Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/424772
BY DOUGLAS FARMER B y the time Malik Zaire took over at quarterback for Ev- erett Golson in the second quarter, Notre Dame trailed USC 35-0. If not for USC head coach Steve Sarkisian slowing the offensive onslaught, the Irish would likely have lost by much more than 49-14. "Today we got our butts beat. It wasn't as close as the score," Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly said after his team suffered its fourth straight loss. "I thought Coach Sarki- sian was very generous today, run- ning the football to keep the score where it was." Redshirt junior Cody Kessler threw his fifth touchdown pass of the game with more than five minutes remain- ing in the first half and added a sixth on USC's first possession of the sec- ond half, becoming the first opposing quarterback to throw for six scores against the Irish. USC did not score again after sophomore tailback Justin Davis' 16-yard touchdown run with more than six minutes remaining in the third quarter. "We loaded up against the run, and we were in man coverage all day," Kelly said. "We knew it was pick your poison today. We just didn't have a lot of answers in that situation." When the sophomore Zaire re- placed the senior Golson at quarter- back with 5:09 remaining in the first half, Notre Dame had managed only 82 yards in six possessions while also enduring two Golson turnovers. By the end of the half, Zaire had led the offense to 118 yards in two posses- sions, including an 11-yard touch- down scamper by the young signal- caller to cut the deficit to 35-7. "The only thing on my mind was how to spark the team up," Zaire said. "We had to make plays, and that was my mindset going in. The guys around me did a good job of keeping us all-in as an offensive unit. We had to do what we could to lessen the gap and make it a game. "Whatever I can do in that aspect to help my team, that's what I was willing to do and just play with a lot of heart. "That's what we were lacking at the beginning. We played hard as we continued the game. We feel we did a good job with that." Zaire finished with 170 yards on AIR SHOW USC quarterback Cody Kessler lights up Irish for 372 passing yards and six touchdown tosses in 49-14 rout