Notre Dame was too much for USC in what could be the end of a classic rivalry. It was a fitting finale if it discontinues.
Notre Dame sends parting shot to USC amid uncertain future of one of the nation's best rivalries originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
If this was the send-off, then No. 13 Notre Dame and No. 20 USC went out in style. At least from the Irish's standpoint.
Late October. Torrential rain. Notre Dame Stadium. Uniforms, tradition, emotion.
Notre Dame (5-2) rushed for 306 yards. Star running back Jeremiyah Love etched his name into rivalry lore with 24 carries for 228 yards and a TD. Luke Talich's interception with 1:05 remaining sent USC (5-2) on a long flight home with their College Football Playoff future in doubt.
Notre Dame beat USC 34-24 in a rivalry classic – one we might not see again in this form. Marcus Freeman and Lincoln Riley are high-level coaches. Who does not want to see that more often?
MORE: Breaking down Jeremiyah Love's big night vs. USC
A third-quarter sequence cut into the essence of Irish vs. Trojans. USC quarterback Jayden Maiava had a 59-yard TD pass to Ja'Kobi Lane to give USC a 24-21 lead with 4:32 remaining in the third quarter. Notre Dame's Jadarian Price responded with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on the next play.
The schools first met on Dec. 4, 1926. There is not a matchup scheduled for 2026, as of now. It's one of the potential casualties of the Big Ten expansion that added UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington to the Big Ten.
The Trojans could justify an exit based on the increased demands of Big Ten travel, which has had a profound impact on schools traveling in both directions. USC plays Ohio State and Oregon at home and Penn State and Indiana on the road next season.
Notre Dame does not want to hear that. The Irish travel every year as part of a cross-country independent schedule that includes a five-game arrangement with the ACC. All of that was the backdrop for Saturday's game.
For at least one more night, it was mostly about the game itself.
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How Notre Dame beat USC
The first half brought out the contrast in styles. Notre Dame led 14-13. The Irish's running game totaled 15 carries for 182 yards behind Love, who had 134 yards and a TD by halftime, and Price added four carries for 57 yards.
Maiava had 14 of 24 for 177 yards and a TD in the first half. Notre Dame's CJ Carr was 10 of 15 for 86 yards – albeit with an interception by USC's Braylan Shelby on an ill-advised red-zone throw.
Notre Dame led 27-24 heading into the fourth quarter. Notre Dame's Noah Burnett missed a 31-yard field goal. USC receiver Makai Lemon fumbled, which Kyngstonn Vilamu-Asu recovered with 11:11 remaining. Carr's 1-yard TD run with 7:16 remaining helped put the Irish in control.
When Maiava's fourth-and-inches pass fell incomplete with 5:32 remaining in the fourth quarter, Notre Dame started the celebration. Talich's interception finished it.
Maiava finished 22 of 42 for 278 yards, two TDs and two interceptions. Carr finished 16 of 26 for 136 yards, a TD and an interception.
Irish improve playoff hopes
Notre Dame – a two-loss team – faced playoff elimination. Now, the Irish have a chance to run the table and crack the 12-team College Football Playoff field for the second straight season. This time, it could be at USC – and the Big Ten's expense.
USC faces a long road to the College Football Playoff now. The Trojans still play at No. 8 Oregon on Nov. 22. Riley has struggled in two seasons in the Big Ten, and that CFP path will not be any easier in future seasons.
CFP STATUS: Miami | LSU | Vanderbilt | Ole Miss
Big Ten fans – including the Trojans – would argue that the Irish should join a conference and stop exploiting the loophole. Yet Notre Dame's message – which was heard in those final five minutes – is that the current arrangement works just fine whether or not the Trojans are on the schedule in the future.
Yes, the Trojans and the Irish should play every year, but it's OK if they don't. USC might feel that way. Notre Dame can, too.
Category: General Sports
