Notre Dame Playoffs on the Line Against Rival USC

The Fighting Irish Look to Control the “Noise” 

By Tara Adams 

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – After a 49-14 throttling of previously undefeated Army in New York City, Notre Dame travels to the West Coast Saturday to battle long-time rivals, Southern Cal.

Given the history between the teams, the fifth-ranked Fighting Irish (11-1) won't need much firing up by coaches before the game, Defensive Coordinator Al Golden said Monday at a post-practice press conference.

“There's nothing that needs to be said,” Golden said. “If you're watching ‘Godfather II’ and Hyman Roth's talking to Michael Corleone, you know what's on in the background, right? It's Notre Dame-USC, and that's all we gotta say. I mean, that's it at the end of the day. So, it's a great opportunity for us, and we're blessed to be a part of it, and our job is to honor that.”

The Fighting Irish will try to retain the Jeweled Shillelagh for another year and earn a spot in the College Football Playoffs with a victory over the Trojans. 

Saturday's game will be the 95th time the two teams play. Notre Dame leads the series with a record of 58-31-5, according to Notre Dame Athletics. 

Despite USC's 2024 record of 6-5, Notre Dame Head Coach Marcus Freeman expects the game to be a challenge against what he described as a competitive, talented team. He said the Trojans are 3-1 in their last four games, and their only loss during that stretch was in overtime to now fourth-ranked Penn State. 

“It's gonna be a challenge versus a really good team,” Freeman said. “We have to prepare in a way that gives us an opportunity to get the outcome that we want. But our guys will and must understand the challenge that's ahead of them.”

Offensive Coordinator Mike Denbrock said Southern Cal. is a good home team, and Notre Dame will have to play at their best to beat them.

“We got to block them,” Denbrock said. “If you move their bodies with your body, you've got an opportunity to get some softness in the defense and create some space. And we, obviously, got some very talented running backs that can take advantage of that. We're going to have to do a great job of moving those guys around.”

One of those talented running backs is Jeremiyah Love, who is coming off an impressive performance last weekend against Army. Love rushed for 130 yards and three touchdowns on just seven carries. 

He has scored a rushing touchdown in every game this season - 11 straight games - making him one of three Football Bowl Subdivision players to score rushing touchdowns in every game this season, according to Notre Dame Athletics. 

On defense, starting lineman Howard Cross III remains questionable for Saturday's game, and linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is out with a right knee injury. 

Linebacker Preston Zinter will be in the rotation. Golden said he had meaningful reps in the last two games and came through for the team when he's played.

“We don’t really flinch on this defense. Whoever's up next, man, you know it. It's time for you to go,” Golden said. “That's how we feel about Preston moving forward here.”

While Notre Dame has been beating teams by large margins over the last several weeks, Freeman said coaches stress executing on every play, rather than focusing on the score.

“You don't have to play in close games to feel the pressure of performing on this play,” Freeman said. “There has to be pressure to execute on that play. Close games are won by executing on that play when it matters the most. And so we try to create that type of mindset in practice and in the game. No matter what the score is, no matter who's in there, you have to get your job done on that play.”

One way Notre Dame's coaches are preparing the team for the game is by reminding them of the pain of losing to Southern Cal. two years ago at the Coliseum.

“We don’t like those guys over there,” Defensive Lineman Junior Tuihalamaka said, who explained that the rivalry with USC has been ingrained in him since he enrolled at Notre Dame. “The past two years playing them, there's only been times where I can't like them.”

Quarterback Riley Leonard said the pain of losing provides motivation to play well in the next game. 

“It sucks. I know how it feels,” Leonard said.

As for keeping the pain alive, “I think it gives us a little chip on our shoulder,” Leonard said.

If Notre Dame plays with a chip on its shoulder and beats USC, it likely will secure a spot in the College Football Playoffs, according to projections. 

Leonard, however, said the team isn't looking past Saturday's game.

“None of us really look past Saturday, because nobody knows what it looks like, anyway. So what's the point of worrying about something?” he said. “You see these brackets and stuff that people make … what are we talking about? It's gonna change. It's just like any other game for us.”

Freeman said while the team knows they control their own destiny, he reminds himself and the players to also control the outside noise and focus on the present. 

“We all tend to daydream about a future that is uncertain,” he said. “So I always tell them, it's the thought after the thought. Remind yourself to get back in the present and take care of what you have guaranteed right in front of you, and that's right now. And, so, is the noise louder? If you let it be. We control the volume of the noise in terms of what we read, who we listen to, who we talk to. We control what things go into our head.”

“And so it's a choice we all have to make to turn down the noise,” Freeman said.

Saturday's game is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.