NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Ninth-ranked Notre Dame came alive in the second quarter with 17 points en route to a 30-27 win over Southern Cal Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium.

Running back Tony Jones led the Irish rushing attack with a career-high 176 rushing yards on 25 carries. Jones recorded his third-straight 100-yard rushing game and had 120 rushing yards in the first half alone. The Irish had their best rushing performance of the season with 311 yards on 45 carries. Branden Lenzy also ripped off a 51-yard touchdown, the longest rush of the season for the Irish.

Quarterback Ian Book finished 17-of-32 for 165 yards and two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing). Tight end Cole Kmet led all Irish receivers with six receptions on six targets for 61 yards and one touchdown. Chris Finke had five receptions on the night for 45 yards.

Asmar Bilal led the defense with a career-high 11 total tackles, while defensive end Khalid Kareem had seven tackles and a sack.

How It Happened

After both teams exchanged punts on their first two drives, Southern Cal broke through for the first points of the game. The Trojans finished off an eight-play drive with a 40-yard field goal by Chase McGrath and held a 3-0 lead with 2:13 left in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Irish responded with the first touchdown of the night. After converting a third-and-seven from inside their own 20, the Irish started to go no-huddle and moved down the field. Six plays later, the 97-yard drive was capped by a 10-yard touchdown pass from Book to Kmet to give the Irish the 7-3 lead.

On the ensuing drive for the Irish, they just needed four plays to find the end zone again. Lenzy recorded his first career rushing touchdown on a 51-yard rush. It was the longest rushing touchdown and the longest rushing play for the Irish this season.

Notre Dame had one final scoring drive to increase the lead before halftime. Jonathan Doerer hit a career-long 45-yard field goal to finish a nine-play drive and the Irish took a 17-3 lead into halftime.

Doerer struck a career-long 52-yard field goal and finished off the fourth-consecutive scoring drive for the Irish to open the second half.

Southern Cal answered with a field goal on the next drive. The Trojans drove into the red zone but the Irish defense stood up and held them to a 27-yard field goal from McGrath after an 11-play drive.

Southern Cal made it a one-score game with its first touchdown of the night on the next drive. Kedon Slovis hit Amon St. Brown on a 38-yard touchdown pass to cap off a five-play, 62 yard drive to cut the Irish lead to 20-13 with 2:34 left in the third quarter.

Notre Dame stopped the run for the Trojans with Doerer’s third field goal of the night. He was good from 42 yards to extend the Irish lead back to double-digits at 23-13 with 13:47 remaining in the game.

The Trojans responded quickly with their second touchdown of the half to cut the deficit to three. Southern Cal drove 75 yards in just 3:20 and ended the drive with a five-yard touchdown pass from Slovis to Tyler Vaughns.

The Irish stuck to the running game in the ensuing drive. Notre Dame ran it on 12-of-14 plays  and Book had an eight-yard keeper for a touchdown to restore a 10-point lead. On the drive, Notre Dame eclipsed 300 yards rushing for the game.

Southern Cal made it a one-score game once again after a nine-play, 77-yard drive ended in a three yard rushing touchdown from Kenneth Walker III with 1:04 left in the game. The Trojans attempted the onside kick but Brock Wright recovered for the Irish to clinch the win.

🏈 4th Quarter:

Ian Book runs it in himself to put the Irish up by 10! 30-20

🏈 3rd Quarter:

Ian Book Book with an eight-yard keeper for a touchdown to restore a 10-point lead.

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🏈 2nd Quarter:

WR Braden Lenzy notched his first career rushing touchdown (second career TD), a 51-yard score, in the second quarter. It was Notre Dame’s longest rushing touchdown of the season, as well as the longest rushing play of the season.

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🏈 1st Quarter:

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🏈 Pre-Game:

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