Notre Dame Stadium at 4:30 p.m. PT on NBC
Irish to Watch: Junior DL Stephon TuittNotre Dame plays a 3-4 base defense, and like USC, the defensive front is the Irish's greatest strength. NG Louis Nix III is a load (342 pounds!), and OLB Prince Shembo is another future pro, but Stephon Tuitt is the best of the bunch. He leads the team with 4.5 tackles for loss including 3 sacks. This group, especially in goal line situations, spurred Notre Dame's run to the BCS Championship Game last season.
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3 Keys
Big Man's Game
Ed Orgeron told anyone who would listen this week that the big men on both lines would decide the game in the trenches. USC's offensive line has developed a nastiness the last two games leading to monster nights on the ground. Against an elite defensive front in a hostile road atmosphere, the Trojans' toughness and communication will be put to the test. On the other side, Irish QB Tommy Rees is not a mover, but he has only been sacked four times all season (4th best in the nation). The dominant front five from the Trojans first four games has to reemerge to protect a shaky secondary.
Everybody Gets a Turn
USC flat out wore down last week on both sides of the ball, but particularly on defense. With the return of several key players including WR Marqise Lee and OLB Morgan Breslin, the depth will naturally be improved. In a physical game though, the Trojans will need fresh warriors in the fourth quarter which means the two-deep must contribute in the first three periods. Even with Lee back, Clay Helton should continue to distribute the ball to all the weapons at his disposal, while Orgeron has a better substitution plan for the defense.
One or Two Plays
USC walked away from the 2012 game shaking its collective head after failing time after time at the goal line. Notre Dame was going in for the tying score in 2011 when Dayne Crist presented Jawanza Starling with a 99-yard gift to seal a Trojan win. Remember 2010? Ronald Johnson will never forget it because his drop in the rain was the difference between agony and ecstasy. These two teams are hard to separate on paper, so those one or two plays on Saturday will add to the history of the greatest intersectional rivalry in college football.
Eight years ago this week: 4th and 9
