- Notre Dame rides into the matchup after a dominant 36–7 win over NC State.
- C.J. Carr looks to exploit a USC pass defense ranked 98th nationally.
- The Irish secondary must contain Jayden Maiava and star receiver Makai Lemon.
- Notre Dame’s rushing attack seeks a repeat of last year’s 258-yard performance vs. USC.
Following a 10–7 halftime lead, Notre Dame cruised to its fourth win of the season, defeating the NC State Wolfpack 36–7. The Irish offense finished par for the course, scoring nearly 40 points while racking up 485 total yards. The Notre Dame defense was the surprise of the day as they answered a few more questions surrounding them by limiting the Wolfpack’s potent offense to just 233 total yards. The Irish secondary held NC State’s dynamic quarterback C.J. Bailey to 182 yards passing, one touchdown, and three interceptions.
This weekend will be a different story, though, as Notre Dame will welcome its nemesis — the USC Trojans — to South Bend. It will be an opportunity for the Irish offense to showcase once again that it can overwhelm any opponent and for the defense to finally prove they’re back to playing up to the Notre Dame standard, as the Trojans possess one of the top offenses in the nation.
Below are some of the key matchups to look out for on Saturday night:
WR Makai Lemon vs. Notre Dame Secondary
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava likes to spread the ball around, but his top target is Makai Lemon. Through six games, Lemon has 44 receptions for 682 yards (15.5 YPC) and six touchdowns. That puts him second in the country in receiving yards per game (140.8). Last season against Notre Dame, Lemon recorded nine catches for 133 yards.
This year’s Notre Dame secondary hasn’t seen a receiver of Lemon’s caliber since Texas A&M, when they faced Mario Craver and K.C. Concepcion. In that game, Craver finished with seven catches for 207 yards and a touchdown. Concepcion added four receptions for 82 yards. Edge: USC
C.J. Carr vs. USC Pass Defense
It is the second week in a row that C.J. Carr had an average week for his standards. The redshirt freshman completed 19 of 31 passes for 342 yards, two touchdowns, and one red-zone interception. Coincidentally, Carr is still ranked seventh in the nation in passing efficiency with a rating of 176.04. This weekend, he’ll have a good opportunity to improve upon those numbers against a poor USC secondary.
Carr will be facing a Trojans defense that’s ranked 98th in team passing efficiency defense (141.87), including 243.7 passing yards allowed per game (100th). Edge: Notre Dame
Jayden Maiava vs. Notre Dame Pass Defense
In recent years and beyond, USC’s offense has been known for passing the football and scoring points in bunches. This season is no different. Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava is ranked third in the nation in passing efficiency at 185.65. He is also ranked third in passing yards per game with 308.67.
He’ll be facing an improved Irish defense that’s currently ranked 40th in passing efficiency defense. During the Trojans’ 49–35 loss to Notre Dame last season, Maiava completed 27 of 49 passes for 360 yards and three touchdowns, including two interceptions that were returned for scores. Edge: USC
USC Running Backs vs. Notre Dame Run Defense
USC lost two of its running backs last weekend in its game against Michigan. Both Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders were carted off the field and are expected to miss the next few weeks of the season. Freshman running back King Miller filled in for them and finished with a solid stat line, tallying 18 carries for 158 yards and a score.
Miller will be facing a Notre Dame defense in which stopping the run is its strength. The Irish are currently 25th in the country in run defense, allowing 106.2 yards per game. Edge: Notre Dame
USC Run Defense vs. Notre Dame Running Backs
USC enters this week with the 29th-ranked rush defense in the country, giving up 108.5 yards per game. That includes its game against lowly Missouri State, in which the Trojans surrendered just 65 yards on the ground. If history proves anything, then this weekend’s matchup against Notre Dame’s 50th-ranked rushing offense (172.7 YPG) will be the Trojans’ toughest test of the year.
Last season against the Irish, USC’s defense allowed 258 rushing yards. Jadarian Price finished with 12 carries for 111 yards (9.3 YPC) and a score, while Jeremiyah Love carried the ball 13 times for 99 yards (7.6 YPC) and a touchdown. Edge: Notre Dame
