Notre Dame Outlasts, Outmuscles USC in the Trenches

Liam Farrell
Oct 18
3 min read

Updated: Oct 22

No. 13 Notre Dame had their first ranked win of the season with a 34-24 victory over the No. 20 USC Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium.

Photo by Notre Dame Athletics

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - It was a far from perfect night in South Bend, both on the field and the weather, but Notre Dame was able to play Marcus Freeman's style of football: physical, violent, and bloody.

Countless times, Freeman has described Notre Dame's program as offensive and defensive line driven. Tonight, the Irish were able to personify Freeman's message. Notre Dame gained 306 yards on the ground as compared to USC's 68 rushing yards.

"The moment wasn't too big... you're not rushing for those types of yards unless you got O-Lineman blocking," said Marcus Freeman.

Jeremiyah Love put together a career-defining performance with 228 rushing yards, 37 receiving yards, and a touchdown. Love's tenacity was on full display, running over instead of hurdling over USC defenders, and simply trusting his eyes and hitting the gap with explosiveness. It was clear USC was trying to get into Love's head with countless hits after the whistle and consistent jawing, but the Heisman candidate seemed completely unfazed.

As it's been all season, when Love needed a quick break, Jadarian Price was there without skipping a beat. Price added 87 rushing yards, a rushing touchdown, and a 101-yard kickoff return that completely turned the tide in the game.

For as solid as Notre Dame was running the ball on the ground, CJ Carr showed his inexperience tonight. It appeared like he was pressuring himself too much and simply overthinking everything. The normal layup-style throws were half-court hucks, and it halted Notre Dame's offensive rhythm. Carr ended the game with 136 yards, a touchdown, and a red zone interception that encapsulated his struggles tonight.

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Defensively, Notre Dame continued their dominant performance. Yes, the Irish gave up 24 points, but it was to an extremely talented offensive attack. Jayden Maiava entered the game as one of the nation's most efficient passers and ended this one with 328 yards and two interceptions.

While the box score may not reflect the Irish's defensive performance, Notre Dame got stops when it needed it the most. Christian Gray, for the second year of the row, was getting targeted on the outside against Ja'Kobi Lane. Gray was called for plenty of pass interference calls and gave up a 59-yard touchdown pass. Similar to last year, Gray flushed his struggles away and came back with an interception on the next drive for the Irish.

The two keys to Notre Dame's defense today were: Leonard Moore blanketing Makai Lemon and the Irish defensive line performing exceptionally against the run on early downs.

Lemon was held to a season-low four catches and snapped his three-game touchdown streak. Ash and Freeman's plan to keep their best cover corner on the opposing team's best option worked to perfection.

In terms of the running game, many players needed to step up in the absence of Gabriel Rubio. Jared Dawson, Elijah Hughes, and Jason Onye all stepped up to the challenge and held King Miller to 3.9 yards per carry.

"For the most part we stopped them in the run game," said Freeman.

It was a highly emotional night in South Bend with the season and rivalry seemingly on the line, and the Irish delivered with a somewhat complete performance. Kicking woes, both on the kickoff and field goal department, are a serious concern, but the Irish did enough to outlast a ranked opponent. With the BYE week upcoming, getting healthy will be paramount for Freeman's team, but if they can keep stacking victories, the Irish certainly have a discussion for another College Football Playoff berth.

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