In the 96th meeting between the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Southern Cal Trojans, the Irish utilized a dominating run game while forcing three second-half turnovers to claim a 34-24 victory. As the team enjoys its second bye week of the season, it provides another opportunity to look back at what might prove to be one of the most memorable games in Notre Dame Stadium since the facility was refreshed in 2017.
A heavy rainstorm moved through the campus area around 5:00 p.m. ET which eventually led to a ‘shelter in place’ direction from the University. The weather moved through in time and while pregame warm ups were truncated, the game kicked off on time at 7:36 p.m. ET.
Southern Cal scored on its first drive but Notre Dame answered quickly and set the tone with a dominating run game that would continue throughout the game. Jeremiyah Love bursts through the first of many huge holes opened up by the Irish offensive line of LT Anthonie Knapp, LG Billy Schrauth, C Joe Otting, RG Guerby Lambert and RT Aamil Wagner. Sullivan Absher also filled in for Schrauth when he was sidelined with a knee injury.
That huge hole allowed Love to reach full speed and gallop for 63 yards to the SC 12-yard line.
One play later Love took advantage of another big hole, this time on the right side of the line, for a 12-yard touchdown run. The touchdown is the 33rd of his career and 27th rushing score. Those numbers place him eighth overall in Notre Dame history for total touchdowns and ninth on the all-time rushing touchdown list.
After the teams traded punts for consecutive possessions, Southern Cal came back and drove into scoring position but the defense, as they would do throughout the game, rose up to make a key play at the right time. Jaylen Sneed made two consecutive stops, including a run stuff (pictured, Sneed is on the far right) to force another SC punt.
This drive was Jadarian Price’s turn to shine. He broke off a 32-yard run followed immediately by eight more yards. Just after the first quarter break, Price ran around the left side of the Irish line and out-legged the SC defense to the pylon for a 16-yard touchdown.
That score pushed Price and Love’s combination of at least one rushing touchdown each in a game to 11 games, which is the most for a running back tandem in school history.
On the next SC drive the Irish looked to have buried the Trojans with a strip-sack from Junior Tuihalamaka (which was recovered by SC). Defensive holding was called on the play, however, and Southern Cal utilized the momentum to drive into the red zone. The defense forced a fourth-and-three attempt at the 19-yard line and Drayk Bowen (pictured) played his assignment perfectly, following the tight end out of the backfield and breaking up the reception attempt to stifle another SC scoring chance.
Both teams attempted to score before halftime but Notre Dame would enter the locker room with a one-point lead (14-13). Receiving the opening kickoff of the second half, the Irish marched right down the field to build an eight-point lead. On third down, CJ Carr connected with Will Pauling (pictured, No. 2) for a six-yard touchdown.
The momentum shifted a bit after this score, however, as Southern Cal added a field goal and a 59-yard touchdown pass to take a 24-21 lead.
That lead, however, would last just 15 seconds on the game clock.
Southern Cal kicked off to Jadarian Price, who already owned one kick return against the Trojans in 2023…
… Price broke one tackle and headed toward the sideline, eventually turning up field…
… after discarding another tackle attempt, Price broke back to open space in the middle of the field…
… the Trojan coverage team was not going to catch him. Officially a 100-yard return, Price had immediately put momentum back on Notre Dame’s side and etched his name in the Irish record books.
- Price is the first Irish player with multiple 100-yard kick returns in a career.
- He is now second all-time in kickoff return touchdowns with three (tied with Tim Brown, Allen Rossum and CJ Sanders). Rocket Ismail holds the program record with five.
- He is just the third player in school history with multiple kick returns for touchdowns against the same team. He has two vs. Southern Cal, Rocket Ismail had two in one game against Rice and Michigan, while Paul Castner returned two against Kalamazoo.
It was time for the defense to make a big play and Christian Gray delivered, intercepting a pass to end another Trojan drive.
Unfortunately, Notre Dame missed a field goal on their next drive, necessitating another big defensive play to maintain the lead.
The defense delivered again. Completely smothering an end-around pass play attempt, Adon Shuler forced a fumble which was recovered by Kyngstonn Viliamu-Aas right in front of the Notre Dame bench.
It was time for Jeremiyah Love to shut the door. A first-down run on third-and-two was followed by scampers of 15 and 16 yards to set Notre Dame up at the five-yard line. Love would finish the game with 24 carries and a career-best 228 rushing yards.
- He is the 14th player in school history to surpass 200 yards rushing in a game and the first since Audric Estimé at Stanford in 2023.
- The 228 rushing yards were the sixth-most in a single game in Notre Dame history.
- The 228 yards are the most for a Notre Dame player in Notre Dame Stadium (which opened in 1930 and has hosted 512 games).
- His 134 first-half rushing yards were the most since Julius Jones had 171 against Stanford in 2003.
Love (pictured on the left) would then lead the way for CJ Carr’s touchdown run to provide the game-winning margin at 34-24.
The defense wasn’t done. Luke Talich intercepted a desperation heave toward the end zone with just under two minutes left. That interception, the ninth in the last three games for Notre Dame, marked the most for an Irish defense over a three-game stretch since the 1977 team picked off 11 passes in three games.
Notre Dame and Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman celebrated the win in front of the student body. It is the fifth-consecutive win for the Irish and Freeman improves to 3-1 against the Trojans. The Irish have now won 10 of the last 13 meetings between the two programs.