Notre Dame will have one of its toughest test of the season this Saturday, as they’ll host the 5-1 USC Trojans.
After suffering their first loss of the season to Illinois, the Trojans dropped out of the top-25, however after beating Michigan this past weekend, they’ve made their return setting up a ranked matchup.
As you’ll see below, holding the Wolverines to just 13-points isn’t something that they were accustomed to seeing. The offense scoring 31-points was, and you can see where USC ranks nationally in both defensive and offensive statistics nationally below. You’ll also get some background on their head coach along with the best offensive and defensive player.
USC defensive ranks
Passing defense: No. 100 overall allowing 243.7 yards-per-game
Rushing defense: No. 29 overall allowing 108.5 yards-per-game
Total defense: No. 62 overall allowing 353.2 yards-per-game
Scoring defense: No. 51 overall allowing 21.33 points-per-game
USC offensive ranks
Passing offense: No. 2 overall with 325.8 yards-per-game
Rushing offense: No. 16 overall with 226.5 yards-per-game
Total offense: No. 2 overall with 552.3 yards-per-game
Scoring offense: No. 3 overall with 45.5 points-per-game
USC’s head coach – Lincoln Riley
After a very successful 5-year run at Oklahoma, Riley left for Southern California in 2022, and hasn’t quite replicated what he was able to do in Norman. It was a promising first season as the Trojans went 11-3, but they haven’t been able to reach double-digit victories since then. This might be his best team since the move, as USC has started 5-1 and are in early contention for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Riley has an overall head coaching record of 86-25 with four conference titles in his 9 seasons leading a team.
USC’s best offensive player – quarterback Jayden Maiava
One of the top passers in the country, Maiava has regained his form during his freshman year at UNLV. Actually, it’s been much better, as his passing efficiency rating is 185.65, good for No. 3 nationally. Maiava is closing in on his season-high in passing touchdown, just four off the 17 he threw in his first season. He’s not much of a runner, but when you can sling the ball around the field like he can, you don’t need to be. Notre Dame will have its hands full, as this will be the toughest test from a quarterback all season.
USC’s best defensive player – safety Bishop Fitzgerald
Like the Irish’s defense, USC’s is driven by a safety in Bishop Fitzgerald. He’s had a massive season, already with 5 interceptions and a sack. Watching some of his highlights, he looks very similar to Xavier Watts, who is becoming a star with the Atlanta Falcons. Fitzgerald is a play-maker, one that CJ Carr will have to identify on every play.
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Know your foe: A statistical look at Notre Dame’s next opponent, the USC Trojans
Reporting by Michael Chen , Fighting Irish Wire / Fighting Irish Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
