Notre Dame-USC: Live Blog
Notre Dame takes on USC in a rivalry showdown to close out the regular season for both squads. Can Notre Dame upset the hosts and ruin their hopes of a College Football Playoff appearance?
Can USC continue to ride the high after a huge, emotional win over crosstown rival UCLA a week ago? If they do then they’ll go to the Pac-12 championship next week with a realistic chance to go to their first College Football Playoff in program history next week.
Keep track of the game throughout the night below courtesy of Fighting Irish Wire’s live blog.
USC comes out humming
Creativity comes right out of the shoot for USC. The key being the Trojans were able to establish the run and live in third and short, not third and longs. A creative play design gets their tight end for a huge gain, then a reverse to one of the nation’s best receivers nets another first down. Notre Dame needs to be MUCH better on first and second down.
7-0 USC: 10:36 left first quarter
Why get cute on third and short?
Starting deep in their own territory, Notre Dame faced a third and roughly five feet from around their own-20 yard line. Tommy Rees got a little bit cute and third and short and had the ball handed to Logan Diggs in motion where he was stuffed for a loss. With Estime in the backfield I can’t help but wonder – why overthink it?
USC 7-0, 8:20 left in first quarter
Could have been worse
USC starts with really good field position and again moves the ball right downfield. Perhaps Lincoln Riley was trying to win Caleb Williams the Heisman a bit early by getting a little too cute himself. On a reverse pass, Williams wisely interferes with Xavier Watts, sending USC back from the 2-yard line to the 17. Foskey answers with a sack and USC walks out with 3 instead of 10.
USC 10, Notre Dame 0 – 3:29 left in first quarter
Positive End to First Quarter
Mixing in both Estime and Diggs is flowing on Notre Dame’s second possession. The broadcast with Herbstreit and Fowler is right – at some point Notre Dame is going to need to put the ball in the air on first down. They did to find Mayer for five yards on the first play of the possession. The USC linebackers are having troubles picking up running backs in the passing game. Look for that to be keyed upon by the Notre Dame offense as this game continues.
As awful as this first quarter was, finish a drive here with a touchdown and all of a sudden things are feeling a lot better. Defense might not hold them under 30 like we hoped but I have trouble they won’t adjust and be better as the night goes on. However, won’t matter if you don’t score touchdowns and not field goals. Go finish this drive – please.
End of first quarter: USC 10, ND 0
Stuffed on Fourth Down
Drew Pyne scrambled on a third down for what was initially ruled a first down but upon further review was spotted a full yard short of the line to gain. I thought it was a very generous spot live and I’m sure many on the Notre Dame sideline did, too. Yes, ball control is a big part of tonight but in the case like that, why can’t Notre Dame be quicker to the ball?
Mitch-a-palooza was then stuffed for the first time on the year as Evans wasn’t able to get the one yard needed to extend the drive. Notre Dame isn’t winning enough up front in a must-have matchup early on.
Now the defense enters on a drive they absolutely must keep USC out of the end zone. Down 17 would essentially be curtains for tonight.
USC 10, ND 0 – 13:57 left in 2nd Qtr.
Defense coming alive for Irish
Notre Dame defense has shown up in a big way the last few drives. Keeping USC out of the end zone on the second possession was huge and the defense has been playing great since. Pressure forcing Caleb Williams to do things he doesn’t want to, forcing him to have to perform a Houdini act to simply get rid of the ball, let alone to actually make a play. Notre Dame offense needs to get rid of the goose egg, though. Desperately.
USC 10, ND 0 – 11:07 left in 2nd Qtr.
Irish on the Board!
Major props to Drew Pyne. I don’t care about what he is or what he isn’t – those comments and questions will be asked and discussed at length in the weeks to come. That was a much-needed big boy drive for him.
3rd and 10, being calm in the pocket, stepping up, and firing a strike to Jayden Thomas and then trusting his big tight end Michael Mayer to go make a play in the end zone. The Irish offense needed to do something and finally came through. Credit the offensive line for the pocket on the third down but props to Pyne for taking advantage and delivering on it.
