USC’s playoff hopes take a big hit in loss to rival Notre Dame
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — It was disturbing imagery, at the bitter end of a century-long series. Dark clouds descend on Touchdown Jesus and a heavy downpour drenches every soul in Notre Dame Stadium, as if Mother Nature is attacking the prospect of seeing one of college football’s defining rivalries die in vain.
USC and Notre Dame have hinted that they hope the rivalry can continue beyond this season, if they reach an agreement in the coming months. But if this were indeed the end, 99 years since USC and Notre Dame first met on a football field, it would be a particularly crushing final scene for the 20th-ranked Trojans, who now see their hopes of making the College Football Playoff hanging by a thread after a 34-24 loss.
“We just didn’t play well enough tonight against a good road team,” USC coach Lincoln Riley said. “[We] You’ve missed opportunities that are making you sick right now.
The game seemed well on its way to a different conclusion when the 13th-ranked Irish kicked a 31-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Three plays later, USC quarterback Jayden Maiava found wideout Makai Lemon for a 42-yard gain.
The momentum of the game was suddenly back in the hands of Riley and his dynamic attack. That’s when the Trojans’ coach set up a game of wacky tricks that even he couldn’t defend when asked about it later.
Sprinting straight to the end of the round, Lemon took over from Maiava and immediately found himself trapped by Notre Dame’s descending defense. So Lemon cocked the ball like he was going to throw it, but the ball was taken away from him.
When asked what made him choose this particular piece, at this particular moment, Riley was brief.
“Stupid call,” he said. “Stupid call.”
This wasn’t the first time Riley’s role was questioned after a loss. But even he questioned his own decision-making on Saturday – notably when the Trojans twice came up empty on fourth down.
Notre Dame’s Jalen Sneed attempts to sack USC quarterback Jayden Maiava during the first quarter Saturday in South Bend, Indiana.
(Paul Beaty/Associated Press)
“I had a reverse pass and two calls on fourth down that weren’t very good calls and didn’t put our guys in very good positions,” Riley said. “I have to be a lot better for our guys.”
The fumble, for Lemon, was a rare misstep on the part of the Trojans star, but a particularly costly one. It took Notre Dame seven plays to find the end zone after that, as quarterback CJ Carr punched it in from a yard out to put the game away.
More mistakes were made and opportunities squandered on Saturday long before the Irish delivered the final blow. On the drive before Lemon’s fumble, Maiava threw an interception, his first of two in the final 20 minutes. The next drive, USC failed on a critical fourth-and-1 at midfield, as the Irish covered tight end Lake McRee in the flat on a play pass.
Of course, the loss couldn’t come down to a few spare plays either. USC was crushed to the ground by Notre Dame’s rushing attack, which racked up 306 yards, the second most of any team during Riley’s tenure with the Trojans.
Most of that production came, as expected, from Jeremiah Love, who broke out Saturday with a 63-yard run. He racked up a career-high 228 rushing yards and two touchdowns, as USC’s run defense made simple mistakes that the Irish easily exploited.
Notre Dame running back Jeremiah Love runs for a touchdown in the first quarter against USC on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium.
(Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
“I just thought we overcompensated and, at times, we panicked a little bit,” Riley said of the run defense.
Their lack of a rushing attack was also a cause for panic. A week after rushing for 158 yards, King Miller came back to Earth against the Irish, as the walk-on finished with 70 yards on 18 carries. The rest of USC’s running game was literally negative, accounting for minus 24 yards.
The disparity between the two rushing attacks was especially stark given the conditions, as the rain fell, getting heavier and heavier with each passing possession in the second half. Instead of relying on the running game, which has fueled their offense in recent weeks, the Trojans were forced to rely on Maiava throwing down rain.
Maiava, who completed a season-low 52 percent of his passes, said the rain didn’t affect him. But he was not at all satisfied with his performance.
“I have to be better for my teammates,” Maiava said.
USC still managed to create explosive plays from the passing game. Maiava completed nine passes of 15 yards or more, the biggest of which came midway through the third quarter, with USC trailing by five points. He spotted Ja’Kobi Lane passing Notre Dame secondary and said a prayer in the pouring rain. The pass found Lane in perfect stride as he sprinted into the end zone for a 59-yard score.
The score gives the Trojans the advantage and gives momentum to the game… for 15 seconds.
On the ensuing kickoff, Jadarian Price ran through a Trojan, then another before the field opened up in front of him. He didn’t stop until he reached the end zone, 100 yards later, with the Irish leading.
It was astonishing that the match reached this point, after severe thunderstorms flooded the stadium for hours before kick-off, bringing with them lightning that left the match in doubt.
The rain cleared just in time for the rivalry game to start on time. But the dark clouds, at least for USC, could loom well beyond Saturday night. Not only is there really no possibility that there won’t be a game next year to avenge this loss, but with two losses under their belt, the Trojans have no margin for error if they still hope to contend for a Playoff spot.
This idea seemed far-fetched on Saturday evening. But as he spoke to his disappointed team Saturday night, Riley told them to remember what happened to Ohio State, last season’s national champion, after losing a crushing rivalry game.
He didn’t lose again.
“In this new era of college football, with all the parity going on, anything is possible,” Riley said.
As for whether the same logic could apply to rivalry…
“I’m not too worried about the future,” Riley said. “Right now. And every game means a lot to us right now.”
