SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — USC quarterback Caleb Williams expects a hard-nosed tussle under the lights of Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday.
It doesn’t matter that the 21st-ranked Fighting Irish (5-2) are on the ropes after losing two of their last three games.
Williams is familiar with the extra weight that historic rivalries carry. He led the Trojans to a 38-27 victory over Notre Dame in the regular-season finale last fall and suited up for Oklahoma in the 2021 Red River Rivalry.
“No matter how good the teams are, no matter how bad the teams are, it’s just like Oklahoma and Texas,” Williams said. “When you play against a team like that, with the sense of rivalry, the game is always a little bit harder than what the teams’ records are or whatever the case may be.”
No. 10 USC (6-0) has torched opposing defenses this season by scoring an FBS-best 51.8 points per game.
Thus far, Williams is outperforming his historic 2022 campaign when he practically won every accolade imaginable, including AP College Football Player of the Year.
The junior signal-caller has completed 71.7% of passes for 1,822 yards and leads the nation with 22 touchdown passes against a single interception. He’s also run for 124 yards and six additional scores.
”He’s one of those guys who is as good as advertised,” Fighting Irish coach ACH Marcus Freeman said. “There’s a reason he’s the Heisman Trophy winner. He is very elite with arm talent, with decision-making, with the ability to extend plays. He is a well-rounded very talented football player. Our defense will have its work cut out for them.”
It won't be easy for Williams, either. Notre Dame presents its first real test of 2023.
The Trojans have faced two pass-efficiency defenses that rank inside the top 100: Arizona State (68th) and Arizona (90th).
Despite recent losses, the Irish own the nation’s fourth-best pass efficiency defense out of 133 FBS programs. They’ve forced opposing quarterbacks to complete 50 percent of passes (T-1st) for 146.6 yards per game (3rd) and four touchdowns (T-9th).
“They’re playing at a high level defensively again like they did last season, return a lot of familiar faces,” coach Lincoln Riley said on USC Live. “They’re one of the older defenses that we’ll play, seniors all over the place. A lot of experience.”
HARTMAN’S COUNTERPUNCH?
Williams and the prolific USC offense will put up points no matter how well Notre Dame plays, so it’ll be up to quarterback Sam Hartman to keep the Irish in the fight.
In seven starts, the sixth-year signal-caller has connected on 64.5% of passes for 1,712 yards, 16 touchdowns and three picks.
“Obviously, the transfer quarterback has come in and overall done a really nice job for them,” Riley said. “They move the ball efficiently. He’s played very well.”
With that said, he and the offense are trending in the wrong direction. The Irish averaged 18.3 points over their last three games, which includes Hartman’s nightmare performance this past weekend.
In a 33-20 loss at No. 14 Louisville, Hartman went 22-38 (57.9%) for 254 yards and three interceptions and also lost two fumbles.
Notre Dame’s usually dominant offensive line allowed five sacks and 24 total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
“We have to protect him better and not let him get hit,” Freeman said.
USC’s relentless pass rush will make it challenging to do so. The Trojans have already racked up 22 sacks (T-4th) this season.
Still, if Notre Dame can protect its quarterback, the USC defense presents the ideal arena for Hartman to lift himself off the mat and come out swinging.
DEFENDING GRINCH
The USC defense has performed poorly under coordinator Alex Grinch. Trojan opponents average 421.3 yards per game (112th), including 264.3 yards through the air and a 15-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio. The USC defense gave up 41 points in back-to-back games. That includes a triple-overtime victory over Arizona last weekend.
Despite underwhelming results, Riley bemoans any outside criticism of Grinch and the defense receivers.
“A lot of people in the media had their mind made up that the first second there was any adversity this year,” Riley said, “it was like, ‘Oh my God, they should have done this, and they should have made this change,’ and blah blah blah. And it’s not true.”
A stout performance against the Irish will prove Riley right and silence doubters.
DREARY CONDITIONS/SLIPPERY WHEN WET
Temperatures in South Bend on Saturday night are expected to hover around 45 F with a 50% chance of rain and gusts of wind up to 20 mph, according to The Weather Channel.
“We’re always aware of it,” Riley said. “It’s something we practice throughout the year. Fortunately, we had a pretty rainy year in Southern California, as we all know. We had a lot of good opportunities to work in the elements this spring. We took advantage of it.”
Still, Riley won’t take any chances. This week, he had members of his staff spray water onto USC returners as they practiced catching punts.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
