Game Balls: Five Notre Dame football players who helped the Irish beat USC
Rivalry games are about players making plays. Period.
When the ball is kicked off, pregame talk and heightened emotions don't mean anything if players aren't able to do enough between the white lines to win. Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium, the No. 13 Fighting Irish (6-1) did. USC (3-4) didn’t.
These are five players who helped Notre Dame beat USC 31-16 and claim a fourth straight victory in the series.
RB Kyren Williams
This was the junior running back’s best game of the season. He ran for 138 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. He had a team-high six catches for 42 yards. Notre Dame went to him often after the Irish had established their lead, and he protected it as well as any running back could have.
S DJ Brown
It’s not easy replacing an All-American, but that’s what Brown was tasked with late in the first quarter. Junior Kyle Hamilton went down, and Brown, a senior, went in. He finished the game tied for the team lead in tackles, and though USC wide receiver Drake London had an impressive statistical game Brown was a big reason why the Irish defense kept him out of the end zone.
WR Lorenzo Styles
The freshman wideout has certainly taken baby steps in his first year at Notre Dame. He went into the game with two catches for 16 yards. He beat both of those marks against the Trojans alone in catching three passes for 59 yards. It could be a sign Styles is going to be a much larger part of the Irish offense in the second half of the season.
CB TaRiq Bracy
The senior saw the field quite a bit with Notre Dame employing many five defensive back looks to counteract USC’s pass-happy offense. Like Brown, Bracy finished the game with seven tackles. He also recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter. Head coach Brian Kelly said it was the most physical game Bracy has played in his four-year Notre Dame career.
LB Bo Bauer
Last but not least, Bauer made all kinds of plays for the Notre Dame defense. His 79-yard interception return prevented the Trojans from tying the game early in the second quarter. It also led directly to a Notre Dame field goal. He joined Brown and Bracy to tie for the team lead in tackles with seven. Bauer also recorded a tackle for loss and a pass breakup.
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