No. 13 Notre Dame capped off a three-game homestand hosting the No. 20 USC Trojans in a primetime matchup. The rivalry between the Trojans and the Irish is one of the most intense and storied in all of college football. The Saturday evening matchup was the 96th time the two programs have met and it is the last meeting that is currently scheduled. Although the future of the rivalry is unknown, it is still one of the most anticipated parts of each season.
Head coach Marcus Freeman spoke about what the rivalry means to the team after the game.
“You know, I told the guys and I reminded myself, you remember rivalry games. I remember my rivalry games from Pee Wee to high school to college and the ones I’ve been a part of as a coach,” Freeman said. “Those are games that mean more.”
If this was the send-off to the rivalry, Notre Dame closed it out in style, with a 34-24 victory. The Irish, winners of five straight, now sit at 5-2 on the season, playoff hopes very much alive.
USC won the opening coin toss and elected to receive. The Trojans’ electric passing attack was on full display early. Junior quarterback Jayden Maiava picked apart the Irish defense on the opening drive, leading his team down the field with a series of chunk plays. A 24-yard strike to freshman Tanook Hines would put the Trojan offense in striking range. Notre Dame would not concede easily, bringing up third down. Maiava looked towards his tight end, senior Lake McCree, who would haul in the pass for the first score of the night and put USC ahead 7-0.
The Irish were eager to respond to their opponent’s quick touchdown, and running back Jeremiyah Love would help them do just that. On the second play of the drive, the junior took off, picking up 63 yards on the rush and completely flipping the field. Love was not done yet, as he took his next carry 12 yards into the end zone to tie up the game at seven apiece.
USC would continue to rely on the passing game in the first half, with Maiava continuing to find his receivers for big gains. Throughout the first half of play, he would throw the ball 24 times, accumulating 14 completions for 177 yards and a touchdown. During USC’s second drive, he would move his team downfield before Notre Dame’s defense forced a series of incompletions, bringing up fourth down. Head coach Lincoln Riley would play it conservatively, electing to kick a field goal. Redshirt freshman kicker Ryon Sayeri would drill the 42-yard kick, putting the Trojans ahead 10-7.
The offenses traded scores through the first few possessions, but they would quickly slow down and begin trading punts instead. Both offenses were stalling, as a three-and-out from the Irish was followed by a three-and-out from the Trojans. Junior running back Jadarian Price would serve as the spark the Irish needed to reignite their offense as he ripped off a 32-yard rush. Just a few plays later, Price would again carry the ball, this time going 16 more yards and finding the endzone. His touchdown gave Notre Dame its first lead of the game at 14-10.
The Trojans needed a score to respond to the Irish drive, and they were on pace to do so, driving into Notre Dame territory. USC reached the red zone, but the Notre Dame defense was able to force a stop on third down. On fourth and three from the opposing 19-yard line, the Trojans made a risky decision to pass up on the field goal and go for it. This decision would not pay off as junior linebacker Drayk Bowen was able to break up Maiava’s pass and force a turnover on downs.
The Irish would take the ball back to the other side of the field, but a third-down interception from redshirt freshman quarterback CJ Carr gave the ball back to USC. Carr began the game shaky, going with just two completions on his first five pass attempts. At the end of the first half, he was 10/15 for 86 yards and an interception.
A rough start was not something that would stop the quarterback, as he was able to turn the game around and lead his team to a win. Freeman spoke on his performance and his ability to bounce back, stating, “Because CJ is a competitor. He’s an ultra competitor … he’s resilient, man.”
At the half, Notre Dame led the back-and-forth battle, 14-13. Coming out of the locker rooms, it was clear they were not going to slow down. On the first play of the half, junior receiver Jordan Faison received a pass from Carr for a first down. Carr, along with a running game powered by Love and Price, led the Irish down the field before capping off the drive with a touchdown pass to senior receiver Will Pauling.
Not all would go in the favor of Notre Dame, as USC would soon regain control of the game. On the next drive, Sayeri hit a 43-yard field goal, then quickly after the Trojan defense would force a three-and-out. After getting the ball back, Maiava would take a deep shot to a wide-open Ja’Kobi Lane. The junior receiver would take the reception to the house and reclaim the lead for his team. The Trojans elected to go for two, and once more, Maiava would find Lane to build the lead to 24-21.
In just a few minutes, Notre Dame went from an eight-point lead to a deficit. As momentum seemed to completely support the opposition, it would once again be Price who provided a spark. Following USC’s scoring drive, Price returned the kickoff. He would not stop, going the entire length of the field and scoring a 100-yard kick return touchdown.
Price’s touchdown seemed to fuel the entire team, as soon after, junior corner Christian Gray would come up big for the defense, picking off Maiava. From this point onwards, the Irish defense was on fire, forcing a plethora of turnovers, including a fumble and multiple turnovers on downs.
Notre Dame’s offense would not let the defensive effort go to waste, adding to their score tally with a Carr rushing touchdown. Carr finished the game 16/26 for 136 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, along with the additional touchdown on the ground.
As the clock struck zero, Notre Dame held a 34-24 lead and claimed victory in one of the most memorable games of the storied rivalry. Love’s performance was among the all-time best, not only of the rivalry but in program history. In 24 rushing attempts, the back accumulated 228 yards. This was the most yards in a game for Love and the sixth most in Notre Dame history. The Irish now turn their attention to Boston College, whom they will travel to play on Nov. 1.