University Southern California Trojans
Photo by: John McGillen
6-Points: Notre Dame 49, USC 14
October 21, 2017 | Football, USC Ripsit Blog, Features
USC suffers its worst loss to Notre Dame since 1966.
The Trojans suffered a humbling defeat in South Bend, dropping them to 6-2 on the season.
Click here for the recap and final stats.
What Happened?
After forcing a three-and-out to start the game, the Trojans fumbled away good field position on their opening offensive play. From there, everything that could go wrong did go wrong. "I just thought they played really well tonight, and we didn't," head coach Clay Helton said plainly. USC did not learn its lesson from last week's slow start and instead fell down, 28-0, at the break. "I don't think as a team we came out ready to play. They hit us right in the mouth from the jump," said captain Chris Hawkins. "There's nothing you can say about it. You can't make excuses. It's back to the drawing board we go."
Turnover Epidemic
The Trojans have had the turnover bug all season long, and they finally played a team that ruthlessly punished them for their mistakes. "They made the most of the opportunities that we gave them," Helton said. "When you play that good of a football team at their place, that's going to put you in a hole and it did." Notre Dame scored the maximum 21 points off USC's three turnovers.
Notre Dame's Game
The Irish came into the game with one of the most potent rushing attacks in the nation, and the Trojans could not stop it. Notre Dame racked up 377 yards rushing led by RB Josh_Adams who accounted for 191 yards and 3 TD on the ground. However, QB Brandon Wimbush was the real back breaker with 106 yards rushing and 2 TD. "The quarterback was running all over the place. Even when we had plays locked down, he was scrambling and breaking free," Hawkins said. "The quarterback set the tone tonight." USC's offense managed only 76 yards rushing as RB Ronald Jones II was a non-factor.
No Quit
The USC offense came to life in the third quarter, putting together back-to-back touchdown drives. "The one thing about our kids, I don't think they ever give up, and they are always fighting," Helton said. Starting wideouts Deontay Burnett, Steven Mitchell and Tyler Vaughns had strong nights combining to make 21 catches for 249 yards and 2 TD.
Back to the Lab
The Trojans must use this week wisely before stepping on the field again. "We need to face a lot of things," said Mitchell. "It starts in practice. Our preparation needs to get better." Without a bye week, USC is forced to make changes on the fly. "We've got to get our team regrouped and make some corrections for next week," Helton said. "We have a short period of time to do it."
Pac Men
USC will face its chief rivals for Pac-12 South supremacy over the next two weeks, starting with a trip to Arizona State on Saturday. The Sun Devils are riding high after upsetting Washington and then blowing out Utah. The Trojans will need to be at their best to remain atop the divisional standings. "I believe in this group of men," Helton said. "I still think they are going to do something ultra special. We control our destiny in the Pac-12 South, and we've got to get ready for this next game." The team leaders immediately turned their attention to rallying the troops for Tempe. "I am just going to make sure everyone's head is on straight, let everyone know that we have a long way ahead of us," Hawkins said. "We still have four games to go. If we win those four games, we're in the Pac-12 Championship."
Click here for the recap and final stats.
What Happened?After forcing a three-and-out to start the game, the Trojans fumbled away good field position on their opening offensive play. From there, everything that could go wrong did go wrong. "I just thought they played really well tonight, and we didn't," head coach Clay Helton said plainly. USC did not learn its lesson from last week's slow start and instead fell down, 28-0, at the break. "I don't think as a team we came out ready to play. They hit us right in the mouth from the jump," said captain Chris Hawkins. "There's nothing you can say about it. You can't make excuses. It's back to the drawing board we go."
Turnover Epidemic
The Trojans have had the turnover bug all season long, and they finally played a team that ruthlessly punished them for their mistakes. "They made the most of the opportunities that we gave them," Helton said. "When you play that good of a football team at their place, that's going to put you in a hole and it did." Notre Dame scored the maximum 21 points off USC's three turnovers.
Notre Dame's Game
The Irish came into the game with one of the most potent rushing attacks in the nation, and the Trojans could not stop it. Notre Dame racked up 377 yards rushing led by RB Josh_Adams who accounted for 191 yards and 3 TD on the ground. However, QB Brandon Wimbush was the real back breaker with 106 yards rushing and 2 TD. "The quarterback was running all over the place. Even when we had plays locked down, he was scrambling and breaking free," Hawkins said. "The quarterback set the tone tonight." USC's offense managed only 76 yards rushing as RB Ronald Jones II was a non-factor.
No Quit
The USC offense came to life in the third quarter, putting together back-to-back touchdown drives. "The one thing about our kids, I don't think they ever give up, and they are always fighting," Helton said. Starting wideouts Deontay Burnett, Steven Mitchell and Tyler Vaughns had strong nights combining to make 21 catches for 249 yards and 2 TD.
Back to the Lab
The Trojans must use this week wisely before stepping on the field again. "We need to face a lot of things," said Mitchell. "It starts in practice. Our preparation needs to get better." Without a bye week, USC is forced to make changes on the fly. "We've got to get our team regrouped and make some corrections for next week," Helton said. "We have a short period of time to do it."
Pac Men
USC will face its chief rivals for Pac-12 South supremacy over the next two weeks, starting with a trip to Arizona State on Saturday. The Sun Devils are riding high after upsetting Washington and then blowing out Utah. The Trojans will need to be at their best to remain atop the divisional standings. "I believe in this group of men," Helton said. "I still think they are going to do something ultra special. We control our destiny in the Pac-12 South, and we've got to get ready for this next game." The team leaders immediately turned their attention to rallying the troops for Tempe. "I am just going to make sure everyone's head is on straight, let everyone know that we have a long way ahead of us," Hawkins said. "We still have four games to go. If we win those four games, we're in the Pac-12 Championship."
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