The USC-Notre Dame game has plenty of buzz, with a pair of top-25 teams and a ton at stake for the Trojans specifically.
USC has the edge in a lot of categories, but Alex Grinch’s defense is up for a tough task against the Irish rushing attack. Here’s some analysis from John Kennedy of Fighting Irish Wire:
“Running the ball is Notre Dame’s bread and butter this year,” Kennedy wrote. “It’s no secret that the passing game is limited and whenever the Irish have had success this year its been behind the strength of the offensive line and backs.
“For Notre Dame to pull off the upset, they must be able to run the ball efficiently not only to put points on the board but to also drain time off the clock and keep USC’s explosive offense off the field.”
Ball control is the Notre Dame formula in this game. USC has to be able to rise up on third downs and prevent the Irish from mounting eight-minute drives in this game.
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