Notre Dame-USC Notebook: Top Five Topics

For the first time since 1999-2001, No. 9-ranked Notre Dame (4-1) will attempt to record a third consecutive victory against USC (3-2), which is tied at No. 35 in this week’s Associated Press poll that includes teams “also receiving votes.”

Here were our top five topics addressed in Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly’s Monday afternoon conference.

The USC game was the target date for the junior running back’s return following his abdominal tear on the first series versus Louisville Sept. 2. He began doing some work in practice last week, but beginning this Tuesday will face competitive, live situations to confirm the medical staff’s belief that he is good to go.

Even if all is well in practice, that doesn’t mean that the 6-1, 220-pound Armstrong will automatically receive “starter snaps.”

“I don't know if we can expect him to throw on a cape and play like Superman this weekend,” Kelly said. “There is going to be a process of coming back, especially at the running back position. You can't go from not playing for six weeks and have a workload of 50 plays.

“If we could get 20 plays out of him, that would be terrific.”

What Armstrong would provide is a fully healthy offense, relatively speaking, in all areas of personnel, and more overall explosiveness with his combination of speed and power, plus pass-catching prowess as a former receiver recruit.

Kelly described USC’s offense as “very deadly,” primarily because the receiving trio of Michael Pittman, Tyler Vaughns and Amon-Ra St. Brown is “the best we’ll see all year, no question.”

Vaughns and St. Brown were five-star recruits, while the 6-4 Pittman was Rivals No. 42 overall player back in 2016. They have combined for 90 catches in five games (18.0 per contest) with nine touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame’s cornerback situation became more tenuous with starter Shaun Crawford out most, if not all, of this month with an elbow injury. Last week, 5-10, 170-pound sophomore and California native TaRiq Bracy, playing opposite senior Troy Pride Jr., took almost all of the snaps versus Bowling Green.

Listed as the backups are two true freshmen in KJ Wallace and Cam Hart — with Hart moving over from wide receiver recently.

The plan is to redshirt senior Donte Vaughn so he can return for a fifth season in 2020, but he already has played three games and cannot play more than four if he is to return. He is expected to use his allotment up this weekend.

“We’ve been strategic in the games we’ve played, so you’ll see [Vaughn] this weekend,” Kelly said. “He’ll be the first man in.”

Sophomore Houston Griffith has moved back to his more natural safety slot, and that is where Kelly wants to keep him for the short and long term.

“We need him at safety and playing inside for us,” Kelly said. “We would not be doing him a service if we are moving him outside.”

And just in case the freshmen have to play …

“We'll have to be creative in coverages and make sure we put our younger players — if in fact they’re called on — in a position to succeed,” Kelly noted.

The quarterback who will be getting the ball to the dynamic receivers is also significant, which brings us to …

A starter last year as a freshman, JT Daniels suffered a season-ending knee injury in this year’s opener versus Fresno State.

Freshman Kedon Slovis excelled in the win over Stanford before suffering a concussion the next week in an overtime loss at BYU. Junior Matt Fink then led USC to a 30-23 victory over then-No. 10 Utah, but struggled in the 28-14 defeat at Washington while tossing three interceptions.

Slovis is the preferred figure and was cleared a week ago to engage in non-contact practice settings. He has completed 60 of 77 passes (77.9 percent) for 732 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions this season. Fink has connected on 40 of 62 (64.5 percent) throws for 514 yards with four scores and four interceptions.

“We expect Slovis to start,” Kelly said.

Last year, Notre Dame allowed Daniels a lot of “easy access” throws early while USC built a 10-0 lead. In the first quarter alone, he completed 16 of 17 attempts for 138 yards. Thereafter the Irish adjusted and tightened up (Daniels finished 37-of-51 passing for 349 yards) to prevail with a 24-17 win.

This year under first-year offensive coordinator Graham Harrell, USC’s “Air Raid” attack is more vertical oriented.

“We kind of morphed into trying to keep the ball in front of us,” Kelly said of last season’s game. “This is a bit of a different offensive system where large splits, they are keeping pressure on you; it's a very fast tempo.

“… They’re looking to push the ball vertically down the field much more than perimeter quick outs and run-after catch. This is a big-play offense.”

The running attack is plenty capable as well with a trio of backs in Vavae Malepeai, Stephen Carr and Markese Stepp who have combined for 708 rushing yards, including more than 200 in the loss to Washington. But USC’s preference is to have the safeties come up toward the line and force one-on-one coverage.

“If you are short in the box, tackle to tackle, they'll run the football,” Kelly noted. “You have to decide how to play them, vertically. … Are you going to play them equal numbers in the running game?

“If you are, you’ve got to be able to hold up in terms of getting them off the field.”

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Kelly stated on Sunday that this might be the best USC defense he has seen, specifically from a physicality standpoint, in his 10 years at Notre Dame.

The unit is led by safety Talanoa Hufanga, linebacker John Houston Jr. and end Christian Rector, but where Kelly said there is a conspicuous difference is 6-3, 305-pound interior tackles Jay Tufele and Marlon Tuipulotu.

“The two tackles are as good as we're going to see,” Kelly said. “They're very difficult to move inside.”

Freshman end Drake Jackson was rated as the No. 38 overall player nationally by Rivals last season and leads the team in tackles for loss (5.5) and sacks (3.0).

It was understood that the sophomore wide receiver would sit out the first four games this season in an internal matter similar to the one faced last year by running back Dexter Williams and two years ago by wide receiver Kevin Stepherson.

By game two, former cornerback Avery Davis was moved to running back and donned Austin’s No. 4 jersey. The fact that Austin also did not play in game five either, versus Bowling Green, may have been a clue that he will not see action this year.

Kelly confirmed that Austin is still in school and practices daily with the team. When asked if Austin will be available at all later this season, Kelly remained non-committal.

“We’ll see," he replied. “It’s a week-to-week situation.”

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