Tag: Trojans

Watch: Notre Dame RB Williams finds the end zone for a second time against USC

Williams x 2

The Irish have started to impose their will against rival USC and they’re getting it done where you wan them to, in the trenches. The defensive line is terrorizing the Trojan quarterback Kedon Slovis.

The Irish offensive line really has progressed nicely during the off week, they’ve opened holes for the running backs and given time for quarterback Jack Coan to find open receivers. The back that has taken the most advantage of the lines progression has been Kyren Williams. He is starting to look like the player we saw last year. Williams is finding holes, churning his legs and being a force. That combination has led to the back finding the end zone for the second time tonight, just take a look at it below as the Irish extend their lead, 24-3 over the Trojans.

Watch: Williams touchdown extends Notre Dame’s lead over USC

The Irish strike back against the Trojans

After USC got back to within a touchdown after a field goal, the Irish decided to get that lead even larger than it previously had. Jack Coan engineered a 9-play, 75-yard scoring drive that ended with a Kyren Williams 5-yard touchdown run.

The Irish once again pushed the lead, but this time to their largest lead of the night with a score of 17-3. It was their third 70-yard plus drive of the game and the second on the resulted in a touchdown. Take a look below as Williams fight his way across the goal line, dragging Trojan defends with him into the end zone.

Breaking: Kyle Hamilton leaves game for Notre Dame

Let’s hope this isn’t as serious as it appeared to be…

During USC’s second possession of Saturday night’s game at Notre Dame, star Fighting Irish safety Kyle Hamilton, a projected top five NFL draft pick next spring, left the game with what looked like a leg injury.

As of posting at 8:30 p.m. ET, Hamilton has remained on Notre Dame’s sideline but is yet to return to the game.  We will keep you posted on any developments to this potential huge story regarding the Notre Dame star as more becomes available.

See the play that forced Hamilton to leave the game below:

Related:

Notre Dame – USC Staff Predictions

Notre Dame-USC: Fun facts about epic rivalry

The 16 coaches to be named to midseason Coach of the Year award watchlist 

Notre Dame’s statistical leaders through six games

College Football Experts Predict Notre Dame-USC outcome

ESPN FPI projects each remaining Notre Dame game, including USC

Watch: Notre Dame linebacker Bo Bauer picks off USC’s Slovis

The first big defensive play goes the Irish’s way

The Trojans finally got some momentum on offense, mainly looking towards their star receiver Drake London’s way. A drive that started on their own 25-yard line saw them go down the field and end the first quarter at the Irish 23-yard line.

The first play of the second quarter would prove to be a big one for the Irish as USC quarterback Kedon Slovis was pressured by defensive end Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa and made him force a throw. Slovis’ mistake was the Irish’s gain as linebacker Bo Bauer picked off the pass and rumbled 79-yards down the field to the Notre Dame 12 yard line. Check out the pick below.

Watch: Coan finds Davis as Notre Dame scores first against USC

The Irish find paydirt first

The Irish settled for a field goal on their first drive, but unfortunately Jonathan Doerer missed an easy one from 36-yards out. The Notre Dame defense then came out and did what we all like to see, they forced the Trojans into a 3-and-out and immediately got the ball back for the Irish offense.

Quarterback Jack Coan started the drive, but freshamn Tyler Buchner came in for a few plays and both quarterbacks helped lead the Irish down the field. Coan was the one who cashed in, as he found Avery Davis in the back of the endzone for the first score of the game. The drive was 11 plays and covered 70-yards, giving the Irish a 7-0 lead with just over 4 minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Updated FPI projects a second Notre Dame loss

At this moment do you think Notre Dame finishes the season 11-1?

ESPN’s Football Power Index is something I have a love-hate relationship with.  I love more information and finding out which teams may be being over or undervalued in terms of their rankings, but also find some of their rankings to be laughable in just how much it appears they don’t value actual game outcomes.

With that all said, I still track it each week because I truly do find it to be interesting and at least partly informative.

FPI has been updated after college football’s seventh week of 2021 and the system that called for Notre Dame to be favored in all remaining games the last time we checked in now has the Irish losing one more time.

Find out the chances FPI gives Notre Dame in their remaining six games below:

FPI projects Notre Dame-USC outcome

Do you think Saturday’s game come down to the final minutes?

As frustrating as Notre Dame has been through the first six games of 2021 I feel safe in stating a few things about them:

  • They’re a good but not great team
  • Their flaws being as obvious as they are frustrating to see because they’ve been evident almost weekly
  • Like the majority of the time since 2017, this team is going to win a lot simply because they rarely do something to beat themselves (Cincinnati game obviously withstanding)

With all of that in mind, and the fact that the rival USC Trojans are just 3-3 and again playing under an interim head coach as they travel to South Bend, it’s not a surprise to see Notre Dame as an overwhelming favorite in Saturday’s game according to ESPN’s Football Power Index.

FPI Projection: Notre Dame 77.3% chance to win

I will note that I find the FPI rankings system to be largely absurd but do find value in their individual game projections the deeper into the season we get.

A win would give Notre Dame their fourth-straight over the Trojans which would be the longest winning streak for the Irish since taking 11-straight from 1983-1993.

Related:

Experts make Notre Dame-USC predictions

Notre Dame-USC: Fun facts from epic college football rivalry

Notre Dame’s statistical leaders through first six games

Notre Dame-USC: Weather Forecast

Does it get more perfect?

When Notre Dame hosts USC on Saturday night in South Bend it looks to be a pleasant October evening with little wind and no precipitation.

The latest forecast calls for nearly perfect tailgating conditions as the afternoon high will reach the high-50s while temperature at kickoff will likely be in the high-40s.

Notre Dame will be looking for their fourth-straight win in the rivalry, which would make it the longest streak in the series for the Irish since winning 11 in a row from 1983-1993.

Related:

Notre Dame-USC: fun facts about epic rivalry

Notre Dame injury update ahead of USC game

Notre Dame releases depth chart for USC game

The USC star that Notre Dame must slow down Saturday

Notre Dame-USC Rivalry: Greatest ‘What Ifs?’

What if @ReggieBush doesn’t push @MattLeinartQB into the end zone in 2005? Does @brady_quinn lead ND to the title game? @mattzemek & @nickshepkowski share massive “what ifs” in Notre Dame-USC history…

Over the last week or so I’ve exchanged several emails, messages, and had multiple conversations with Matt Zemek of Trojans Wire about not just Notre Dame and USC for 2021, but the historic side of the rivalry as well.  From now until Saturday night’s kickoff I’ll share our thoughts on some questions we came up with for each other in regards to the rivalry.

The next question in this series is the all-time great “What If’s” in regards to outcomes of different games?  Would history tell a different story not just on a given afternoon but for years down the road?

Related: Notre Dame-USC: fun facts about epic rivalry

What is the greatest “What If” in the history of Notre Dame-USC?

Next: I answered from a Notre Dame perspective while Matt did so from the USC side of things…

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Notre Dame-USC Rivalry: Biggest Villains

Who is your answer and why?

Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Over the last week or so I’ve exchanged several emails, messages, and had multiple conversations with Matt Zemek of Trojans Wire about not just Notre Dame and USC for 2021, but the historic side of the rivalry as well.  From now until Saturday night’s kickoff I’ll share our thoughts on some questions we came up with for each other in regards to the rivalry.

Related: Notre Dame-USC: fun facts about epic rivalry

Who is the biggest villain on the other side of the rivalry and why?

Next: I answered from a Notre Dame perspective while Matt did so from the USC side of things…

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3