Notre Dame capped off a stellar 2024 regular season with a commanding 49-35 victory over Southern Cal in Los Angeles. The Irish not only showcased dominance on the field but also etched their names into the record books. Let’s break down the game, one number at a time.
Records
- Series High Scoring Total: The combined 84 points were the most ever scored in the storied Notre Dame-USC rivalry, surpassing all prior matchups.
- Rushing Dominance: The Irish tallied 259 rushing yards, their most against USC since 2019 (308 yards) and their highest total in the L.A. Memorial Coliseum since 1996 (260 yards).
- Pick-Six Pair: Notre Dame’s defense delivered two interception returns for touchdowns in the fourth quarter, marking the first time they achieved this feat since 2021 against Wisconsin.
- Series Record: Notre Dame improved to 52-38-5 all-time against Southern Cal and 21-24-4 in Los Angeles.
- Historical Consistency: Notre Dame now holds a 314-169-22 record against Big Ten opponents, including a perfect 2-0 against Big Ten teams in 2024.
- Associated Press Top 5 Record: As the nation’s No. 5-ranked team, Notre Dame improved to 38-18-0 all-time.
Firsts
- Gabriel Rubio: Notched his first career sack in the second quarter, a significant milestone for the sophomore.
- Christian Gray and Xavier Watts: Delivered back-to-back interception returns for touchdowns, the first in their respective careers. Gray’s 99-yard return was matched moments later by Watts’ 100-yard return, rewriting the Notre Dame record book.
Career Highs
- Jadarian Price: The sophomore running back rushed for a career-high 111 yards, marking his second career 100-yard game.
- Xavier Watts: Recorded a career-high 9 tackles to complement his historic interception return.
- Christian Gray and Jordan Clark: Gray tallied a personal-best 7 tackles, and Clark matched his Notre Dame career high with 7 tackles.
Streaks & Milestones
- Jack Kiser: Extended his school-record games played streak to 66 games.
- Jeremiyah Love: Scored his 12th consecutive game with a rushing touchdown, surpassing Autry Denson’s 1998 mark for most rushing touchdowns to start a season. His streak also broke Wayne Bullock’s overall record of 11 consecutive games (1973-74).
- Riley Leonard: Added to his rushing touchdown total with his 33rd career score, placing him second among active FBS quarterbacks.
Looking Ahead
With the win, Notre Dame improved to 11-1, building momentum as they await their postseason assignment. From rewriting the record books to achieving personal milestones, the Irish displayed a balanced attack and a resilient defense.
Big offense and shaky defense for the 1st time this season. However overall, a great win.
R. Leoanard looked better, the run game is great, and Denbrook should call a few less passes when the run game is
overwhelming the defense. This looks like a NC team if they can hold it together for 4 more wins!
a little worrisome: last USC series, ND couldn’t figure out how to tackle. Scarily reminescent of the 2004 win over Florida state when defense collapsef near end of game. That was a bad omen of a team collapse the remainder of the season and eventual demise of Ty Willingham
Survive and advance. Great season and bounce back after the NIU disaster. Hard to tell how good they are as the schedule didn’t really pan out. Need some favorable matchups in the playoffs.