Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1509252
36 OCT. 14, 2023 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED GAME PREVIEW: USC This version of the Irish is led by a QB who once had his name right there with that of Williams in a variety of dif- ferent categories earlier this season. Tough games against then-No. 6 Ohio State and then-No. 17 Duke took Sam Hartman's name out of the top tier of Heisman candidates, but a big showing against Williams and company could catapult him right back in. With a quarterback like Hartman, who had 14 touchdown passes and 0 interceptions through Week 5, Notre Dame can go toe-to-toe with USC in a way the Irish couldn't last November. "Sammy is one of the best in the busi- ness," Notre Dame junior running back Audric Estimé said. "When the pressure is on, he's at his best." The pressure of Notre Dame-USC can get to even the best of quarterbacks. Brady Quinn, for instance, went 0-4 against the Trojans in his otherwise il- lustrious career. Yes, a feeble Irish de- fense contributed to Quinn's demise in those years. The powerhouse that USC was at the time averaged 41 points per game in the quartet of victories over Quinn. But Quinn's numbers didn't do anything to threaten the Trojans' dy- nasty; he completed 49.7 percent of his passes for 202.8 yards per game with 6 touchdown tosses and 1 interception. In the three games USC quarterback Matt Leinart played against Quinn, he completed 67.0 percent of his passes for 350.7 yards per game with 9 touchdown passes and 2 interceptions. That's the kind of disparity Hartman 1. Defense, O-Line Remade In Transfer Portal USC head coach Lincoln Riley became famous — infamous, depending on who you talk to — for his use of the transfer portal in the 2022 off- season. Most notably, Riley poached Biletnikoff Award-winning wide receiver Jordan Addison from Pittsburgh and head coach Pat Narduzzi publicly accused Riley of tampering. He also took quarterback Caleb Williams from his old school, Oklahoma. This season, Riley hit the transfer portal hard to fix a defense that finished in the bottom half of the Pac-12 in most categories. Seven major contributors on the Trojans' defense are transfer additions, including four who started in Week 5 against Colorado: sophomore defensive tackle Bear Alexander (Georgia), senior linebacker Ma- son Cobb (Oklahoma State), redshirt senior edge rusher Jamil Muhammad (Georgia State) and red- shirt senior cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace (Arizona). Riley also replaced three starters along the offensive line with transfers: junior left guard Emmanuel Pregnon (Wyoming), redshirt senior right guard Jarrett Kingston (Washington State) and redshirt senior right tackle Michael Tarquin (Florida). Here's one more for good measure: Arizona wide receiver Dorian Singer caught 7 passes for 141 yards and 3 touchdowns against USC on Oct. 29, 2022. Guess what team he plays for now. 2. Star Wide Receiver With Legendary Dad One of the breakout players of the 2023 college football season: USC senior wide receiver Brenden Rice, who entered Week 6 with 7 touchdowns after totaling 7 in 2021 with Colorado and 2022 with USC combined. Rice caught 39 passes for 611 yards last season, and through five games this year, he was on pace for 40.8 receptions and 811 yards. Rice is the son of San Francisco 49ers legend Jerry Rice, the greatest wide receiver and some would argue the greatest player in NFL history. The younger Rice caught 5 passes for 81 yards against Colorado, which is coached by Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders and features Sanders' son, Shilo, in its secondary (as well as his brother, Shedeur, the Buffs' QB). Deion Sanders and Jerry Rice played against each other several times in the NFL. "I had my dad texting me, 'This is not you versus Deion, this is USC versus Colorado. Don't let anybody try to paint that picture,'" Brenden Rice said before the game, according to Athlon Sports. He's forging his own path and becoming a star for the Trojans. 3. Notre Dame Is Start Of Brutal Slate Colorado was USC's only real test prior to visiting Notre Dame, and the Trojans built a 48-21 lead before allowing the Buffaloes back into the game. While "Coach Prime" and company made it a one-score game, they never had the ball with a chance to tie it. Now, USC is in for one of the toughest stretches of any team this season. A trip to South Bend will be difficult for USC, which then goes back home to host No. 18 Utah. Next up is California, which is a break, but then the Trojans face No. 7 Washington and No. 8 Oregon before closing their regular season with UCLA. — Jack Soble Senior wide receiver Brenden Rice, who entered Week 6 with 7 touchdown receptions, is the son of San Francisco 49ers legend Jerry Rice. PHOTO COURTESY USC ATHLETICS Three Things To Know About USC