It’s rivalry week. And the storylines seem endless for Saturday’s clash (7:30 p.m. EST on ABC) between Notre Dame and Southern California.

For the first time in five seasons, No. 15 ND (8-3) and No. 6 USC (10-1) will meet to capture the Jeweled Shillelagh as ranked opponents. And they will do so with new head coaches on their sidelines for the third time.

According to Vegas Insider, Lincoln Riley’s squad is a 4.5-point favorite at home against the Marcus Freeman-led Irish. Here are the players to watch as the Irish take on the Trojans in Los Angeles for the first time since 2018.

In what might be his final game in an Irish uniform, Notre Dame’s most decorated tight end has one record left to break.

ESPN senior NFL draft analyst Todd McShay ranks Michael Mayer as his No. 14 prospect and No. 1 tight end among draft-eligible players. The 6-foot-5, 265-pound Mayer is primed to leave Notre Dame for the professional ranks after this season as the program leader in career tight end touchdowns, receptions and receiving yards.

In addition to holding nearly all single-game tight end records, the only one left is for the most tight end receiving yards in a game. Kyle Rudolph still has that one with his 164 yards against Michigan on Sept. 11, 2010. Mayer's closest calling was 120 yards against Florida State on Sept. 5, 2021.

And while Saturday could be his final chance to top Rudolph, it also might be his best chance.

In USC’s only loss this season, Oct. 15 vs. Utah, the Trojans’ defense allowed a game-high 16 receptions for 234 receiving yards and a touchdown against Utes senior tight end Dalton Kincaid.

The USC defense allows an average of 257.8 passing yards per game entering the final week of college football’s regular season. That's a mark that ranks No. 106 in the country among 131 FBS teams.

Although ND quarterback Drew Pyne is at the forefront of the nation’s No. 113 passing offense (189.2), Mayer has accounted for at least a third of Notre Dame’s starting quarterback’s completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns. When Mayer faced USC last season, he had five receptions for 54 yards.

The version of Tuli Tuipulotu that shows up Saturday will determine just how tough of a test he will be for the Notre Dame offensive line.

Overall, the 6-4, 290-pound Tuipulotu is the Trojans’ most feared defensive lineman, as he leads the team in tackles for loss (19), sacks (11.5) and forced fumbles (2). In the last three games alone, Tuipulotu has compiled 6.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and a forced fumble. He is also the team’s top run defender.

The Trojans’ run defense (No. 66, 147.2 yards per game) could become a big factor in Saturday’s game. Notre Dame has the No. 36 run offense at 191.2 yards per game. Tuipulotu is tasked with slowing down Audric Estimé and Logan Diggs, both averaging more than five yards per carry.

Additionally, Notre Dame's offensive line is a formidable front. The Irish rank No. 39 in sacks allowed (1.55) and No. 22 in tackles for loss allowed (4.36). Against teams that rank better against Notre Dame — Oregon State, Utah and UCLA — Tuipulotu has no sacks. He also has a combined for only 2.5 tackles for loss in those three games.

Last year against the Irish, Notre Dame limited Tuipulotu to just a pair of tackles.

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While the Irish have faced an array of Heisman Trophy contenders throughout the season, there is none better than Caleb Williams.

Entering week 13, Williams is currently the odds-on-favorite for the Heisman at -115, according to Vegas Insider. Through 11 games, his campaign includes completing 250 of 385 (64.9%) passes for 3,480 yards, 33 touchdowns with three interceptions.

Though Williams’ passing stats are intimidating enough, one of Freeman’s key factors in slowing him down is tackling the 6-1, 215-pound Williams down.

"His arm strength is one thing,” Freeman said. “His decision-making is another. His ability to extend plays. He's one of the few guys I've seen just continuously break tackles. Yeah, he can make people miss, but he breaks tackles.

"Guys have their hands on him, and he continues to stay up. And that can be devastating to a defense. That can make you try to do something outside of what your responsibility is on defense.”

So far this season, the Trojans' offensive line is No. 55 in the nation in sacks allowed per game (1.91). For the Irish to take down Williams at a higher clip than opposing teams, defensive coordinator Al Golden is emphasizing that the Irish defensive line stays in their lanes.

“(It’s a) big thing,” Golden said. “Yeah, you’ve got to have a fine line. When can you rush? When do you have to be conservative and keep them in there? That's all part of the game within the game, and he (Caleb Williams) makes it more challenging, not just because he has the long speed to hurt you. But, like I said, he's got two hands on the ball and vision down the field, so he can let it rip.”

What Notre Dame has working in its favor is that Williams has made a few uncharacteristic mistakes in his last two outings. During those games, he threw his second and third interceptions. His only other pick prior to that came Oct. 1 vs. Arizona State.

Before ND freshman Benjamin Morrison’s three interceptions last week, the Irish were 95th in the country with six picks. Now, the Irish are almost 40 spots better at No. 56. As a whole, the Notre Dame defense has been sneaky good in pass defense. The Irish are No. 16 in passing yards allowed (186.8 yards) and No. 32 in team passing efficiency (120.5).

For most of the spring, Freeman raved about the confidence, development and expectations for freshman cornerback Jaden Mickey. Then, Morrison arrived on campus in June and gave the Irish two talented young cornerbacks.

Morrison has received many more opportunities throughout the regular season and is capitalizing on them consistently. Not only did Morrison cement himself as a starter, but he also quickly emerged as one of the top freshmen in the country. Meanwhile, Mickey has played in spots and has many moments worth forgetting.

But this week, the 6-foot, 176-pound Mickey will have to turn the page with a possible participation uptick.

Coming into Saturday, Notre Dame senior cornerback Cam Hart has a shoulder injury leaving him with a questionable designation. And with Hart’s availability Saturday in question, Mickey will be called upon to help replace him and rotate with Morrison, Clarence Lewis and TaRiq Bracy.

“Jaden Mickey is an ultimate talented individual,” Freeman said. “He's a really good football player that probably early in his career here, and I'm talking he's only been here for not even a year maybe, but early in spring ball had a lot of success. Then all of the sudden, we get to fall camp, and he's had success, but then there was a few growing pains. But it's making him better.

“We put him at a different position. We (had) put him at nickel and corner, and all these different things, and this is going to help him. This is one of those years for him as a freshman that he's learned that it isn't always peachy. It isn't always great. But you grow from it, and he's grown tremendously in this first season.

“He'll get an opportunity. He played 20 or 30 plays versus Boston College, and he will play just as much versus USC.”

Mickey and the other Notre Dame defensive backs are tasked with slowing down reigning 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner Jordan Addison and 2021 freshman All-American Mario Williams. With their help, the Trojans have the nation’s No. 4 pass offense (330.8 yards).

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