By the Numbers: Highest Scoring Notre Dame – USC Game of All-Time
Notre Dame capped off a stellar 2024 regular season with a commanding 49-35 victory over Southern Cal in Los Angeles. The Irish not only showcased dominance on the field but also etched their names into the record books. Let’s break down the game, one number at a time.
Records
- Series High Scoring Total: The combined 84 points were the most ever scored in the storied Notre Dame-USC rivalry, surpassing all prior matchups.
- Rushing Dominance: The Irish tallied 259 rushing yards, their most against USC since 2019 (308 yards) and their highest total in the L.A. Memorial Coliseum since 1996 (260 yards).
- Pick-Six Pair: Notre Dame’s defense delivered two interception returns for touchdowns in the fourth quarter, marking the first time they achieved this feat since 2021 against Wisconsin.
- Series Record: Notre Dame improved to 52-38-5 all-time against Southern Cal and 21-24-4 in Los Angeles.
- Historical Consistency: Notre Dame now holds a 314-169-22 record against Big Ten opponents, including a perfect 2-0 against Big Ten teams in 2024.
- Associated Press Top 5 Record: As the nation’s No. 5-ranked team, Notre Dame improved to 38-18-0 all-time.
Firsts
- Gabriel Rubio: Notched his first career sack in the second quarter, a significant milestone for the sophomore.
- Christian Gray and Xavier Watts: Delivered back-to-back interception returns for touchdowns, the first in their respective careers. Gray’s 99-yard return was matched moments later by Watts’ 100-yard return, rewriting the Notre Dame record book.
Career Highs
- Jadarian Price: The sophomore running back rushed for a career-high 111 yards, marking his second career 100-yard game.
- Xavier Watts: Recorded a career-high 9 tackles to complement his historic interception return.
- Christian Gray and Jordan Clark: Gray tallied a personal-best 7 tackles, and Clark matched his Notre Dame career high with 7 tackles.
Streaks & Milestones
- Jack Kiser: Extended his school-record games played streak to 66 games.
- Jeremiyah Love: Scored his 12th consecutive game with a rushing touchdown, surpassing Autry Denson’s 1998 mark for most rushing touchdowns to start a season. His streak also broke Wayne Bullock’s overall record of 11 consecutive games (1973-74).
- Riley Leonard: Added to his rushing touchdown total with his 33rd career score, placing him second among active FBS quarterbacks.
Looking Ahead
With the win, Notre Dame improved to 11-1, building momentum as they await their postseason assignment. From rewriting the record books to achieving personal milestones, the Irish displayed a balanced attack and a resilient defense.
Frank Vitovitch has been Co-Owner and Editor in Chief of UHND.com since joining forces with Kyle Flavin in 1999. Since that time, he has written over 2,000 articles covering Notre Dame football, recruiting, and basketball. He also works with all staff and external writers on all articles published on UHND.com. Frank's love for Notre Dame football started at a young age watching Rocket Ismail give opposing coaches ulcers in the late 1980's. By day Frank works in marketing and holds a degree in Digital Media from Drexel University. Frank's work has been cited by online/print editions of NBC Sports, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated and has been quoted on air by ESPN's Collin Cowherd. He's conducted interviews with Notre Dame legends Rocket Ismail, Randy Kinder, Lee Becton, Reggie Brooks, Michael Stonebreaker, and Ned Bolcar among others over his 20+ years of covering Notre Dame football. He's also been published in the print edition of USA Today Sports Weekly and the USA Today College Football Preview multiple times. Other Published Works/Citations for Frank Three Reasons Notre Dame Will Beat Alabama - USA Today Notre Dame Suspends WR Kevin Stepherson, RB C.J. Holmes Indefinitely - Bleacher Report Notre Dame / Ohio State Fiesta Bowl Preview - Eleven Warriors Brace Yourself: The Fighting Irish are Relevant Again - Sports on Earth Interviews with the Enemy: A Q&A with Frank Vitovitch of UHND - Yahoo! Sports Five Good Minutes: Notre Dame Football Preview With UHND.com - BC Interruption Vicious Electronic Questioning with UHND - MGO Blog
Big offense and shaky defense for the 1st time this season. However overall, a great win.
R. Leoanard looked better, the run game is great, and Denbrook should call a few less passes when the run game is
overwhelming the defense. This looks like a NC team if they can hold it together for 4 more wins!
a little worrisome: last USC series, ND couldn’t figure out how to tackle. Scarily reminescent of the 2004 win over Florida state when defense collapsef near end of game. That was a bad omen of a team collapse the remainder of the season and eventual demise of Ty Willingham
Survive and advance. Great season and bounce back after the NIU disaster. Hard to tell how good they are as the schedule didn’t really pan out. Need some favorable matchups in the playoffs.