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How Notre Dame used 5 turnovers to upset USC
Notre Dame hit all the right notes in rout of USC
Marcus Freeman emerged from the locker room to delirium, the stadium’s north tunnel mobbed with students exiting the scene of Notre Dame’s 48-20 demolition of rival USC. Before Freeman lapped up that adulation, he embraced his middle son, Gino, another soulful moment in a night full of them.
Then Freeman went straight for the vein, leaning over the tunnel railing, reaching out to touch fans so eager to embrace their coach. There was much rejoicing, guttural, visceral.
Finally, Freeman pulled back and made his way around the mouth of the tunnel and toward his postgame news conference. Except he wasn’t done, leaning over the railing one more time for another dose of college football’s ultimate drug. Freeman couldn’t get enough. The fans couldn’t either, a whiplash of sentiment from last week when Notre Dame’s season felt on the brink of unraveling.
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USC is a team without an identity
In the final minutes of USC’s humbling 48-20 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday night, this question came to mind: What, exactly, do the Trojans do well right now?
Nothing, really.
The offense has major issues — even the Heisman Trophy winner looked human on Saturday. The defense remains extremely vulnerable. The special teams have been average at best.
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Williams shellacked by ND defense as USC tumbles
The Notre Dame defense made it a long night for USC star QB Caleb Williams and the entire Trojans offense en route to a 48-20 Fighting Irish win. Here’s what you need to know:
- Williams threw three first-half interceptions and was sacked six times on the night, finishing the contest with 199 yards on 23-of-37 passes, adding one touchdown.
- The No. 10 Trojans trailed 24-3 late in the second quarter as Notre Dame turned all three of Williams’ early interceptions into touchdowns.
- Notre Dame needed just 251 total yards of offense to score 48 points thanks to its five takeaways, including a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Fighting Irish QB Sam Hartman finished with 126 yards and two touchdowns, while RB Audric Estime tallied 95 rushing yards and a pair of scores.
- With the win, the No. 21 Irish improve to 6-2 while the Trojans undefeated season came to a crashing end, dropping them to 6-1. The victory is Notre Dame’s largest against an AP top-10 team since 1995, when the Irish defeated No. 10 USC 38-10.
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Trojans finally find end zone
USC running back MarShawn Lloyd finds the end zone on a 31-yard touchdown run. Option pitch from Caleb Williams.
It looked like someone thought it would be a handoff, which might have led to some confusion from the Notre Dame defense. Trojans in the end zone for the first time tonight but trail 24-13 with 7:20 left in the third.
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Caleb Williams tosses 3 INTs in first half as USC trails big
USC star QB Caleb Williams got off to a rough start against Notre Dame, tossing three first-half interceptions in South Bend on Saturday night. Here’s what you need to know:
- Williams’ first interception came on his second pass of the Trojans’ first drive. The second and third picks were thrown in the second half of the second quarter.
- The Fighting Irish scored 21 points on their ensuing drives after those interceptions.
- On the Trojans’ final offensive play of the half, Williams nearly lost a fumble after getting sacked but recovered and USC kicked a last-second field goal.
- The reigning Heisman Trophy winner finished the first half with 115 yards on 13-of-22 passes with no touchdowns as USC entered the locker room down 24-6.
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