Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman discusses several plays and players that were key to victory in Saturday's 95th all-time meeting with rival Southern Cal
There was no redemption arc for Marcus Freeman in Saturday’s latest win over Southern Cal. Freeman’s Fighting Irish bloodied the Trojans just enough to maintain their current run of dominance in the historic intersectional rivalry that may or may not continue with their 34-24 win.
Freeman’s Irish were not perfect but they took the ball away from SC three times to gain a plus-two turnover margin advantage and they ultimately forced their physical will on the Trojans at the line of scrimmage to win for a third straight time under Freeman and for the seventh time in the last eight meetings in the series.
There is no guarantee that the series that began in 1926 under Knute Rockne will ever be played again, so Freeman made sure that Saturday’s game inside the House That Rockne Built would be one he and his team would remember.
I told the guys and I reminded myself, you remember rivalry games,” Freeman said after the rain-soaked victory. “I remember my rivalry games from Pee Wee to high school to college and the ones I've been a part of as a coach. They just -- those are games that mean more. You remember obviously the outcomes, but obviously remember some things you did in that game that led to the outcome. So, they mean just a little bit more because of what it represents for the university, what it represents for your fans, the players before us, and the players to come, and I reminded our guys of the responsibility we have to go perform the way we did.”
Notre Dame is now 53-38-5 all-time against the Trojans.
Jeremiyah Love And Jadarian Price
Jeremiyah Love set a Notre Dame Stadium record with his 228 rushing yards against the Trojans. His 134 first-half rushing yards were the most in the opening half for Notre Dame since Julius Jones’ 171 in the win over Stanford on November 29, 2003. Love also had four receptions for 37 yards to give him 265 yards from scrimmage – the most for an Irish player against Southern Cal since at least 1996.
Jadarian Price didn’t have the same bulk yards from scrimmage, but he was great in his own way. Price had 87 yards on the ground and nine more on one reception. He and Love both scored rushing TDs in the game and he had the highlight of the night with his 100-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter.
Love and Price continue to be one of the most unselfish and most productive duos in college football. They combined for 315 rushing yards Saturday.
“It's not very common in college football, not very common in life to see two guys that are so talented that deserve the ball in their hand every snap, but choose to put the team in front of themselves and then make the most of their opportunities,” Freeman explained. “They're not pouting. They're each other's biggest supporter.
“Great players that make great plays when they have the ball in their hands, but continue to put ‘team’ before ‘me’,” Freeman continued. “That's hard to do. That might be one of the hardest things we ask our players to do, put team before me. Everything outside of here says no, you come before team. When great things happen it's because have you and when bad things happen it's because of everybody else. For those guys to embrace team before me, that's what I want this program to be about.”
Price’s Deja Vu
It’s not the first time Price has had a big return this season. It’s also not the first time Price has had a big return against Southern Cal. He returned a kick 100 yards against Purdue earlier this season and Saturday’s 100-yard return was nearly identical to the one he had two years ago against the Trojans.
Price is just the third player in Notre Dame history to return multiple kickoffs for touchdowns against a single team during their career. His three kickoff return touchdowns are now tied for second all-time behind Rocket Ismail’s five. He is also the first Irish player with multiple 100 yard kickoff returns for touchdown.
“It's another version of déjà vu from two years ago,” Freeman proclaimed. “I am sitting there like, God, I get you, man. You know? Notre Dame, you know, there is something that this -- so I mean, that moment I'm like what it going on. For him to take that touchdown back, Christian (Gray) to really reciprocate kind of what happened last year, man, sometimes you go there is a higher calling in all this, man. I'm just proud of them. I really am. And that was a huge play for this team.”
Christian Gray’s Deja Vu Part Two
Cornerback Christian Gray was picked on a lot. That will happen when an All-American teammate at the same position is on the field as well. It happened when Benjamin Morrison starred for the Irish and it continues to happen with Leonard Moore playing now.
Gray had his ups and downs Saturday night, just like he did in last year’s win over the Trojans. But Gray kept his memory short and came up with an interception of Jayden Maiava, his second pick of the season, just like he did in last year’s win over the Trojans.
“Like deja vu,” Freeman said. “I kind of got on him the series that they scored right before he had that interception. I reminded him, like nobody feels bad, man. You’ve got to do your job and play with the proper technique. Do I believe you can do it? Absolutely, but you’ve got to go do it. Nobody has sympathy.
“After that pick he ran over and said a couple words to me,” Freeman continued. “But I like that, right? I like that, and he knows I love him and believe in him and he needed challenged a little bit. Has to play with better technique. He has to. But keep battling. Keep battling. You’ve got to let the last play go. That's the name of this game of football. You have to let the last play go and win this play. You have to win this play, and that's an example of what Christian did, and we’ve got to continue to do that.”
Leonard Moore On Malakai Lemon
Starting nickel Devonta Smith missed a second straight game with a calf injury. That meant Freeman, defensive coordinator Chris Ash and defensive backs coach Mike Mickens had to come up with a plan to cover SC’s top receiver, Malakai Lemon.
Lemon entered the game with 44 receptions for 682 yards and six touchdowns. He totaled 20 catches for 244 yards in his previous two games against ranked foes Illinois and Michigan. The answer the Irish came up with to defend Lemon was moving Leonard Moore inside to cover the junior. The result was a quiet four-catch, 76-yard night for the explosive receiver.
“We knew we couldn't let Lemon beat us, him by himself,” Freeman explained. “Every week you come up with keys to victory. First key to victory was we’ve got to be plus-two in the turnover margin. Bam, we go got it. Second one was we’ve got to crush the run game, stop the run game. We didn't crush it, but did a good job there. Third thing was we’ve got to eliminate No. 6 (Lemon).
“So how do you do that,” Freeman continued. “If we're saying this is a key to victory, because each week they change, how do we do that? We said, okay, there will be times we have to put our best defender on him. We did that. People say, why don't you do that every week? There (are) pros and cons. Because when he's not on him, it's like, okay, are they playing zone? Are they playing zone now? When he is on him, okay, they're in man coverage. So, you kind of tell the offense what you're doing until you expand the package, but that's kind of what went into it.”
Joe Otting’s First Start
Casual viewers of the Irish would not have known that Saturday’s game marked Joe Otting’s first career start. The sophomore center played in a handful of games last year and had played in two of Notre Dame’s first six games this season. He was pressed into a starting role against the Trojans after starting center Ashton Craig suffered a season-ending knee injury last week.
The 6-4, 308-pound Otting more than held his own. He flat out dominated at times while also delivering consistent snaps through pouring rain in the second half and helping grate the road for Notre Dame’s 306 net rushing yards.
“He was ready for his opportunity because he worked every day in practice,” Freeman said of Otting. “He didn't know when the opportunity was going to come, and he was ready for it. Again, it's an example for everybody in life, in our program. You can't wait for your opportunity. You have to work, you have to work, and you have to work and maybe you get this opportunity. Maybe. Maybe you don't. There (are) guys that work their tail off in that locker room and they don't get an opportunity to get on the field. At some point your hard work will be rewarded and for Joe it was today.”
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