SOUTH BEND, IN—On a rainy sloppy night in South Bend, one of college football’s most storied rivalries added another chapter with a No. 13 Notre Dame victory, 34-24 over No.20 USC on Saturday, October 18.
USC made several errors that unfortunately cost them not only a victory over one of their archrivals, but it also seems that the Trojans we’re probably knocked out of consideration for the highly coveted College Football Playoff.
A few of these highlights in this track meet: Jadarian Price running back a 100-yard kickoff after USC briefly took the lead.
Trailing 24-21 in the third quarter, Notre Dame (5-2) scored 13 unanswered points.
USC (5-2) took a 24-21 lead on a 59-yard TD pass from Jordan Maiava to Ja’Kobi Lane. Maiava also connected with Lane for the 2-point conversion.
Maiava went 22 of 42 passing for 328 yards and two touchdowns
After the kickoff return, USC regrouped and were driving down the field. Then a disaster occurred, one the Trojans could not overcome.
After Maiava connected with the phenomenal Makai Lemon for a 54-yards reception, the unthinkable happened. USC Head Coach Lincoln Riley reached into his big bag of tricks, searching for a play to put USC on top.
Running a double reverse from the Notre Dame 37-yard line, Lemon fumbled the rain-soaked football, to be recovered by the Fighting Irish.
It was the play of the game. Why did Riley take such a gamble on first down? Really, a reverse in the rain in a hostile environment on the road?
Coach Riley takes these risks, sometimes they pay off, and sometimes they don’t. It was just a disappointing defeat.
Notre Dame also stopped USC on a fourth-and-1 with 6:02 left in the game, and Luke Talich intercepted Maiava with 1:06 to play.
USC was missing the services of Running Backs Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders.
USC will most likely fall out of the Top 25 with the loss. Up next is a much-needed bye week, followed by a match up with the Nebraska Cornhuskers at the Coliseum on November 1.
