Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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GAME PREVIEW: USC BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM NOV. 30, 2024 35 Warren and a missed 45-yard field goal in overtime. USC has proven it can hang with top- flight teams from the Eastern time zone when they travel to the Coliseum. If the Irish look past the Trojans because of their record, they will lose. Fortunately for them, Notre Dame head coach Mar- cus Freeman has ensured that look- ing past opponents doesn't happen in South Bend anymore. "Every game, this game is the Super Bowl," Freeman said. "That's the mind- set we have. Every week is the Super Bowl." Never has that been more true than in Week 14, with Notre Dame's season on the line in Los Angeles. ✦ Three Things To Know About USC 1. Pass Defense Has Improved Dramatically Under New DC The vibe in Los Angeles over the offseason was that former defensive coordinator Alex Grinch was so atrocious that merely firing him would give USC a better pass defense. That has proven true. The Trojans replaced Grinch with D'Anton Lynn, who brought both sta- bility and better players to the back end of the defense. A USC team that allowed 7.7 yards per pass attempt last season now allows 6.8, which was 10th in the 18-team Big Ten through Week 12. The Trojans have actually been giving up the fourth-highest completion percentage in college football this year, but they haven't let opposing pass- ing attacks do much beyond that. USC allows a passer rating of 84.8, which is 57th in the nation. It's a middle- of-the-pack unit, which is a significant improvement for this program. Lynn brought redshirt sophomore safety Kamari Ramsey with him from his previous job (UCLA), and Ramsey has been excellent on the back end with 5 pass breakups. He's also fostered internal growth from senior cor- nerback Jaylin Smith, whose PFF coverage grade (81.6) and interception total (2) are both career highs. Throwing on the Trojans' secondary is no longer child's play with Lynn at the helm. 2. Run Game Is Dangerous … If They Commit To It Despite playing in seven one-score games this season and never being blown out, USC has the ninth-most pass attempts and tied for the third- fewest rushing attempts in college football this season. Ex-starting quarter- back Miller Moss, a redshirt junior who is likely exiting via the portal after Week 14 ends, threw at least 50 passes in one-score losses to Michigan, Maryland and Washington. It's awfully confusing, especially because the Trojans have an excellent run game that they refuse to use. Redshirt senior Woody Marks, who is a transfer from Mississippi State, has been terrific this season. He crossed the 1,000-yard mark with a 146- yard performance in Week 12 against Nebraska, while redshirt freshman Quinten Joyner has averaged 7.6 yards per carry as the change-of-pace back. The much-maligned offensive line has cleared space for both to operate. USC averages 5.4 yards per carry this season, which ranks 15th in the nation. Yet for some reason, head coach Lincoln Riley still insists on USC being a passing team. 3. Home Team Has Won Nine Of Last 10 In The Series And the one exception came in 2018, when Notre Dame came in at 11-0 and USC came in at 5-6. Even then, the Irish squeaked by with a 24-17 win. With Stanford down, Navy never being much of a threat and the Michi- gan series taking a hiatus, this is Notre Dame's only true rivalry game on the schedule. As these teams found out the past two seasons, it is extremely difficult to win rivalry games on the road. It is going to be all hands on deck as the Irish travel to Los Angeles. Much like Week 1 at Texas A&M, style points do not matter. All that counts is escaping Southern California with a win. — Jack Soble Redshirt sophomore safety Kamari Ramsey, who transferred to USC from UCLA, has been excellent on the back end with 5 passes broken up. PHOTO COURTESY USC ATHLETICS