USC and Notre Dame have faced off on the football field 82 times since 1926, with some unforgettable moments over the years, but for the next few days, the only one that matters is the one scheduled for Saturday night in South Bend. It’ll be the Trojans’ first night game at Notre Dame Stadium, and just the tenth time in the history of the rivalry that neither team is ranked.
The USC-Notre Dame game is often called the greatest intersectional rivalry in college football. In 1931, USC went into South Bend and came home with a 16-14 win.
The Irish won last year’s matchup, 20-16, in L.A., to snap USC’s eight game winning streak in the series. The Trojans have taken the last four games played in South Bend; USC quarterback Matt Barkley threw for 380 yards and 2 touchdowns as a true freshman in their last trip, a 34-27 USC win. Barkley missed last year’s losing effort with an ankle injury, and he’s hoping his performance will help make the difference in the outcome this time around.
USC is coming off a 30-9 win over Cal, thanks to the defense, which stepped up when the offense wasn’t quite clicking. Barkley and star receiver Robert Woods spent extra time this week trying to get back on track after an abnormally “off” game. Barkley was just 19 of 35 with a number of missed passes in Woods’ direction, and the sophomore receiver had just 5 catches for 39 yards, his lowest totals of the year by far.
The Trojans need to hope those extra reps this week did the trick. Woods might have a tougher time avoiding double-coverage, especially since USC’s second-leading receiver, Marqise Lee, might not be quite the threat he is normally. Lee left last week’s game with a sprained AC joint in his shoulder. He’s been practicing with no contact, and he says he’ll be at least 80% healthy and definitely ready to play.
It’s less clear whether senior tailback Marc Tyler will be able to go on Saturday. He dislocated his shoulder in the second half against Cal and while he was initially expected to be out for awhile, he says he feels better and is ready to play, through the pain if necessary. It seems unlikely he’d get the start, but he’s a senior with his heart set on getting in the game, so he may be allowed to handle a few carries.
Curtis McNeal (pictured) may get the start for USC if regular starter Marc Tyler's dislocated shoulder is a no-go
Tyler’s probable replacement, Curtis McNeal, is second on the team in rushing yards, and he got the majority of the carries after Tyler left the game last week. It wouldn’t be a surprise if true freshman George Farmer got more action than expected. Kiffin burned Farmer’s redshirt against Cal, which helped Farmer work out his nerves about his first college game. He says he’s more prepared this time though he’s still learning the position, and he’ll be a good option for the rotation, especially if Tyler is ruled out.
The Trojans will be up against a solid, but far from impenetrable, defense. The biggest threat is junior inside linebacker Manti Te’o, who was a USC commit until the 11th hour, when he switched allegiances to Notre Dame. Te’o has 59 tackles on the year, 8.5 for loss, and 4 sacks. He and the rest of the defense are giving up an average of 21 points and 362.2 yards per game, but just 136 of those yards are on the ground, a ratio that bodes well for USC’s offense if it can get into a rhythm.
Sophomore quarterback Tommy Rees, who led the Irish to last year’s win, will also try to get in sync with his receivers. He comes into this weekend’s matchup having thrown for 1503 yards, 14 touchdowns and 6 interceptions on the season. He had three interceptions at the Coliseum last year, but he’s steadily improving. In Notre Dame’s last two games, Rees threw for 515 yards and 7 touchdowns. Like Barkley, he has a go-to receiver who’s one of the best in the nation in junior Michael Floyd. Floyd has 53 catches on the year, for 639 yards but only four touchdowns. He’s Notre Dame’s all-time leader in receptions, touchdown receptions, and receiving yards.
Covering the 6’3″ Floyd will most likely be junior college transfer Isiah Wiley, who played most of the game against Cal and has a size advantage over USC’s sophomore corner Nickell Robey. The Trojans’ secondary continues to be a weak link for the team – last year it was inexperience, and this year, it’s injuries. USC is especially thin at corner. Torin Harris, who started earlier in the season, has missed the last several games with a shoulder injury, and Anthony Brown, who initially rotated with Wiley at Cal, was lost for the season with a knee injury. Like George Farmer at tailback, Wiley says he’ll be even more ready to play after getting his D-I debut out of the way last weekend.
While the secondary has been thin, the defensive line is stout – or at least it plays like it. The Trojans’ are 19th in the nation against the run, allowing an average of only 99.5 yards per game. Cierre Wood and Jonas Gray are the leading rushers for Notre Dame; midway through the season, Wood has 113 carries for 650 yards, and Gray was second on the team with 47 carries for 395 yards.
USC’s defense forced five turnovers in their first five games, and five more in last week’s game against Cal. Notre Dame committed 15 turnovers in its first four games of this season, but in the last two games, the Irish have held onto the ball – and they dominated by a combined score of 97-43. The Trojans’ D will need to step up again, like it did last week, to give USC a shot at reclaiming the Jeweled Shillelagh.
USC’s offense and defense seem to have taken turns dominating and winning games, alternating by game or even by half, but against Notre Dame in South Bend this weekend, the Trojans will have to put it all together to get the win.
