What USC interim head coach Donte Williams said about Notre Dame football
No. 13 Notre Dame (5-1) has the luxury of three home games in a row starting with USC (3-3) this Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC). With that comes a whole lot of comfort; staying in South Bend, a home crowd and familiar music playing through stadium speakers.
To the last point, the Irish don’t have to bother blaring a song tied to another program. For example, Notre Dame became well versed in Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” two weeks ago to prepare for Virginia Tech. This week, it’s the Trojans’ turn to wear out an Irish song.
Dropkick Murphys’ “I’m Shipping Up To Boston.”
“I’ve been quite a few places where we play their fight song in practice and it almost becomes when you get there and they’re playing it, you don’t even hear it,” USC interim head coach Donte Williams said. “You get so accustomed to it. It’s like the norm.”
Williams added, “You start tuning it out instead of when you get there for the first time and they’re playing it and you get in awe a little bit.”
Of course, the Trojans are only going to hear that particular song once. Notre Dame plays the beginning of it for less than a minute right before kickoff. The Irish are going to play the Notre Dame Victory March in big moments and after scores from there. How often? That’ll be determined by the Irish offense led by presumed starter Jack Coan.
Or it’ll be up to freshman Tyler Buchner. Or sophomore Drew Pyne. Williams is preparing the USC defense to see all of those three. Why? Well, just go back and review Notre Dame’s first half of the season. Look at box scores. It’s pretty obvious why.
“Shoot, all their games they’ve played about three [quarterbacks] every game,” Williams said. “You have to be prepared because all of those guys are different challenges.”
Fact check: Notre Dame has only played all three quarterbacks in one game, the loss to Cincinnati. But the Irish have played a combination of two in the last five games. That trend is set to continue. Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly said Coan will start and Buchner will get his chances.
If this game was a week or so later, there’d be good odds Notre Dame would also have to prepare for two quarterbacks. USC freshman Jaxson Dart had minor surgery to repair a torn meniscus in late September. When Dart is healthy, USC offensive coordinator Graham Harrell said he won’t be shy to employ a two-quarterback system.
As of Tuesday, though, Dart had not been cleared for full participation. The Irish are going to see a lot of junior Kedon Slovis, who threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns in the last meeting between Notre Dame and USC in 2019. The Irish won 30-27.
Williams was at Oregon that season. He hasn’t coached in this rivalry. He didn’t speak to that aspect specifically, but he addressed the Trojans’ travel situation. It sure sounded like the Los Angeles native is glad this game isn’t being played in mid-to-late November — even if it means Dart won’t be ready to go.
“If it was 10 degrees and snowing, of course that would be different,” Williams said. “But it’s not. It’s still nice weather, especially this time of year out there. To be honest, it’s just like any other place.”
----
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue & Gold Illustrated.
• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
• Sign up for Blue & Gold's news alerts and daily newsletter.
• Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts.
• Follow us on Twitter: @BGINews, @Rivals_Singer, @PatrickEngel_, @tbhorka, @GregLadky, and @ToddBurlage.
• Like us on Facebook.