Pass-catcher comparison in Notre Dame-USC highlights the Trojans’ depth
The Notre Dame-USC game has plenty of storylines. The biggest one of them all is the Trojans’ College Football Playoff hopes.
If they win this weekend and win the Pac-12 title game, a spot in the playoff should be theirs, at least if Georgia beats LSU in the SEC Championship Game. Another interesting story is the battle of the pass catchers. The Trojans have Jordan Addison, but the Irish have star tight end Michael Mayer. Here’s some analysis from Geoffrey Clark of Fighting Irish Wire.
“On the surface, it appears that this matchup is relatively even. Then, you remember that Addison has a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback named Caleb Williams, so his numbers might be lower than expected for a receiver like him because Williams is sharing the wealth,” Clark wrote. “So while the Irish might plan for Addison more than any other receiver, there really is no lesser evil here.”
The specific point to make is that Kyle Ford, Tahj Washington, Michael Jackson, and other USC receivers have been good secondary options, filling in for the injured Mario Williams. Getting the ball to those guys when Notre Dame pays attention to Addison will be an important part of USC’s offensive attack.
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