Notre Dame caps USC's tough week by beating Trojans
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Breaking down No. 13 Notre Dame's 41-31 win against USC on Saturday:
THE BIG PICTURE: USC’s disastrous week continued along similar lines during the first quarter against Notre Dame, which stormed in front with 21 early points to wobble the already wobbled Trojans. Remember the week that was: Steve Sarkisian was placed on an indefinite leave of absence on Oct. 8 and fired on Oct. 12, replaced by interim coach Clay Helton. Even for a program accustomed to drama, this was new.
USC’s ability to respond and take the lead heading into the final quarter speaks volumes about this team, its leaders, its coaching staff and its potential in an undecided Pac-12 Conference. While a disappointing 3-3 overall, the Trojans still have home games ahead against South Division rivals Utah, Arizona and UCLA. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that USC takes home the division, if largely as a result of tiebreakers.
Yet the fourth quarter belonged to Notre Dame, which scored TK points in the final 15 minutes to maintain its place in the College Football Playoff race. The Fighting Irish now enter the breezier part of their schedule: Temple, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest and Boston College follow before a crucial finale at Stanford.
WHAT WE’LL BE TALKING ABOUT: The win was not without its low points for Notre Dame. Normally a reliable piece of the puzzle, the defense struggled keeping pace with USC’s speed at the skill positions. The Irish won’t see similar speed from many teams on the remaining regular-season schedule — outside of Stanford, maybe — but Notre Dame’s secondary needs to do a better job limiting big plays in the passing game. The pass rush had good moments, including a crucial sack of Cody Kessler in the fourth quarter, but often failed to contain Kessler once be broke the pocket.
During pre-game stretching, meanwhile, USC athletics director Pat Haden was taken off the field after feeling lightheaded. The embattled AD, who has come under criticism for his handling of Sarkisian’s final months with the program, was later sitting upright and in stable condition, a USC spokesman said.
BREAKOUT PLAYER: C.J. Prosise has gone from Notre Dame’s backup running back to an All-America contender. His 143 yards against USC marked the fifth 100-yard rushing performance of his senior season, his first spent as a full-time running back. Prosise’s play has taken enormous pressure off of young quarterback DeShone Kizer and provided a stabilizing force for the offense as a whole.
KEY STAT: Notre Dame’s 21 points in the first quarter were the most the Fighting Irish have scored in a single quarter against USC in the 87-game history of the rivalry.
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