Notre Dame (4-2) concludes a three-game homestand on Saturday evening by hosting the USC Trojans (5-1). The Fighting Irish lead the all-time series in this historic rivalry by 52-38-5. They have also won the last six games in South Bend. USC is riding high after beating Michigan into submission last week.  This Saturday’s showdown will be televised nationally on NBC starting at 7:30 PM Eastern time.

Trojan Coach Lincoln Riley has gradually adapted his program to meet the physical demands of the Big-10 Conference. His team won the physical battle against the Wolverines, which surprised a number of fans and media alike. Riley responded to a question this week as to whether his team could duplicate that stellar performance .

“There are challenges that you face in the season together that are different than anything you can fully simulate in an off-season or in a spring practice”, he said. “And you learn about yourself. You either win or lose. But regardless of that, you learn what you are. You learn what you’re not. You learn what you do well, what you don’t, and the areas that you have to improve to keep giving yourself or the team the best chance to be successful.”

“And the best teams take it (success) and learn from it”, Riley continued. “So, for us, we prepared good and we played a good game. Do we learn from that or are we satisfied? And that’ll be our challenge”. 

Irish Head Coach Marcus Freeman was more succinct in expressing his thoughts regarding the upcoming battle. “This has got to be a physical, bloody game,” he said.

Notre Dame received bad news on the injury front this week. Center Ashton Craig tore his ACL against NC State and is out for the season. Joe Otting did a credible job in Craig’s absence last week and will be in the spotlight on Saturday. Defensive tackle Gabe Rubio suffered an elbow injury and will be out for several weeks. His run-stuffing presence will be difficult to replace.

Nickel back DeVonta Smith and slot receiver Jaden Greathouse remain questionable for Notre Dame. Neither is likely to start. Finally, tight end Cooper Flanagan may be back this week in a limited role.

The Trojans lost two of their best tailbacks in Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders in last week’s game. Freshman King Miller filled in with an outstanding performance and will start against the Irish. Also, left tackle Elijah Page is listed as questionable. His status remains uncertain at this point.

Notre Dame’s Offense vs. USC’s Defense

Notre Dame has squandered multiple scoring opportunities in the first half of its last two games. Many of these implosions occurred in the red zone. Questionable play calling, poor execution by the offensive line, and errant throws by CJ Carr were contributing factors. The Irish cannot afford to make these mistakes if they expect to stay with the potent USC offense.  

Defensively, the Trojans are sturdy up front and have a set of aggressive and athletic linebackers. Ends Kameryn Crawford, Anthony Lucas, and Braylan Shelby are disruptive players while tackle Devan Thompkins is a wrecking ball inside. USC is able to get pressure on the quarterback by rushing only the four linemen. They have 20 sacks to their credit.

Opponents have rushed for only 108 yards per game and a total of three touchdowns. Strong side backer Eric Gentry possesses a lethal combination of speed, instincts, and power. He is the team’s leading tackler and playmaker. His running mates Desman Stephens and Jadyn Walker are also quality athletes.

Notre Dame must gain closer to 200 yards rushing against this group rather than 108 to win the game. This will require a significant improvement in execution by the line as compared to recent weeks. It would also be a good time for Mike Denbrock to bring back counter plays and misdirection in the running game. Those plays worked well earlier in the season before they mysteriously disappeared.

Safety Bishop Fitzgerald leads the Trojan secondary. He has five interceptions to his credit and is second in tackles behind Gentry. The cornerbacks are veteran DeCarlos Nicholson and freshman Marcelles Williams. Transfer Kamari Ramsey is the nickel back. All are scrappy players who will push the limits of permissible contact downfield. Tackling was a problem for USC secondaries in recent seasons but this year’s group is significantly better.

Carr and the Irish receivers can have a reasonable amount of success in the passing game if two things happen. First, Notre Dame must establish a credible running game. Second, the offensive line must be solid and consistent in pass protection. USC’s opponents to date have largely failed to accomplish these objectives.

