Oh, By The Way, Notre Dame Plays USC This Saturday
It’s virtually impossible to overshadow a Notre Dame-USC football game during the week of preparation for it … but the miserable 2016 campaign for the Fighting Irish that just became worse has somehow achieved it.
Head coach Brian Kelly’s weekly Tuesday conference, reserved almost solely to preview the upcoming opponent, became mainly a forum to defend the University of Notre Dame and himself on the then breaking news that the NCAA Committee on Infractions is vacating the school’s 21 football victories in 2012 and 2013 because of academic misconduct the school self-reported in 2014. (This will be appealed by the university because the NCAA has never before vacated the records of an institution that had no involvement in the underlying academic misconduct, and the membership has since voted to change the rule that brought this case within NCAA jurisdiction.)
That news and the fact that Notre Dame is a dismal 4-7 heading into the finale at No. 12 (Associated Press poll) and 8-3 USC led to a press conference that had little interest in the actual game. After Kelly said he would talk about the contest first and then take questions about the NCAA decision, he was taken aback when only about 10 minutes were devoted to the Trojans.
“Anybody else have USC questions?” he asked in disbelief. “Everybody is done with USC. Seriously?”
For the record, Notre Dame’s rival has become one of the two or three hottest teams in America after enduring the same 1-3 start the Irish did in September. This included a 52-6 annihilation at the hands of No. 1 Alabama in their opener, and then a 27-10 loss to Stanford.
USC head coach Clay Helton consequently benched starting quarterback and former five-star recruit Max Browne in favor of redshirt freshman Sam Darnold. The offense began coming to life in the 31-27 loss at Utah Sept. 24 that dropped USC to 1-3. Since then the Trojans have won seven in a row while averaging 37.4 points per game. The highlight was upsetting No. 4 Washington 26-13 on the road Nov. 12.
Darnold ranks eighth nationally in pass efficiency (third among Power Five schools) while completing 68.3 percent of his tosses, averaging 8.55 yards per attempt and throwing 24 touchdowns compared to eight interceptions. Darnold also is mobile and has rushed for 214 yards.
“That’s been a transformation for that football team offensively,” Kelly said of Darnold. “He’s as good as I’ve seen in a long, long time. His ‘escapability,’ his ability to throw on the run, his accuracy, I don’t see anything there that is anything short of brilliant in terms of the way he’s playing right now, and of course he’s got a great supporting cast.”
That includes sophomore running back Ronald Jones II (893 rushing yards, 6.3 yards per carry and10 touchdowns) and a bevy of receiving targets that is spearheaded by junior JuJu Smith-Schuster (59 catches and eight touchdowns).
Defensively, the young group has steadied itself after the Alabama debacle and allowed only 17.7 points per contest during the current seven-game winning streak. Coordinator Clancy Pendergast, who coached at USC in 2013 before temporarily moving to the NFL, has incorporated a scheme with which the players are familiar and comfortable.
Sophomore linebacker Cameron Smith, who had three interceptions (one for a touchdown) as a freshman in the win over Utah last year, is the top tackler (69), while classmate Porter Gustin, paces the unit in tackles for loss (10.5). Another sophomore, Rasheem Green, is the top sack man (five). Yet the unit’s top strength might be the secondary, which features junior cornerback Adoree’ Jackson — one of three finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award — and sophomore Iman Marshall. The two have combined for six interceptions and 22 passes defended.
“Just a really aggressive front,” Kelly summarized. “They like to keep the box loaded … and they’ve got a good back end, experienced defensive backfield.”
Maybe the fastest college football player in America, Jackson also has scored six touchdowns as a return man (three apiece on kicks and punts).
The combination of its talent, the current hot streak and the game at home has made USC a 17-point favorite over the Irish.
News & Notes
• Junior nose guard Daniel Cage (concussion protocol) is likely to sit out the finale after missing the last three contests from his injury suffered against Miami Oct. 29.
“I don’t expect him to play, but his symptoms have now gone away in the sense that he’s passed his cognitive testing,” Kelly said. “Now it’s just simply more of the subjective: How do you feel, and getting back to the point of confidence to go out there and begin to play.”
• Senior team captain and wide receiver Torii Hunter Jr. has been sidelined the past two games with a knee injury. He will be out on the practice field this week, but his status for the USC game is uncertain.
• Kelly said junior quarterback DeShone Kizer has shown no ill effects from his hits to the head versus Virginia Tech this past weekend and is cleared for action.
“I haven’t seen any issues with him at all,” Kelly said.
• Freshman receiver Chase Claypool, who also has excelled on special teams, is one of many players who will be evaluated as to where his best position could be.
“We have to define and refine with a number of players,” Kelly said. “We’re still lacking that big play when we need it on both sides of the ball, so I think a lot of it in the offseason will be defining roles and refining some of the more athletic players that we think can help us close out games and be more effective in those pressure situations, and I think he's one of them.”