No. 10 USC takes on No. 21 Notre Dame and something’s got to give
LOS ANGELES — It looked almost comical, a member of USC’s staff carrying a handheld jug attached to a thin hose a few yards in front of Zachariah Branch, jetting water directly into Branch’s face as he practiced fielding punts at Tuesday’s practice.
The next day, they brought out a longer system, a red extender connected to an already-lengthy green hose connected to a spigot poking out of the turf. Because, really, what else was there to do?
There is a roughly 90% chance of rain in South Bend on Saturday, and if USC was indeed trying to simulate a harsh environment against Notre Dame, they couldn’t exactly hope for natural methods under an oppressively blue Southern California sky.
“I think ultimately, the most … we probably do is put a little bit of water on the football before we roll it out,” grinned Trojans safety Jaylin Smith, when asked about the defense’s preparation for the weekend weather.
USC (6-0) is the undefeated program here and the program that convincingly won this last rivalry matchup. Notre Dame (5-2) is reeling, coming off a 33-20 loss to Louisville that Fighting Irish offensive coordinator Gerad Parker called “brutal.”
And yet, between harrowing finishes against Colorado and Arizona, between head coach Lincoln Riley getting fed up with criticism over his defense, between USC coming into a harsh and rainy South Bend environment against a motivated Fighting Irish team – it feels publicly as if the Trojans are the ones with backs against the wall.
Particularly, an already-elite Notre Dame defensive unit now has a quarter-length model of how to try to defend Caleb Williams from Arizona last week: Load up the secondary with DBs, mix in blitzes and hope defensive linemen are nimble enough to contain when he escapes the pocket (Arizona quickly failed at this).
“We’ve seen that before,” Riley said Thursday, when asked about opposing defenses copying aspects of successful schemes against USC. “It certainly happened a couple of times last year. Happened a little bit in this game, last year. It’s always on the table.”
There’s one piece, however, that Notre Dame can’t quite prepare for, one 5-foot-10 joyful X-factor who was running around snapping balls between his legs when he wasn’t fielding water-sprayed punts at practice Tuesday. After an explosive first few games as a Trojan, Branch hasn’t played in the last two with an injury shrouded in mystery, despite participating in media-viewing portions of practice in each of the last two weeks.
“He’s in a better place than he was last week,” Riley said Thursday, “but he’s not able to do everything yet. He’s eager. But we obviously want to be smart and turn him loose at the right time.”
Not exactly a ringing endorsement for Branch suiting up Saturday, particularly as Riley said he hasn’t been a full participant in practice. If Saturday is indeed deemed the right time to turn him loose, however, it’ll add a dynamic special-teams unpredictability and a playmaking option in the flat, USC notably generating little on screen passes (3.8 YPA) against Arizona last week.
When Notre Dame has the ball
This is a showdown of struggling offense against struggling defense, each unit desperately needing to make a statement. Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman is coming off a five-turnover game. The Trojans’ defense is coming off back-to-back games surrendering 40-plus points.
Parker, however, backed up Riley’s Tuesday assertions that there’s more to USC’s defense than meets the eye.
“This defense, and how they play early in football games, doesn’t tell the whole story,” the Notre Dame offensive coordinator said this week. “This defense is talented, they have lateral movement, they create havoc up front.”
USC’s front and linebackers will have to slow steamrolling Notre Dame running back Audric Estime, who’s run for seven touchdowns in seven games, and an injury-riddled cornerback group needs strong production out of returning Domani Jackson and some combination of Ceyair Wright, Jacobe Covington and Christian Roland-Wallace, whomever is available.
When USC has the ball
Even after Williams’ crowning Heisman statement in this matchup last year, Notre Dame’s defense is better-geared to slow him than perhaps any team on USC’s schedule this year. Its cornerback duo of Benjamin Morrison and Cam Hart is strong. Its front forces consistent quarterback pressures. And its linebackers – particularly senior JD Bertrand – drew effusive praise from USC this week.
A noticeable trend: running back MarShawn Lloyd has received a steadily increasing number of carries across six games this year. Expect that to hold steady, or increase, in a wet and unforgiving South Bend atmosphere Saturday.
No. 10 USC (6-0) at No. 21 Notre Dame (5-2)
When: 4:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana
TV/radio: NBC/790 AM