Saturday evening in Notre Dame Stadium could not have been any more picturesque. Along with the great weather conditions came a great game that featured a number of highlight plays. Both Notre Dame and USC were able to reel off big plays consistently, both through the air and on the ground. The play of Notre Dame stars Will Fuller and C.J. Prosise was a great tribute to former Irish greats Tim Brown and Jerome Bettis, who were honored before the game after becoming the newest Notre Dame legends to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.
The game got off to a fast start as the Irish and Trojans traded scores in the game’s first four possessions. Already ahead 21-10, Notre Dame drove deep into USC territory. Receiver Torii Hunter Jr. fumbled the ball a few yards from the goal line, and just as soon as Notre Dame seemed to have control of the game, they gave USC a chance to get back into it.
Notre Dame Beats USC with Strong Second Half
The Trojans were not able to get points off of the turnover, and Notre Dame’s offense again found itself in a goal-to-go situation. A holding call and two incomplete passes forced the Irish to settle for a field goal and a 24-10 lead, when they very easily could have been ahead 35-10.
These mistakes would prove costly for Notre Dame as USC would score touchdowns on their next two possessions, evening the score at twenty-four. USC found itself in a position to take a lead into halftime, but kicker Alex Wood hit the upright on a field goal attempt with fifteen seconds left.
At the half, Notre Dame found itself in an almost identical situation as the Navy game the week before. After getting ahead by double digits, the defense was beat by big plays that allowed the opponent to close the gap and regain momentum. The defense would respond in a similar way as they did in that Navy game, allowing just one score in the second half. Notre Dame’s defense has made adjustments and played much better in the second half of most games this season, but cannot continue to allow opponents to climb back into games after the offense builds a lead. The only score the Irish did allow in the second half came on USC’s first possession of the half, giving the Trojans a 31-24 lead.
For a moment, it seemed as if Notre Dame’s playoff hopes might have disappeared into the cold October night. Notre Dame’s offense, however, was not going to let that happen. Led by running back C.J. Prosise, a balanced attack from the Irish offense continued to score points while Notre Dame’s defense began to figure out the Trojan offense. Two interceptions in the fourth quarter allowed Notre Dame to gain a ten-point lead, and the Irish never looked back.
Notre Dame was able to survive a battle with rival USC, but the Trojans exposed a Notre Dame defense that has been awfully inconsistent. Just as he did last year, Trojan quarterback Cody Kessler torched Notre Dame’s secondary, this time for 440 yards and three touchdowns. The 440-yard performance was the most a Notre Dame defense has allowed since 2005.
The Irish don’t have any elite passing attacks left to face this season, but Saturday showed their opponents that the right amount of speed can beat the secondary. Notre Dame’s defense has fallen victim to big plays on many occasions so far this season, and it was the big play that kept USC alive on Saturday. Since head coach Brian Kelly took the job in 2010, just three teams had allowed fewer plays of sixty yards or more than Notre Dame. The Irish gave up three plays of this kind Saturday night. Heavy underdogs rely on big plays to win games, and the Irish look to be favored in all but one of their remaining games. The defense will need to find a way to prevent big plays if they wish to contain offenses like those of upcoming opponents Temple and Pitt.
USC’s offense amassed 590 total yards of offense, showing that defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder’s aggressive philosophy may not have been the best game plan against Cody Kessler, one of the best passers in the country. The Irish blitzed early and often Saturday night, opening the middle of the field for Kessler, who took advantage of it. Many of the Trojans chunk plays were a direct result of Notre Dame blitzing too much. Notre Dame holds an impressive 6-1 record heading into their bye week, but the defense needs to improve in a few areas if the Irish hope to finish 11-1.
Just like the defense, Notre Dame’s offense carries some question marks with it. Overall, Notre Dame’s offense has improved with each passing week, but the offensive line has continued to hold back an offense that can clearly perform under pressure. Quarterback DeShone Kizer was sacked four times on Saturday as USC’s defensive line was able to make a great push in both pass and run coverage all game long.
The Irish offense has faced third and long all too often this season, and it is usually due to a holding or false start penalty on an offensive lineman. Tackle Ronnie Stanley was projected by many to be a first round draft pick last season, but has looked anything but that so far this season, continuing to rack up penalty yardage and allow sacks. If Notre Dame’s offense is going to perform to its full ability, they will need Stanley to improve his concentration level. Guard Alex Bars became the seventh player Notre Dame has lost for the season due to injury, and losing him certainly does not help the cause.
Notre Dame’s skill position players have continued to impress this season, especially considering that many of them are backups. DeShone Kizer is improving at quarterback each game while showing confidence and calmness in the pocket. Having one of the best receivers in the country in Will Fuller probably has something to do with this confidence level. Kizer has also shown the ability to escape the pocket when needed and run for first downs. If Kizer continues to grow at this rate, Notre Dame’s offense may not have even come close its peak yet.
Despite the struggles on the offensive line, running back C.J. Prosise has continued to carry Notre Dame’s offense. Prosise ran for over a hundred yards for the fifth time this season, finishing with 143. When Notre Dame’s offense needed to keep up with USC’s scoring pace, they turned to Prosise, who delivered in a big way. As long as Prosise continues to be so effective on the ground, Notre Dame has the chance to win any game they play.
Like most teams in college football, Notre Dame still has questions to answer. The defense must stop giving up so many big plays that can swing the momentum of a game and the offensive line must quit playing so lackadaisical and committing penalties. While there are reasons to doubt the Irish, they are still 6-1, and playing well. The defense has been able to rebound from its slow starts, and the rushing attack has continued to bail out any mistakes made by the freshman quarterback. Notre Dame has some flaws, but all that matters is that they have continued to win and stay in the playoff race. Another loss would certainly crush any hopes of making the playoff. Thankfully for Irish fans, though, it seems like the Irish might still have their best football ahead of them.
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