Notre Dame’s defense finally showed signs of weakness on Saturday, but not enough for the Irish to be upset by their arch-rival USC. The Trojans racked up 557 yards of offense and 35 points against a defense that hadn’t given up more than 24 points all season long. In the end, however, the defense delivered two pick-6s in the final four minutes of the game to seal the Notre Dame victory – one from Christian Gray and the other from Xavier Watts. While the defense sputtered, the offense did just enough, despite its own mistakes, for the win.
Riley Leonard tossed two touchdowns for the third straight game while the Irish ground game again led the way. Jadarian Price ran for 111 yards on just 12 carries with a touchdown, while Jeremiyah Love ran for 99 on 13 carries with a touchdown before leaving the game with an injury.
