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GAME THREAD | No. 15 Notre Dame at No. 6 USC

November 26, 2022
215,985

No. 15 Notre Dame (8-3) at No. 6 USC (10-1)

LA Memorial Coliseum | 7:30 p.m. ET | ABC | USC -4.5 | O/U: 63

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RIVAL 

Notre Dame at USC.

All that needs to be said. 

Notre Dame must find a way to slow down USC quarterback and Heisman frontrunner Caleb Williams on Saturday night as he’s the key to the show. Williams hasn’t faced a defense anywhere close to as stout as Notre Dame this season, but it’s also game 12, so none of that matters. 

What can you expect Notre Dame to do on offense? Run the ball. If the Irish show out like they did against Boston College and Clemson, then game on. If they have a Navy performance, it could be a long day for the blue and gold. 


Five Players To Watch

Notre Dame CB Benjamin Morrison
Morrison has been outstanding in the second half of the season and he'll be tested again this week going up against a group of receivers that are as good as any the Irish have faced. His matchups with WR Jordan Addison will be must-watch.

USC QB Caleb Williams
Win the game and put up the numbers he's used to and he'll reserve a spot in New York for the Heisman ceremony and set USC up to make the College Football Playoff. He's a dynamic presence with his ability to escape the rush and the Irish will have to play at a high-level to limit their offense.

Notre Dame RB Logan Diggs 
Notre Dame is going to do as much as they can to dominate the time of possession and keep this potent USC offense off the field. That means Diggs and Audric Estime need to have another big day on the ground and that's likely to happen against a USC run defense that has struggled.

USC DE Tuli Tuipulotu
One of the top pass rushers in college football this season, he's their only true game-wrecker on defense. Notre Dame's offensive line has to be great for the Irish to win and it starts with doing their job against Tuipulotu.

Notre Dame DE Isaiah Foskey
He has the Notre Dame sack record, but the Irish need him for one last ride to slow down USC's passing game. He had six forced fumbles last season, but has zero in 2022 despite having 9.5 sacks. He's due to force one soon.


QUOTES OF THE WEEK

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman:
"There's a different feeling about this one and I can feel it amongst our program and our players. I knew it last year, but this year being at the end of the year at USC, you can really feel it."

Notre Dame OC Tommy Rees:
"It's huge, right? I don't know if our guys fully know that. It just seems weird we haven't played there since 2018. When you're there — you have a home game and you have a game there — OK, this is what the rivalry really means. 

"I grew up in a household where UCLA-SC was a big day every year. So I kind of knew what SC was about at an early age. Then you come here, and you still have that same feeling that you had as my brother had, my mom had, my dad had at UCLA. Maybe even more so with just football. Like every year, this was the one you circled.” 

Notre Dame DC Al Golden:
"It's great to be a part of it now. Again, a lot of respect for SC and what they represent and what we represent. It's going to be a great game to be a part of."

Notre Dame QB Drew Pyne:
“As far as the stadium goes, we’ve played in a lot of cool stadiums since we’ve been here. I have a routine that I do. We’ll visit the stadium probably on Friday and I’ll get accustomed to the stadium. It’s a great game, it’s a great tradition.

“However, I’m going to approach it the same way I’ve approached every game since I’ve been here.”

Notre Dame CB TaRiq Bracy:
“We’re a confident group. We know being able to play teams like that and have that under our belt definitely brings some confidence, but I feel like our confidence is internal. I think we’ll be fine against USC.” 

For Your Nerves 

TEAM STATS NOTRE DAME USC
Points Per Game 31.0 42.9
Points Allowed Per Game 20.3 26.3
Total Yards 380.4 513.0
Yards Passing 189.2 330.8
Yards Rushing 191.2 182.2
Yards Allowed 317.2 405.0
Pass Yards Allowed 186.8 257.8
Rush Yards Allowed  130.4 147.2

Notre Dame Fighting Irish 7' Inflatable Santa

GAME THREAD | No. 15 Notre Dame at No. 6 USC

215,972 Views | 1190 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by pjcaulfield
TornisODaly
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mattfreeman said:

Drew Pyne scrambling doesn't quite have the same effect as Caleb Williams but a completion at the end of the day.
Ain't that right.

Maybe, just maybe this will close the book ND on signing QB's for their intangibles in lieu of athletic ability. Stars matter.
-------

Tornis
RWIRISH
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Stop blaming the refs. ND is getting beat and that is the bottom line.
JMAC
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Bracy and Watts both out? Is that right?
tjsirish
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rmirish said:

Without a completely different OL performance in second half, it wouldn't surprise me if we don't even get 17 points. First drive will be crucial.


