NFL
By: George Lopez
As families gather this week to celebrate Thanksgiving, college football fans look forward to Saturday as rivalry week is in full swing. One of the best inter-section rivalries will be played at the LA Coliseum as the #6 USC Trojans host the #16 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Saturday at 4:30 pm PT. This will be the 93rd game between the 2 storied programs. The Trojans are coming off an exciting 48-45 win over their inter-city rival UCLA Bruins. The Irish are coming off a 44-0 blowout win against Boston College. This game carries CFP implications as the Trojans sit just at #6 in the latest CFP poll.
USC Offense vs Notre Dame Defense
Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams is coming off a huge game against UCLA. He accounted for over 500 yards of total offense. Williams completed 32-43 for 470 yards with 2 touchdowns. On the ground, Williams ran for 33 yards with 1 touchdown. His performance against the Bruins put Williams into the national spotlight in the Heisman Trophy conversation. WR Jordan Addison led the receiving corp with 11 receptions for 178 yards and 1 touchdown. The defending Biletnikoff Award winner was named as a finalist for the award this season. Williams has been able to spread the ball around to multiple receivers. In the game against UCLA, Williams completed passes to 9 receivers. The Trojans offensive line is ranked in the top 10 in the country in proficiency, allowing Williams time to let routes develop downfield. When the pass protection does break down, Williams has the ability to escape the pocket and extend plays. Look for the Irish defense to try to contain Williams in the pocket and force him to hold on to the football longer than he would like.
The Trojans running game accounted for 179 yards and 4 touchdowns against UCLA. With the loss of RB Travis Dye, there was concern among Trojans fans that the running game may slow down. Sr RB Austin Jones led the way, running for 120 yards on 21 carries and 2 touchdowns. Coach Lincoln Riley stood committed to his running attack, running the ball 38 times. The Irish defense gives up an average of 130 rushing per game. Look for Coach Riley to stay committed to the running attack. Austin Jones figures to get a bulk of the carries with Freshman Raleek Brown and Jr Darwin Barlow being in the mix.
USC Defense vs Notre Dame Offense
It is no secret what the Irish like to do on offense. The Irish like to get behind their huge offensive line and run the ball. Their rushing attack accounts for nearly 61% of their offensive production, averaging 191 yards rushing per game. The Irish running game is led by backs Audric Estime and Logan Diggs. Both backs average over 5 yards a carry. The Irish have used 10 different backs to carry the ball, each with a different style. Notre Dame will look to wear down the Trojans defensive line and slow the game down. The Trojans defense will need to get off their blocks, keep pursuit discipline and make sure tackles slow down the Irish running game.
Notre Dame averages 189 yards passing per game. Drew Pyne has thrown for 1703 yards with 19 touchdowns and 5 interceptions while completing 61% of his pass attempts. TE Michael Mayer is the leading receiver for the Irish offense with 59 receptions for 711 yards and 7 touchdowns. Lorenzo Styles is the Irish leading WR with 26 receptions for 306 yards. The Irish offensive line does a good job at pass protection, allowing 17 sacks for the season. The Trojans defense has been able to generate turnovers all season, accounting for 18 interceptions and 6 fumble recoveries. Their pass rush has 33 sacks for the season led by Tuli Tuipulotu with 11.5 sacks. The Trojans will look to shut down the Irish running game and put the Irish offense on the shoulders of Drew Pyne. The defensive Coordinator will look to come up with a game plan to put pressure on Pyne, get him off his spot and force him Into making mistakes.
Prediction
This game is going to be a battle of wills. The Irish will look to slow the game down, dominate with their running game and keep the Trojans offense off the field. On the defensive side, the Irish will look to contain Caleb Williams in the pocket and not let him extend plays with his legs. The Trojans will look to make the Irish offense one-dimensional, containing the running game and putting the game on the shoulders of Drew Pyne. Offensively, the Trojans will look to keep a balanced offensive attack. The Trojans have the capability of striking quickly on offense but they can also grind out drives. Look for the Trojans to pull out a win in a tough grind-out game and keep their CFP hopes alive.
Trojans 27
Irish. 21
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