Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1176276
22 OCT. 26, 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED USC ND FIRST QUARTER USC McGrath 40-yard field goal 2:13 3 0 Drive: 8 plays, 28 yards, 2:56 SECOND QUARTER ND Kmet 10-yard pass from Book (Doerer kick) 8:37 3 7 Drive: 9 plays, 97 yards, 2:32 ND Lenzy 51-yard run (Doerer kick) 4:38 3 14 Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:23 ND Doerer 45-yard field goal 0:15 3 17 Drive: 9 plays, 29 yards, 2:49 THIRD QUARTER ND Doerer 52-yard field goal 12:34 3 20 Drive: 9 plays, 30 yards, 2:26 USC McGrath 27-yard field goal 8:53 6 20 Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 3:41 USC St. Brown 38-yard pass from Slovis (McGrath kick) 2:34 13 20 Drive: 5 plays, 62 yards, 1:54 FOURTH QUARTER ND Doerer 43-yard field goal 13:47 13 23 Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 3:47 USC Vaughns 5-yard pass from Slovis (McGrath kick) 10:27 20 23 Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:20 ND Book 8-yard run (Doerer kick) 3:33 20 30 Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 6:54 USC Stepp 2-yard run (McGrath kick) 1:04 27 30 Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 2:29 USC ND Total First Downs 25 25 Rushing 11 17 Passing 14 7 Penalty 0 1 Rushing Attempts 35 48 Yards Gained Rushing 201 320 Yards Lost Rushing 30 12 Net Yards Rushing 171 308 Net Yards Passing 255 165 Passes Attempted 35 32 Passes Completed 24 17 Had Intercepted 0 0 Percent Completion 68.6% 53.1% Yards Per Attempt 7.3 5.2 Yards Per Completion 10.6 9.7 Total Offensive Plays 70 80 Total Net Yards 426 473 Average Gain Per Play 6.1 5.9 Fumbles: No.-Lost 1-0 1-0 Penalties: No.-Yards 2-20 5-45 Punts: No.-Yards 5-211 3-121 Average Per Punt 42.2 40.3 Average Net Punt 30.2 28.3 Punt Returns: No.-Yards 2-16 0-0 Kickoff Returns: No.-Yards 3-68 3-48 Interception Returns: No.-Yards 0-0 0-0 Fumble Returns: No.-Yards 0-0 0-0 Miscellaneous Yards 0 0 Possession Time 28:36 31:24 Third-Down Conversions 5-12 9-17 Percentage 41.7% 52.9% Fourth-Down Conversions 0-0 0-1 Percentage 0.0% 0.0% Sacks By: No.-Yards 1-1 4-26 but completing only 13 of 27 passes for 139 yards. Notes: Junior wide receiver Mi- chael Young began the second half by breaking through a scrum for what looked like would be a kickoff return for a touchdown, but he lost control of the football before recovering it at his 36-yard line … The Irish still drove 30 yards in nine plays to set up Doerer 's field goal at the 12:34 mark … USC responded with a 66- yard drive in 11 plays that culmi- nated with a 27-yard field goal by McGrath to pull within 20-6 with 8:53 remaining … On the second-to-final play of the quarter with Notre Dame clinging to a 20-13 lead, Book's third- and-six pass fell incomplete — but USC's Palaie Gaoteote IV was called for roughing the passer, giving the Irish a first down at USC's 40-yard line. FOURTH QUARTER: NOTRE DAME, 30-27 Top Moment: Holding on to a 23-20 lead, Notre Dame began a drive from its 25-yard line and drove 75 yards in 14 plays in 6:54, with Book's eight-yard quarterback draw finding the end zone at the 3:33 mark. Standout Performer: Book com- manded the drive magnificently on the march that made it 30-20. He completed a nine-yard pass to Kmet on third-and-seven from his 28-yard line, found Kmet again for 12 yards while evading pressure, scrambled for 17 yards on third-and-10 from the USC 30-yard line, and followed two plays later with his score. Stats: USC threw 35 passes (255 yards) and rushed 35 times (171 yards) for its 426-yard total. Notre Dame had 48 carries for 308 yards and was 17 of 32 through the air for 165 yards. Notes: Doerer converted his third field goal in as many attempts, this one from 43 yards, with 13:47 remain- ing to provide the Irish a 23-13 cush- ion … A five-yard fade touchdown pass from Slovis to Vaughns reduced Notre Dame's deficit to 23-20 with 10:27 remaining. It capped a nine- play, 75-yard drive in which a 17-yard completion to Vaughns on third-and- seven from the Irish 38-yard line kept the series alive … The Trojans also marched 77 yards that ended with a two-yard touchdown run by run- ning back Markese Stepp with 1:04 remaining for the final score. ✦ NOTRE DAME 30, USC 27 Oct. 12, 2019 ✦ Attendance: 77,622 Notre Dame Stadium ✦ South Bend, Ind. Quarter 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final USC 3 0 10 14 27 Notre Dame 0 17 3 10 30 The Fighting Irish secondary limited USC's leading receiver entering the game, Michael Pittman Jr., to just for receptions for a meager 29 yards. PHOTO BY ANDRIS VISOCKIS