prediction SC wins and not even close
See how easy it is
— Donna the Greek
ND plays lights-out defense, and stays in the game until late.
Dream scenario: late 4Q pick six off Williams wins the game, he loses his infantile mind and tanks his draft value, Oregon gets into the playoff and Bo Nix wins the Heisman.
—- david
Lights-our defense….check.
Pick 6…..check.
Williams has a hissy fit breakdown and gets pulled….check.
ND wins the game…check.
Not bad.
Hey dopey dave
Who do you pick this week?
ND vs bye week
Oh never mind you are to pussy to pick a side
It’s ok you’d probably wrong this week too
Vance will probably end up attending Notre Dame.
K is great.
Don’t know if this is the spot but what is up with Tobias Merriweather. Is he still in school?
As a longtime Notre Dame fan and father of two ND alumni, it’s a rare day when I defend a USC Trojan. However, in this case, I suspect that Keyshawn used the term “dum” in a tongue-in-cheek fashion. As with any good rivalry, he is not going to pay homage to any aspect of his rival. The fact that he thought enough to bring Vance (his son?) and acknowledged that Vance was loving it tells us much more about what he really thinks.
I agree. He’s 51 and should have more class. Maybe he needs to hang out with “not ready for Prime” and lower the bar on behavior together.
uhhh…has he even seen the L A Colosseum?
Mountain out of a molehill. Tempest in a teapot. I suspect he would have had a little grin on his face if he had videoed himself saying it. “Dry letters,” as Beethoven called them, will always allow reading in any emotional context you want, so interpretations are always predisposed to using pre-existing emotions. Meaning, if you hate USC, then you are predisposed to reading in a hateful emotional context to anything you see in writing.
It’s what Johnson is SUPPOSED to say about Notre Dame Stadium. It plays up the rivalry. And it’s all in good fun
Who?
If anyones ever been to the LA COLLISEUM & sat miles from the field with all the lousy half hearted trojan
Been to the LA COLLISEUM multiple times & u get to sit miles away from the field with the worst bathrooms & concessions in the country!! KESHAWN STILL BITTER OVER THE ASS KICKINGS HE TOOK AT ND!! Now his son has just seen one, go tell skippy on your new lowest rated show in your time slot!!
If it’s so bad, why do you keep going there?
Are you perhaps incredibly stupid?
By that logic, I must be incredibly stupid to keep going to ND tailgate parties because I don’t like the long lines at the bathrooms.
He was calling the stadium a “dump” as a matter of trash talking between two schools since he is a SC alum. He wasn’t saying the stadium was an actual dump. Just a play on words.
If the stadium was a dump it was only because of the garbage from LA.
Keyshawn = trash
Keyshawn and Caleb belong in East LA.
No class and probably didn’t attend any.
Classy.
Thank instead a relentless ND D’ that forced those TOs. Post game analysis all diminished Caleb instead of recognizing what turned this most dynamic QB into a frustrated frantic QB under siege. Credit where credit is due- to the D’ scheme and their execution of it.
Don’t minimize Caleb
Maximize those who caused the blowout.