USC’s Offense vs. Notre Dame’s Defense

USC leads the Big Ten with 326 yards per game passing, 14.4 yards per completion, scoring at 45 points per game, and an average of 552 yards of total offense. They also lead in third down conversion percentage at 55%, and fourth down conversions at 83%.

Quarterback Jayden Maiava operates behind a solid front wall with a slew of fast, highly skilled tailbacks and receivers. Maiava has hit 72% of his passes and has been sacked only four times. He is not a great runner but is very elusive in the pocket. Maiava will routinely extend plays when pressured and frustrate defenses by finding an open man downfield.

The Trojans have an outstanding pair of wide receivers in Makai Lemon and Jacobi Lane. Each had a productive outing against the Irish last year and will undoubtedly cause headaches this week. Lemon already has 44 catches this season and is a projected top ten NFL draft pick. He operates out of the slot and is a matchup nightmare for most every opponent. Tight ends Lake McRee and Walker Lyons are also above-average players. Maiava will find them in the short zones or down the seams when Lane and Lemon draw defenders away.

A staple of the Trojan offense is to get the ball out wide to its speedsters and let them operate in space. All are adept at making would-be tacklers miss. Then, they are off to the races. Notre Dame’s defenders must be equally fast, disciplined in their lanes, and sure tacklers.

USC’s running game is much more than an afterthought this season. They average 226 yards per game and the backs are rarely tackled for a loss. Depth is not an issue as Miller stepped in against the Wolverines and gained 158 yards on 18 carries. His backup this week will be Bryan Jackson, who had a 29-yard touchdown run in that game. They will run behind a physical line that is especially good on the left side. If Paige cannot play, Elijah Vaikona, a 6’8” 385-pound freshman, will be ready.

Special Teams

Noah Burnette continues to improve following a hip ailment and will handle place-kicking duties. Notre Dame probably will not ask him to attempt a kick beyond 50 yards except in extreme circumstances. Both teams have fast and effective coverage and return units.

Trojan kicker Ryon Saveri has converted nine of ten field goal attempts, including a 54-yarder against Michigan. Punter Sam Johnson averages 44 yards but has been called upon only seven times this season. Lemon is the primary return man for both punts and kickoffs.

Summary

The winning team on Saturday will have run the ball effectively on offense and pressured the passer on defense. The matchup between Carr and Maiava is also critical. Last year, Maiava made key mistakes down the stretch and the Irish prevailed. A repeat of that scenario is less likely this season. Maiava is now the veteran and Carr is the first-year starter with a lot on his shoulders. As Freeman suggests, Notre Dame must brawl rather than finesse its way to victory. This will be difficult without Craig and Rubio, who are arguably the best interior linemen on the team.

Here are a few questions that will shed light on the outcome:

• Will the Irish offense convert or squander its scoring opportunities?
• Which quarterback will be able to operate under the least amount of pressure?
• Will Love and Price outrush Miller and Jackson?
• Which team will win the turnover battle?
• Can Notre Dame win the line of scrimmage without Craig and Rubio?
• Which team will be negatively impacted by penalties and mental miscues?
• Can Dallas Golden and the Irish secondary put the squeeze on Lemon?
• Which coaching staff will make the most effective adjustments during the game?

Prediction

The most viable path to victory for Notre Dame is to win the battle in the trenches. Maiava has the skills and weaponry to pick the Irish apart if he has time in the pocket. Lemon is a problem but other Trojan receivers can hurt teams who overcommit resources to stop him. Overall, USC is a well-balanced team with no glaring weaknesses. They appear to be a team on a mission. Compared to previous Riley teams, this edition is much more disciplined and focused.

Notre Dame’s defense has been vastly improved over the past month. This is due in part to weaker opposition. Chris Ash has also simplified his schemes to better fit his personnel. Weaknesses in coverage remain, however, and I believe they will be exposed this week.

Can the Irish offense keep pace? Possibly, although it is more likely they will continue to make mistakes and negative plays that they cannot afford.

USC 38  NOTRE DAME 28 

This is a reprint of John’s original preview article lost in a site technical issue