Jeremiyah Love, No. 13 Notre Dame beat No. 20 USC 34-24

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — No. 20 USC saw what he was up against in Jeremiah Love’s first run Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium.

Love fired through a hole on the left side of the Irish offensive line and charged forward, arms pumping furiously for a 63-yard gain. Two plays later, he pushed through a crowd of players to score on a 12-yard touchdown.

Love’s career night started with a bang, and it didn’t stop until the Notre Dame junior running back racked up 228 rushing yards on 24 carries and five catches for 37 yards to lead the 13th-ranked Irish to a 34-24 victory.

As rain fell en masse on poncho-wearing fans for much of the night, Love delivered his own fascinating chapter in the USC rivalry, looking very much like the All-America candidate all media outlets predicted he would be in the process.

“I like to be physical and go out and try to crush someone,” Love said.

His performance, coupled with a 100-yard kickoff return from teammate Jadarian Price, propelled Notre Dame (5-2) to its fifth straight victory and biggest victory this season as it attempts to rebuild its College Football Playoff record after an 0-2 start. It was the first game against a ranked team for the Irish since their one-point loss to then-No. 16 Texas A&M, wild shooting in South Bend.

This one, amid talk of continuing the long-standing rivalry between Notre Dame and USC, was just as exhilarating, even on a night when Irish quarterback CJ Carr wasn’t at his best.

That was largely thanks to Love, who had more rushing yards in a single game than any Irish player at Notre Dame Stadium.

“I’m super proud of this guy,” Price said. “We’ve been trying all year to get him above 200, and I’m proud that he’s finally passed that mark. There’s definitely a lot more to come. … He’s a special human being, a special player.”

Notre Dame’s big night on the field was without starting center Ashton Craig, who was lost last week to a season-ending knee injury. Sophomore Joe Otting started in his place. Freeman said Otting “was ready for this opportunity because he worked every day in practice.”

Just in case anyone forgot on Love’s big night, Price made one of the greatest plays in the game.

After USC (5-2) took a 24-21 lead in the third quarter, Price took the kickoff into the end zone, broke two tackles, ran diagonally across the field from right to left and scored on a 100-yard kick return touchdown. Notre Dame missed the extra point and led 27-24.

“I didn’t do the right thing — I kind of went off the block,” Price said. “But it worked. After I broke the first tackle, I knew I was going to go home. … It was just me trusting myself, but also my teammates to finish the play. Kickoff returns can be a long game, so you just have to trust yourself.”

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Price, who would be a No. 1 running back at many other programs, had 13 carries for 87 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman has already spoken about Love and Price’s selflessness in sharing their workload, and he added that Saturday night.

“It’s not very common in college football — not very common in life — to see two guys who are so talented who deserve the ball in their hand at every moment, but choose to put the team in front of them and make the most of their opportunities,” Freeman said. “They don’t pout. They are each other’s biggest supporters.”

It wasn’t just resentment. Notre Dame extended its lead after Price’s return thanks in part to two takeaways on back-to-back drives at USC.

Christian Gray threw an interception against USC quarterback Jayden Maiava late in the third quarter, but Notre Dame’s ensuing drive ended with kicker Noah Burnette missing a 31-yard field goal attempt wide left.

But when USC wide receiver Makai Lemon looked to pass a pass on the next drive, Adon Shuler tore up his arm and forced a fumble. Linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa recovered it. Seven plays later, Carr scored on a 1-yard run for a 34-24 lead.

Luke Talich added a game-clinching interception of Maiava late in the fourth.

Maiava threw for 328 yards and two touchdowns. This included a 10-yard pass to Lake McRee on USC’s opening drive and a 59-yard scoring pass to Ja’Kobi Lane in the third quarter that briefly gave the Trojans the lead before Price returned.

Carr completed 16 of 26 passes for 136 yards and a touchdown and also scored on a 1-yard run that put the Irish up 34-24 with 7 minutes, 16 seconds left. He also threw an interception.