Note: A version of this story will appear in the Blue & Gold Illustrated 2020 Football Preview magazine in June. This is the tenth installment of the 2020 Notre Dame opponent previews. Prior ones are listed at the bottom of this story.
USC Quick Facts
Date, location: Nov. 28, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
All-time series: Notre Dame leads 49-37-5
Last meeting: Notre Dame won 30-27 on Oct. 12, 2019
Head coach: Clay Helton, 40-22 at USC and overall (sixth season)
2019 results: 8-5, 7-2 Pac-12
Returning starters: 17 (8 offense, 9 defense)
Clay Helton still isn’t a fan favorite in Los Angeles, but he bought himself another year at USC by nailing an assistant hire.
Offensive coordinator Graham Harrell came from North Texas and lit the wick on a stagnant unit.
Helton hopes a similar defensive overhaul can take USC from resurgent eight-win team to Pac-12 winner. Former Texas defensive coordinator Todd Orlando and an entire new crop of position coaches are charged with turning around a defense that gave up the most yards in team history last year — and fast.
USC scooped up Orlando after Texas let him go following a disappointing 2019. His prior work was apparently enough. Texas jumped 43 spots in total defense in Orlando’s first year. He ran top-35 defenses both years at Utah State. Before that, he engineered a 30-spot jump in total defense at Florida International in 2011. He is known for oozing intensity and embracing toughness, which were not words associated with recent USC defenses.
