NFL
By George Lopez
The USC Trojans travel to South Bend this Saturday to play in one of the best inter-sectional rivalries in college football as they take on the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. USC is looking for its first win at Notre Dame since 2011. The Trojans sent a message to the BIG10 teams that they can play physical football and will look to continue their momentum coming off an impressive 31-13 victory over Michigan. The Irish are looking to make it five straight wins coming off a dominant 36-7 victory over North Carolina State. Both teams are aware that the outcome of this game can have far-reaching implications for the college football playoffs.
Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava continues to lead the Trojans’ offense. On the season, Maiava has passed for 1852 yards with 13 touchdowns and 2 interceptions while completing 72% of his passes. Maiava works not to force the ball and takes what the opposing defense gives him, and will look to continue that style of play against the Irish defense. Pass protection will be key for the Trojans’ offense as the Irish defense will look to bring pressure on Maiava and get him off his spot and make him uncomfortable in the pocket. The offensive line did a good job against Michigan, not allowing Maiava to be sacked once. The line will look to continue to provide solid pass protection for Maiava.
Makai Lemon has become the top receiving target for Maiava in the Trojans’ passing attack. Lemon has 44 receptions for 682 yards with 6 touchdowns this season. Maiava has complete trust that Lemon will get to any pass he throws to Lemon. Ja’Kobe Lane, who has been hampered by injuries, gives Maiava another trusted option in the passing game. Both Lane and Lemon can stretch the field on deep throws as well as make tough catches on short inside routes. The Irish secondary will look to limit the productivity of both Lemon and Lane. Look for the Trojans’ tight ends, led by Lake McRee, to play a significant role in the Trojans’ passing attack against the Irish defense.
The Trojans’ running game lost its top two running backs in the game against Michigan. The Trojans announced that RB Waymond Jordan will be out 4-6 weeks following surgery on his ankle, and RB Eli Sanders will be out the rest of the season due to an injury sustained early in the game against Michigan. The Trojans did not abandon their running game due to these injuries and stuck with their balanced offensive attack as the team rushed for 224 yards against a Michigan defense that was allowing 77 rushing yards going into the game. RB King Miller led the way with 258 yards on 18 carries. Bryan Jackson, who has been dealing with a turf toe injury, added 35 yards on 5 carries. Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley will continue to use a balanced offensive attack to keep the Irish defense honest. Look for King Miller to be the primary RB against the Irish, with Bryan Jackson to see an increased role in the running game.
The Irish offense is led by quarterback CJ Carr. The freshman quarterback has had a good start to the season, passing for 1622 yards with 13 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Carr has shown that he has a good grasp of what the Irish want to do offensively. Carr will spread the ball around, having completed passes to 12 different receivers this season. WR Jordan Faison leads the Irish receivers with 29 receptions for 376 yards. Carr will also look for TE Eli Raridon, as he has 20 receptions on the season. WR Malachi Fields and Will Pauling will play key roles in the Irish passing attack. Trojans’ defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn will look to put together a scheme that will bring pressure on Carr and make him uncomfortable in the pocket, and force him into making mistakes.
Like the Trojans, the Irish will look to use a balanced offensive attack. In their win against North Carolina State, the Irish had 32 pass attempts along with 39 rushing attempts. Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price are expected to get a bulk of the carries against the Trojans. Love leads the Irish with 530 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns on the season. Price complements Love with 422 rushing yards with 7 touchdowns. The Trojans’ defense held Michigan to 109 rushing yards and will look to limit the Irish running game. The Trojans’ defensive line will need to get off their block and close up the inside running lanes with the interior linebackers filling the holes. Having outside containment will be key for the Trojans’ edge defenders. The defense will look to take away the outside running ability of the Irish backs and force them back to the inside. Coach Lynn and the Trojans’ defensive staff will look to make the Irish offense one-dimensional.
The USC Trojans and Notre Dame Fighting Irish come into this game knowing the outcome could go a long way in determining their chances at making the college football playoffs. The Trojans can expect a loud and raucous crowd this Saturday. This game has the makings of being a great back-and-forth game. In the end, look for the Trojans to come away with the win in a tough, hard-fought game.
