Boykin Looking Forward To High Stakes Rivalry Game

On Saturday a matchup to watch will be the clash of two experienced position groups. Led by senior Miles Boykin, the Irish wide receivers will face off against the Trojans four senior defensive backs, Isaiah Langley, Jonathan Lockett, Marvell Tell and Ajene Harris.

“They’re seniors, they’re veterans back there,” explained Boykin about USC’s secondary. “We talk about this in our room, when you’re playing against veterans they know things, someone who has been playing college football for four years knows a lot more than someone who has played for one or two.

“It is going to be two older groups going against each other, and it is going to be a fantastic challenge. They’re smart and have played a lot of football but so have we.”

USC’s experience secondary doesn’t get a lot of take-a-ways, but they play aggressively which results in a lot of pass breakups. The Notre Dame wide receivers are going to have to be sure-handed on Saturday.

The 6-foot-4, 228-pound wideout has created chemistry with junior signal-caller Ian Book and has put together his best collegiate season. He leads the Irish with 51 catches for 730 yards and eight touchdowns.  

Boykin’s production along with fellow upperclassmen wideouts, Chris Finke and Chase Claypool is a big reason for the Irish’s offensive success. Notre Dame is ranked 27th in the nation averaging 34.6 points per game.

However, the veteran wideout believes this offense hasn’t hit its full stride.

“We need to be consistent,” said Boykin about the Irish offense. “Consistent for our defense, we put a lot of pressure on our defense. They go out there and do their job every time and have bailed us out of a lot of situations this season and we want to feel like we are pulling our weight. This game has three phases, offense, defense and special teams and we want to pull our weight.

“I am not saying it has felt like that, but there is just a lot of things that we could do on the offensive side of the ball. We feel like that the defense is playing at an extremely high level, one of the best in the country and we know this offense has the potential to be one of the best in the country, and we have lived up to that expectation yet. So, we just keep building each and every week, and we are going in the right direction, but we haven’t hit it yet.”

A 5-6 USC team on Saturday is the only thing that stands in the way of Notre Dame completing an undefeated season. A one-day, one game at a time approach has helped the Irish from looking into what could be in their near future, a College Football Playoff berth.

“We are extremely focused,” Boykin stated. “We have a group of veterans that have good attention to detail. We have known what wanted to accomplish since day-one of camp, so for us to do that we knew what we had to do. Come out on the fieldwork every day, we had to be more than just an on-field team. We had to watch film, do the extra things. This team is very talented, but we are very smart as well, and that is something that carries over, and you see that on the football field.”

Saturday’s 90th meeting is a clash of two rival schools that bring together two passionate fan bases. It is a game that can be played anytime during the season and players would be filled with excitement.

“It is one of the most exciting rivalries in college football,” stated Boykin about the almost 100-year rivalry. “Notre Dame versus USC, two historic programs and I look forward to playing them every single year because of what they bring to the table and what we bring to the table. Our fan base versus their fan base, it is exciting not only for the fan but for us to play in this rivalry as well. I look forward to it every year.

“USC and Notre Dame are two schools that a lot of us were recruited by. It is funny because it is two different cultures, you got west coast California, and then you have mid-west that is straight grit. It is just great for football when teams from across the country are playing each other. You got two different fan bases. We have a lot of alumni in California as well, and it is just a special game.”