Notre Dame isn’t pretending this week is just another Saturday.
It’s USC.
It’s a rivalry.
It has playoff implications.
And it’s a game Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa has been waiting to play in for quite some time.
The California native missed last year’s matchup at the Coliseum with a knee injury, but even with the emotions attached, he’s approaching it with the same mentality he brings every week.
“Being out there with my brothers means a lot to me,” stated Viliamu-Asa. Every game that we play means everything to me, so this week is no different.”
Some programs try to downplay rivalries. Notre Dame isn’t one of them.
For captain Drayk Bowen, Saturday will mark his third clash with the Trojans and he understands both the magnitude of the game and the need to stay grounded in the buildup.
“It's going to be emotional, more than just a game, throughout the week,” explained Bowen. “Getting ready for USC, it's always a big game, you're always excited for it. It's something that you're going to mark on your calendar each year. This is when we play USC, you know the date, you know the game.
“It's a huge, huge game in the season. We're all excited for it. Basically, the biggest thing we have to do is tune out the noise. We have to be here on a Tuesday, be here on a Wednesday and do what we need to do to get a win.”
USC has improved significantly on the defensive line and Marcus Freeman made sure to send an early message on Monday to his team.
“This game's going to be about velocity,” Freeman said. “I often say, ‘We got to get bloody.’ It's got to be that type of mindset. This has to be a physical, bloody game that isn't about, ‘How can we outsmart them?’ This is going to be how do we outphysical this group and how do we play with a mindset to win this game?”
Offensive lineman Billy Schrauth loved hearing that from his head coach and is looking forward to getting bloody in the trenches.
“That's what you lean into,” said Schrauth. “That's how you play the game. That's what we signed up for. That's what we lean into as a program.”
Receiver KK Smith is also anticipating a larger role and knows the rivalry comes with some edge.
“Just being a part of the rivalry, being a part of the tradition,” Smith stated. “I know there’s some bad blood between the two teams and I’m ready to go out there and play. It’s as simple as that.”
Defensive coordinator Chris Ash doesn’t say too much, but even he couldn’t hide his excitement to be part of this rivalry, which probably speaks volumes, as he’s been part of some of the best in college football.
“I'm really excited to be a part of it,” Ash explained. “I've been a part of some other big ones, Ohio State-Michigan, Texas-Oklahoma, and then this one. I feel really fortunate to be here, to have this opportunity to be in this game.
“It is a big game. Grew up watching this game. Ot's an honor to be here. It's one of the best rivalries in all sports. So it's going to be a great atmosphere and a great opportunity to go out and play on Saturday night.”
When the ball is kicked off on Saturday night, expect Bowen to set the tone emotionally.
“I feel like playing with emotion, it's something that comes out. Some people, they don't play with emotion. Adon (Shuler) and X (Xavier Watts) were always having celebrations last year and so it's like, it's just how some people play the game. I play with a lot of emotion. If something big happens, I like to go celebrate and stuff like that. It's just different for everyone.”
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