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Notre Dame Football

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

November 26, 2022
214,261

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

214,249 Views | 1190 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by pjcaulfield
donahue
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returntoorder said:

Pyne is just another book. So sad that a Caleb went to catholic high school and ND didnt recruit him. Instead we recruit mac level QBs


He's a poor man's Tommy Rees
CelticIrish
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ndSlaw said:

I hate how we go prevent in every 3rd and long and allow opportunities for easier 4th down decisions
DRIVES ME INSANE!
fenixc
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That was horrible. *** defense.
blairkiel
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donahue said:

If you still think ND shouldn't find a QB in the portal, please explain why
This game changes that discussion somehow?
Rwolf101
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donahue said:

If you still think ND shouldn't find a QB in the portal, please explain why

They SHOULD. But who? And how much will they cost? And will they be starter quality?
tommynacc
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14 points off of our midget's turnovers…
ND_Rumpus
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Read option masterclass from SC.
atl irish
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SHAMROCK said:

Rwolf101 said:

SHAMROCK said:

That is 100% on Styles. Gotta keep
Coming back to ball.

Not on Pyne.

Styles wasn't out there. Looked like Lenzy. But it was an awful throw and telegraphed.


Sorry bad eyes - Lenzy
It was a terrible decision to throw that ball. He was off balance and throwing it across his body. He is not physically talented enough to attempt that.
ohiondfan
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Is it just me, or is every USC fan a band wagon fan?
irishbearcat09
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Brucealeg said:

irishbearcat09 said:

No surprise from Tom "Hellen Keller" Rees tonight. But Marcus Freeman, a "defensive coach" responsible for making sure we were prepared and came out ready to play? He lost all credibility tonight in my eyes.

Marshall, Stanford, and tonight. 3 strikes. The university of spoiled children literally running circles around us as our players try to remember how to tackle every play. Absolutely disgusted and embarrassed to be a Notre Dame fan tonight.
Are you cutting and pasting this multiple times?


I didn't intend to double post, but great idea. A third time doesn't even do the justice:

No surprise from Tom "Hellen Keller" Rees tonight. But Marcus Freeman, a "defensive coach" responsible for making sure we were prepared and came out ready to play? He lost all credibility tonight in my eyes.

Marshall, Stanford, and tonight. 3 strikes. The university of spoiled children literally running circles around us as our players try to remember how to tackle every play. Absolutely disgusted and embarrassed to be a Notre Dame fan tonight.
Robert Morris
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I think Payne played well enough to win. We didn't tackle today. The main reason we lost.
ndpaul
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I've said it and will say it again. Al golden stinks .
IrishRob
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QB play in CFB is everything
ndsean44
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I hate this team.
Brucealeg
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Rwolf101 said:

donahue said:

If you still think ND shouldn't find a QB in the portal, please explain why

They SHOULD. But who? And how much will they cost? And will they be starter quality?
We don't pay $$$ and he needs a 4.0GPA from Harvard :P
trentb
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our lbs suck nuts. Just nobody can tackle or move in space but Foskey

This was an ok Pyne performance. That crap throw. Fumble. Likely audible on 3rd and 2 to pass early that screwed us. But otherwise,
AZdoc
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ohiondfan said:

Is it just me, or is every USC fan a band wagon fan?


+100. Literally my closest friend that is a usc alum. Didn't even pay attention to clay Helton years.
irishtex
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Rwolf101 said:

donahue said:

If you still think ND shouldn't find a QB in the portal, please explain why

They SHOULD. But who? And how much will they cost? And will they be starter quality?
McNamara at michigan, probably one of the QBs at TX to name two.
Andrew Mentock
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Staff
USC Caleb Williams scores on a QB keeper from 16 yards out to give the Trojans a 38-21 lead with less than three minutes to play.
andrew32
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This is a Tyrone Willingham era-level ass-kicking.

USC has a coach and a Heisman QB, so I guess that's about right.
atl irish
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Robert Morris said:

I think Payne played well enough to win. We didn't tackle today. The main reason we lost.
He had two massive turnovers. Payneful indeed.
ohiondfan
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Robert Morris said:

I think Payne played well enough to win. We didn't tackle today. The main reason we lost.


21 pts and -2 turnover margin isn't good enough to win at SC.
IrishATM
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D was pathetic

Poor tackling and play calling

Prevent on 3rd and 17 and SC is just trying to kill clock
Boss
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ND will get a QB in the portal that is light years better than anyone on this roster. I know it's not saying much, but they'll get someone good to come in and start next year.
Sgt Hulka
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atl irish said:

Al Golden and Drew Pyne share credit for this clown show
Golden to a certain degree, yes. I can't put this one on Pyne. He's just not very good and the defense put him in a situation where they had to throw the ball which is a losing proposition. with him
ndsean44
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Robert Morris said:

I think Payne played well enough to win. We didn't tackle today. The main reason we lost.


He fumble in scoring position and gave up a pick that gave USC another score.
atl irish
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irishtex said:

Rwolf101 said:

donahue said:

If you still think ND shouldn't find a QB in the portal, please explain why

They SHOULD. But who? And how much will they cost? And will they be starter quality?
McNamara at michigan, probably one of the QBs at TX to name two.
VERY hard pass on McNamara. Give me Card or Leary.
tayirish14
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The end of this season is shaping up to be my worst nightmare. USC and Michigan both in the playoff with a chance to win a National title. It's sickening to think about…
donahue
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blairkiel said:

donahue said:

If you still think ND shouldn't find a QB in the portal, please explain why
This game changes that discussion somehow?


There shouldn't have been a discussion in the first place but I have seen comments recently with the opinion that they shouldn't, either because Buchner would clearly be the starter or that a transfer QB wouldn't be an improvement.
Rwolf101
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Boss said:

ND will get a QB in the portal that is light years better than anyone on this roster. I know it's not saying much, but they'll get someone good to come in and start next year.

Who?
Wiggs4Irish
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Put Angelli in.
returntoorder
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How many times are DLs going to tackle RBs when you know caleb is keeping it and where are the linebackers? They ran the same play how many times and how many times was the defense clueless? Second half adjustments? Absolutely none.......
atl irish
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Sgt Hulka said:

atl irish said:

Al Golden and Drew Pyne share credit for this clown show
Golden to a certain degree, yes. I can't put this one on Pyne. He's just not very good and the defense put him in a situation where they had to throw the ball which is a losing proposition. with him
The turnovers were daggers, and both 100% his fault. He takes sole credit for those two plays.
ndrockland
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Well folks…. 8-4 and a trip to the AARP Toilet Bowl to play some team without Mayer, Foskey and anyone that does not want to get hurt. Wish I could say good season and things are looking up. But the Admin made their millions, so no reason to rock the boat and compete with the rest of CFB
This is the way!
Sgt Hulka
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atl irish said:

irishtex said:

Rwolf101 said:

donahue said:

If you still think ND shouldn't find a QB in the portal, please explain why

They SHOULD. But who? And how much will they cost? And will they be starter quality?
McNamara at michigan, probably one of the QBs at TX to name two.
VERY hard pass on McNamara. Give me Card or Leary.
Sam. Hartmanj.
 
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