The 13th-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish host the 20th-ranked USC Trojans in their annual battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh this Saturday night inside of Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish and the Trojans have squared off every single year since 1926 with the exception of World War II and 2020 during the COVID pandemic. USC, and head coach Lincoln Riley, are looking to pick up their first win in South Bend since 2011 and to build on their potential playoff resume.
Location: Notre Dame Stadium (Notre Dame, Ind.)
Date: Saturday - October 18
Time: 7:30 PM ET
TV: NBC/Peacock
Line: Notre Dame -7.5; O/U 61.5 (FanDuel)
Let's kick off our preview of this matchup with an overview look at the USC Trojans:
HEAD COACH - Lincoln Riley
Overall Record: 86-25
Record at USC: 31-15
Riley took over as the Trojan's head coach in 2022 after they let go Clay Helton. They turned to the Texas native who, in five seasons, went 55-10 as the Oklahoma Sooners head coach. He led them to multiple playoff appearances but ultimately failed to get them to the national title game. The Sooners were routinely ranked near the top of the rankings while Riley was at the helm, so the expectations were lofty when he headed out west to Los Angeles. His first season with USC was promising; the Trojans went 11-3, their quarterback Caleb Williams won the Heisman Trophy and they were a game out from making the College Football Playoffs.
Since then, it's been a struggle for USC to, not only contend for a playoff spot, but to remain ranked in the AP Top 25. In 2023, they went 8-5 despite Williams return to the offense. Last season, the Trojans finished 7-6 in their first season in the Big 10. This year, Riley and the Trojans have started off 5-1 and picked up their biggest conference win last weekend beating the then ranked No. 15 Michigan Wolverines in the Coliseum 31-13. Riley is looking to pick up his first win over Notre Dame since 2022 and get the Trojans back in the playoff conversation.
Offensive Coordinator: Luke Huard (1st season)
Defensive Coordinator: D'Anton Lynn (2nd season)
USC 2025 SCHEDULE
2025 STATISTICAL OVERVIEW
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Rushing: RB Waymond Jordan - 8 att., 576 yards, 6.5 YPC, 5 TD; RB King Miller - 29 att., 310 yards, 10.7 YPC, 3 TD; RB Eli Sanders - 47 att., 264 yards, 5.6 YPC, 2 TD; QB Jayden Maiava - 21 att., 50 yards, 2.4 YPC, 4 TD; RB Bryan Jackson - 10 att., 46 yards, 4.6 YPC, 2 TD
Passing: QB Jayden Maiava - 123-171, 71.9%, 1,852 yards, 10.8 YPA, 13 TD, 2 INT, 185.6 Rating; QB Husan Longstreet - 13-15, 86.7%, 103 yards, 6.9 YPA, 1 TD, 166.3 Rating
Receiving: WR Makai Lemon - 44 rec., 682 yards, 15.5 YPC, 6 TD; WR Ja'Kobi Lane - 18 rec., 313 yards, 17.4 YPC, 2 TD; TE Lake McRee - 14 rec., 289 yards, 20.6 YPC, 1 TD; TE Walker Lyons - 12 rec., 149 yards, 12.4 YPC, 2 TD; RB Eli Sanders - 8 rec., 126 yards, 15.8 YPC, 1 TD; WR Tanook Hines - 10 rec., 103 yards, 10.3 YPC, 1 TD
Tackles: LB Eric Gentry - 41; S Bishop Fitzgerald - 30; LB Desman Stephens II - 30; S Christian Pierce - 23; DT Devan Thompkins - 19; CB Marcelles Williams - 18; DE Kameryn Crawford - 16; DE Braylan Shelby - 14
Tackles For Loss: LB Eric Gentry - 7.0; DE Kameryn Crawford - 6.0; DE Braylan Shelby - 5.0; DT Jahkeem Stewart - 5.0; DT Devan Thompkins - 4.0; DE Anthony Lucas - 2.0
Interceptions: S Bishop Fitzgerald - 5; CB DeCarlos Nicholson - 1; DE Garrett Pomerantz - 1; DT Jamaal Jarrett - 1
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