LOS ANGELES – Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman knows exactly how long it has been since the Irish ruined their shocking loss to Northern Illinois in the second week of the season.

84 days.

That number was on Freeman’s mind Saturday as he smiled and rejoiced in his team’s regular-season-ending 49-35 victory over USC that all but secured No. 5 Notre Dame a spot in the College Football Playoff.

“Sometimes you have to lose to win,” Freeman said. “The biggest thing that happened to this program was a loss.”

Having gone 10-0 since the upset, Freeman recalled his message to the team Monday after the disappointing loss, which came after the Irish defeated No. 20 Texas A&M in the season opener.

“We said if we learn from it and continue to use it, that would be the greatest thing that could happen,” Freeman said. “Because it taught us what it takes to deal with success. It taught us what it takes to be successful.”

Saturday’s rivalry win against USC was hard-fought. The score was 14-14 at halftime, but the Irish outscored the Trojans 35-21 in the second half thanks to a pair of pick-sixes and a near-unstoppable running game that fueled their season. Even though starter Jeremiyah Love left with a right leg injury and did not return, they still had 258 yards on the ground as a team.

“We had some adversity, but they responded,” Freeman said. “It was a sense of urgency that we didn’t have before.”

Over the last 10 games, Notre Dame has outscored opponents 441-134 and has won the turnover battle in every game. They have one of the top five defenses in the country and have rushed for over 200 yards for the fifth straight game, marking their longest streak as a program in 20 years.

“To see where we were 84 days ago and where we are now is a testament to the trust and the decisions that these people in this locker room and the coaches have made,” Freeman said. “It’s a journey. You can’t let the highest highs and lowest lows stop you from what you need to do to achieve your goals.”

The Irish’s goals may have remained murky after the loss to Northern Illinois, but for starting quarterback Riley Leonard, who had two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown on Saturday, the loss only seemed to embolden him.

“I kind of told myself, we can win, we can lose, but I’m never going to walk off the field with any regrets,” Leonard said. “I feel like I missed opportunities at the start of the season, which filled me with regret. Whether we win or not, I leave with no regrets and let the ball fly around a bit.”

Freeman said Saturday that he has known since the start of training camp that this squad has the talent to be a special team, but they still have to get through every game, especially their only loss, to become a team that can live up to those expectations. That’s why Freeman kept reminding his team to focus on the next play.

“Everyone wants to talk about the culture of college football and everyone wants to say they have a great football culture. I think this place is different and it starts at the top,” Leonard said, referring to Freeman.

When asked about the Irish’s place in the College Football Playoff, Freeman said he wouldn’t allow himself to worry about the future yet. After finishing the season on a 10-game winning streak and with no more games left, the Irish will be enjoying this special victory a little longer than usual.

“These guys work way too hard not to take a moment and enjoy this win,” Freeman said. “We usually make progress on Sundays. But listen, we don’t have an opponent, so we’ll probably enjoy this thing for two days and then start moving forward on Monday and get back to work.”