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USC Football Goes To No. 9 Notre Dame For Annual Intersectional Clash
October 06, 2019 | Football, Features
*The game is a battle between schools with perhaps the country's most glorious gridiron heritages. The winner gets year-long possession of the jeweled Shillelagh.
*The Trojans have won 11 of the past 17 meetings with the Irish, but all 6 losses have been since 2010. Troy has won 6 of the past 11 in South Bend, but has dropped the past 3, including in 2015 just 6 days after Clay Helton was installed as USC's interim head coach.
*USC, which was off last week after its loss at Washington, has beaten the Irish the last 5 times that Troy was coming off a bye.
*This equals the earliest on the calendar that USC has played Notre Dame.
*This is just the fifth Trojan night game ever at Notre Dame Stadium (2011 was the first) and also ties for the latest USC-ND kickoff time ever.
*Expect a sellout again at Notre Dame Stadium (the past 270 contests there have been at capacity).
*USC's offense has averaged nearly 30 points and 430 total yards per game despite having 3 different starting quarterbacks to date (JT Daniels, Kedon Slovis, Matt Fink). Slovis, a true freshman who missed the Washington game with a concussion, has completed nearly 78% of his aerials (the second best mark in the nation). USC's receiving corps is among the nation's elite: WRs Michael Pittman Jr. (Top 25 nationally in receptions and receiving yards), Tyler Vaughns (15th on USC's career receptions chart) and Amon-Ra St. Brown (already with 84 catches in his young career). The Trojan offensive line--led by OT Austin Jackson and OG Alijah Vera-Tucker--has allowed just 6 sacks to date. The Trojan running game, coming off a 212- yard outing at Washington, has 3 dynamic rushers in TBs Vavae Malepeai, Stephen Carr and Markese Stepp. The offense, however, has been hampered by turnovers (13 overall), with a third of opponents' points coming directly after a miscue. USC's defense is young (9 starters are freshmen or sophomores) and has been hampered by injuries to key personnel (i.e. S Talanoa Hufanga, DL Christian Rector, CB Olaijah Griffin, ILB Jordan Iosefa), although the bye week helped with their recovery. Other defenders making an impact include ILBs John Houston Jr. and Palaie Gaoteote IV, DLs Jay Tufele, Marlon Tuipulotu and Drake Jackson and S Isaiah Pola-Mao. PK Chase McGrath has yet to miss a kick in 2019 and WR Velus Jones Jr. has moved to second on USC's career kickoff return ladder, trailing only Adoree' Jackson.
*Under 10th-year head coach Brian Kelly, the winningest active coach in FBS, Notre Dame has won its last 14 home games, including big last week over Bowling Green. ND's offense is first nationally in red zone offense, having scored on all 20 trips in the red zone, and in the Top 15 in passing efficiency and scoring offense. QB Ian Book, 16th in the country in passing efficiency, is a threat throwing (1,254 yards, 13 TDs) and running (139 yards) the ball. RB Tony Jones Jr. leads the Irish ground attack, while WR Chase Claypool and TE Cole Kmet are the top pass catchers. The Irish defense, which has held its last 19 opponents to 30 points or less, is second nationally in turnover margin, fifth in tackles for loss, 13th in scoring defense and 17th in pass defense. Key defenders include LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, S Alohi Gilman, LB Drew White and LB Asmar Bilal. \
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