By the Numbers: Rivalry Dominance, Irish Run Wild Over USC

Notre Dame reasserted its physical identity under the lights of Notre Dame Stadium, bullying USC for 306 rushing yards in a 34–24 victory to reclaim the Jeweled Shillelagh. The Irish averaged seven yards per carry, forced three turnovers, and held the Trojans to just 68 rushing yards to hand Lincoln Riley’s team its sixth straight loss in South Bend. It wasn’t perfect — a missed field goal and red-zone miscues kept the score closer than it felt — but the ground-heavy win was a reminder of how this rivalry is still won in the trenches.

Here’s how the numbers tell the story of Notre Dame’s fifth win of the 2025 season.

Key Stats

306 – Rushing yards for Notre Dame.
The Irish posted a season-high on the ground, averaging 7.0 yards per attempt. It marked the most rushing yards USC has allowed all season and Notre Dame’s best output of the Marcus Freeman era.

228 – Rushing yards from Jeremiyah Love.
Love’s career day ranks sixth-most in school history and the most ever by a Notre Dame player inside Notre Dame Stadium. He averaged 9.5 yards per carry and now sits tied for ninth all-time in program history with 27 rushing touchdowns.

265 – All-purpose yards by Love.
The junior back’s total was the most by a Notre Dame player against USC since 1996 and the second-highest by any Irish player in that span, trailing only Golden Tate’s 275 vs. Washington in 2009.

100 – Yards on Jadarian Price’s kickoff return touchdown.
Price became the first Irish player ever with multiple 100-yard kickoff return touchdowns and the fifth in program history to reach that distance. His return immediately answered a Trojan touchdown in the third quarter.

87 – Rushing yards from Jadarian Price.
Price added a 16-yard touchdown run and finished with 209 all-purpose yards. It was the 11th time that both Love and Price scored rushing touchdowns in the same game — and the fifth this season, extending their program record as a duo.

2 – Interceptions by the Notre Dame defense.
Christian Gray and Luke Talich each picked off Jayden Maiava as the Irish recorded multiple interceptions for the third consecutive game — the program’s longest such streak since 2005.

68 – Rushing yards allowed by Notre Dame.
USC managed just 2.3 yards per carry on 29 attempts. The defensive front produced six tackles for loss, including sacks from Boubacar Traore and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa.

77,622 – Attendance at Notre Dame Stadium.
Saturday marked the 18th consecutive sellout and the 23rd in the last 25 home games under Marcus Freeman.

Milestones, Firsts, and Career Highs

• Jeremiyah Love became the 14th player in program history to surpass 200 rushing yards in a single game and the first since Audric Estime’s 238 vs. Stanford in 2023.
• Love’s 134 first-half rushing yards were the most by an Irish back before halftime since Julius Jones’ 171 vs. Stanford in 2003.
• His 24th consecutive start at running back tied Kyren Williams for third-most by an Irish back.
• Jadarian Price tied for second all-time at Notre Dame with three career kickoff return touchdowns, joining Tim Brown, Allen Rossum, and CJ Sanders.
• Malachi Fields extended his reception streak to 34 consecutive games, one of the top active marks in the FBS.
• Jordan Botelho appeared in his 57th career game, eighth-most in school history.
• Tight end Cooper Flanagan made his first appearance of the season.

Positive Trends

Dominance on the ground.
The Irish offense set a season-high in rushing yards, with Love and Price combining for 315 of the team’s 442 total yards.

Turnover production.
Notre Dame has forced multiple interceptions in three straight games, matching a feat last achieved in 2005.

Defensive efficiency.
USC converted just 6 of 14 third downs and failed on both fourth-down tries as Notre Dame controlled time of possession by nearly six minutes.

Big-play response.
After surrendering a 59-yard touchdown pass, Price’s 100-yard return immediately swung momentum back to the Irish.

Negative Trends

Missed opportunities.
Notre Dame finished 4-of-7 in the red zone and missed a 31-yard field goal, leaving points on the board as red zone woes continue to haunt this team.

Penalties continue to mount.
Eight flags for 96 yards stalled several promising drives and extended USC possessions. The ACC officiating crew, meanwhile, called one penalty for five yards on USC.

Limited passing attack.
CJ Carr completed 16-of-26 passes for 136 yards and one touchdown. The Irish averaged just 5.2 yards per attempt through the air. Carr had, by far, his worst game as a Notre Dame quarterback, including one of the worst interceptions you’ll see when he forced a pass in the redzone.

Team Notes

• The win improved Notre Dame’s all-time series lead over USC to 53–38–5, including 30–14–1 at home.
• Marcus Freeman is now 3–1 against USC, and Notre Dame overall is 25–11–1 vs. the Trojans since the Jeweled Shillelagh era began.
• Notre Dame moved to 532–133–13 all-time at Notre Dame Stadium.
• The meeting was the 96th between the two programs — second-most in school history behind Navy (97).

Final Word

Notre Dame’s 34–24 win over USC wasn’t about flash — it was about physicality, control, and a backfield that refused to be stopped. Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price carried the Irish offense, while the defense delivered timely takeaways to keep the Trojans chasing all night. In a rivalry defined by style clashes, this one was all substance: a ground-and-pound statement that puts the Irish squarely back in the national conversation.