The longstanding rivalry between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Southern Cal Trojans takes on a different look this year, with the Trojans now part of the Big Ten. Despite Southern Cal’s inclusion among a majority of Midwestern teams, the Irish will still make a cross-country trip to face the Trojans in the 2024 regular-season finale on Nov. 30.
Lincoln Riley is starting his third season as Southern Cal’s head coach, racking up a 19-8 record in his first two seasons. There are major holes to fill this season on offense, though plenty of returning talent and transfer portal newcomers are around. On the defensive side, the team’s new coordinator, D’Anton Lynn, offers hope for improvement.
Southern Cal Offense: Massive Change Behind Center
A gaping chasm exists at the quarterback spot now that Caleb Williams has moved on to the NFL. He won the Heisman in 2022 and was again a contender last year until the Irish shut him down. Likely to take his place is Miller Moss, who dazzled a Louisville team that had knocked off Notre Dame by throwing for 372 yards and six touchdowns in the 42-28 Trojans’ victory. If Moss falters, UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava will take over.
The running back position is part of Southern Cal’s lore, with Riley importing Woody Marks from Mississippi State. In his four seasons with the Bulldogs didn’t put any huge numbers but he was consistent, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. He’ll likely work in tandem with Quinten Joyner, who only had 18 carries for the Trojans last year but averaged nearly seven yards per carry. Supplementing the effort of Marks and Joyner will be the sparsely used A’Marion Peterson and early enrollee Bryan Jackson.
Zachariah Branch is likely to get the call on many pass plays, blessed with good speed and 31 receptions last year. After that, Riley and the offensive coaches hope three candidates emerge, with Duce Robinson, Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane combining for 29 grabs in 2023. At tight end, Lake McRee comes off a 26-reception campaign.
The two key pieces of the Southern Cal offensive line will be center Jonah Monheim and the player to his immediate left, guard Emmanuel Pregnon. Tackles Mason Murphy and Elijah Page, as well as right guard Alani Noa hope to build the type of chemistry to keep Moss safe. Last season, this unit allowed 34 sacks.
Southern Cal Defense: It Has to Get Better
The arrival of Lynn to make the Trojan defense less vulnerable to the run after giving up 186 yards per game last season. The Southern Cal line returns end Jamil Muhammad, who led the team in sacks but who faded down the stretch. In addition, Bear Alexander at nose tackle is another potential standout, while fellow tackle Nate Clifton arrives from Vanderbilt. Rounding out this quartet should be Anthony Lucas, who also declined in performance last year.
Mason Cobb ended to 2023 campaign as the Trojans’ top tackler, but his up-and-down performances need to balance out. He and Eric Gentry will see plenty of time, with Gentry hoping to get back to his 2022 form. In the middle, Easton Mascarenas-Arnold was an award-winner at Oregon State last year and should inject some needed talent into this unit.
The Southern Cal corners are a mix of old and new, with plenty of size. The old is Jacobe Covington, who starts his third year with the Trojans, while the new consists of John Humphrey, who came with Lynn from UCLA. Another defensive back coming from UCLA is safety Kamari Ramsey who is likely to be joined in this area by yet another transfer, Akili Arnold from Oregon State. Zion Branch may make some noise here if he can stay healthy. Finally, nickel back Jaylin Smith and Florida State transfer Greedy Vance will fortify this area.
Southern Cal Special Teams: Returning Weapons
Kicker Denis Lynch had a busy 2023 season making all but one of his 66 extra points and converting on 10-of-14 field goals. The Trojan punter, Eddie Czaplicki, also returns after averaging over 43 yards per kick. Whether it’s kickoff or punt returns, Branch will be someone to watch to see if he can take it to the house. He did it in both areas last year and averaged nearly 21 yards on his punt returns.
The Last Time Notre Dame Played Southern Cal
Last year, the Irish had lost two of the previous three games and needed a dramatic finish to eke out a win against Duke. Notre Dame emphatically bounced back by routing the Trojans, 48-20. The Irish picked off Williams three times in the first half to take a 24-6 lead. Southern Cal chopped its deficit to 11 with nine minutes left, but Jadarian Price ended any comeback hopes by going 99 yards on the ensuing kickoff. Xavier Watts then put an exclamation point on the victory by recovering a Trojan fumble in the end zone.