I'll give you the first drive, but our other 2 drives were 9 plays 54 yds and 9 plays 80 yds. No need to panic. Our offense can score on them. Just have to get some stops.
ohiondfan
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Agree. Need to hit home on Williams a couple times.
joirish
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Do we need to go for it? Throw the ball stretch the field our OLINE is being owned trying to just run.
PepND04
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Running the same Double A gap blitz over and over, not getting home. Gota twist or bring off the edge
donahue
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I still have faith. Freeman is going to stuff Rees in a locker and lose the key, call offense himself, ND comes back and punches SC out on 2nd half
AZdoc
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Not to be dramatic, but ND needs to take second half opening possession for a touchdown or the game is over.
fightnhanleys
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socalirish17 said:

The defense is getting held on practically every play. No flags in sight


People don't want to hear it, but the number of no calls matter when you're dealing with a QB like this and depending on two freshman CBs. It's not sour grapes. It just is what it is.
Brucealeg
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RWIRISH said:

Stop blaming the refs. ND is getting beat and that is the bottom line.
Blaming them? I have eyes, just calling it like i see it.
AZdoc
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I do feel lik C Williams is going to throw us an INT
trentb
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You watch this and you think we need to play every great athlete on our defense whether they are ready or not. Guys who can make plays in chaos.

Then you realize we don't have many of those guys in waiting and lots of other teams have nothing but those guys starting
tvanp63
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AZdoc said:

Not to be dramatic, but ND needs to take second half opening possession for a touchdown or the game is over.

Not dramatic, might be fact.
NDLaw
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Unfortunately he already did and we just didn't catch it.
ohiondfan
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RWIRISH said:

Stop blaming the refs. ND is getting beat and that is the bottom line.


The entire point of a game day message board is to chat with other fans about what they see. I think people can post whatever they want to.
MAS
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The QB talent difference in this game might be the widest I can remember in an ND game.
AZdoc
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NDLaw said:

Unfortunately he already did and we just didn't catch it.


I'm calling one. I have faith.
RWIRISH
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ND is simply being out played. USC lines are controlling the line of scrimmage and their skill players are just more athletic.
donahue
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Don't look now but Big Game Brian is making an appearance in College Station
Brucealeg
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This is a very winnable game. Hoping the 2nd half isn't the typical no adjustment half weve come to love.
rmirish
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donahue said:

I still have faith. Freeman is going to stuff Rees in a locker and lose the key, call offense himself, ND comes back and punches SC out on 2nd half
Uh, you do know Freeman wants to run the ball, right?
trentb
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Pyne hasn't been terrible. Williams is just silly
RedhawkDomer
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Two things can be true.

ND is getting manhandled on the lines.

USC is also holding every other play.
rmirish
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Brucealeg said:

This is a very winnable game. Hoping the 2nd half isn't the typical no adjustment half weve come to love.
Hopefully, we make the same adjustment as in the Navy game……uh, wait, never mind.
blairkiel
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PepND04 said:

Running the same Double A gap blitz over and over, not getting home. Gota twist or bring off the edge
Were down a bunch of d backs
6926bp
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Plus hands to the face all night
ndrockland
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Really need to grind the USC defense down this 1st drive. Need them sucking wind in 4th quarter. Still might not be enough as USC just has better athletes on offense
This is the way!
donahue
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rmirish said:

donahue said:

I still have faith. Freeman is going to stuff Rees in a locker and lose the key, call offense himself, ND comes back and punches SC out on 2nd half
Uh, you do know Freeman wants to run the ball, right?


Yes but Tommy needs to prove that he's smaht
blairkiel
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ohiondfan said:

RWIRISH said:

Stop blaming the refs. ND is getting beat and that is the bottom line.


The entire point of a game day message board is to chat with other fans about what they see. I think people can post whatever they want to.
He's right though
jtthedomer
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Does anyone know why the hell Bracy and Watts not playing. Already without Hart.Does anyone know?
Punepug
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At some point doesn't Freeman just have to lose his **** on these refs to get his point across?
blairkiel
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donahue said:

rmirish said:

donahue said:

I still have faith. Freeman is going to stuff Rees in a locker and lose the key, call offense himself, ND comes back and punches SC out on 2nd half
Uh, you do know Freeman wants to run the ball, right?


Yes but Tommy needs to prove that he's smaht
So untrue

We're as vanilla as can be
ndsean44
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If he does, the refs will find a way to call a penalty to nullify it.
ohiondfan
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2 things can be true at once. Refs can suck and ND can be getting tossed around at the same time.
 
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