USC 10, Notre Dame 7 – 6:14 left, 2nd quarter
Caleb Williams and a bone-crushing drive
I know it’s easier said than done but if Notre Dame is going to pull the upset tonight they’ve got to start finishing on Caleb Williams in the backfield. Pressure has been better than average tonight, but getting home is another. Williams keeps his eyes downfield so well even when pressured, it’s like playing against a college version of Patrick Mahomes. It’s very difficult to actually do and I don’t want to understate that but this group (Notre Dame defensive line) was the first to hype themselves up as being close to spectacular, you’ve got to finish.
Williams with an incredibly late pull on the eventual touchdown run as well was incredible. Things would feel a ton better if the Irish would have been able to keep USC out of the end zone and hold them to three instead.
It’s not the ballgame coming out of halftime but Notre Dame is going to certainly need points as they receive the second half kick. I feel like anything more than 14 points by USC in the second half will be enough so keep that in mind as the second half gets underway.
Halftime: USC 17, Notre Dame 7
Related: Twitter reaction to Michael Mayer’s first-half touchdown
Watch – Fowler can’t contain excitement as USC picks up 12 on 3rd and 20
Turnovers just a killer
Everything was going right out of the second half gate for Notre Dame as even a forced throw by Drew Pyne to Michael Mayer resulted in a reception and another first down. The Irish looked on their way to making this a one-score game and instead, confusion by Drew Pyne on a zone-read and one of those USC takeaways we talked so much about going into this week showed its ugly head.
Credit to USC for making it count as they were foot on the gas straight down field and took advantage of a few more missed Notre Dame tackles. USC’s tight ends dominated enough to close the drive on a run to the right that was an embarrassment of riches for the Trojans as two members of their backfield entered the end zone untouched on third down. A four-point play goes the way of USC to make it a three-score game instead of keeping it within 13.
It’s not over yet but boy is it getting close. Need a score (touchdown) and a stop immediately to have any kind of a chance, though.
USC 24, Notre Dame 7 (7:59 left, 3rd quarter)
Quick Strike Response
Who is this man and what did he do with Drew Pyne!?!
Credit to Tommy Rees for not flat-out panicking and just going throw-throw-throw out of the shoot after going down by 17. A little bit of Estime to start allowed USC’s defense to not just sit back and keep everything in front of them. Outside of the fumble, Pyne has played really stinking well tonight and came up huge on that drive.
Deion Colzie, way to go up and get it. Just think of what this group of receivers is going to look like a couple of years from now. (Blushes).
Alright, in the meantime get a stop now and see if we can’t make some funny business happen here.
USC 24, Notre Dame 14 – 5:54 left in 3rd quarter
Williams extends and does it again
How demoralizing is it when Caleb Williams does what he did on second and long in USC’s final drive of the third quarter? Notre Dame did everything right.
Except finish.
Again, I know it’s easier said than done but Riley Mills gets his hand on Williams undershirt even yet can’t get him down. Williams then proceeds to scramble around like he’s a video game character and maneuver his way for a first down. It’s one thing to get pounded up the middle, which has been the case too much tonight on early downs, but it’s another to do just about everything right and not get a guy down.
Incredible job by Williams – Notre Dame is in a must stop to keep this thing within two scores now, though.
USC 24, Notre Dame 14 – End of Third Quarter
So much for that
And one play later Williams evades a tackle by a spin move and runs untouched into the end zone. He’s been unreal tonight extending plays but Notre Dame not slowing USC down in the running games on early downs has been just as much of an issue.
USC 31, Notre Dame 14 – 14:53 left in 4th quarter
Notre Dame answers again
It’s not known for being a fast-paced, high scoring offense but it’s not an offense that has had this Drew Pyne the majority of this season. Pyne has balled out tonight after finally throwing an incomplete pass on this drive, but again came up huge leading the Irish down quickly. 17 of 18 on the night for 237 yards.
What on God’s green earth was with the delay for the review though? I’m all for getting the call right but what are we wasting time reviewing the Diggs touchdown for?
Back within 10, now for a stop – please!
USC 31, Notre Dame 21 – 11:29 to go in 4th qtr.
