Notre Dame has had a terrible season after starting the year with high expectations.

Everyone can understand that the Irish players would be a bit frustrated going into their final game of the season against USC.

But no one can explain how that frustration justifies what sophomore defensive lineman Jerry Tillery did Saturday in Notre Dame’s loss to USC in Los Angeles.

Tillery put two cheap shots on Trojans players in the span of a few minutes early in the fourth quarter Saturday. Both were despicable.

The first was kicking the head of an injured USC player, and after when he wasn’t flagged or ejected for that transgression, he stomped on the foot of a Trojan offensive lineman.

That’s bad. Really bad. And Brian Kelly (should he return) needs to lay a suspension on Tillery for the first game of next season. It’s amazing he wasn’t kicked out of the game Saturday.