Notre Dame football: Preview and prediction vs USC Trojans in Week 8
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team will take on USC in Week 8 action, and here is a preview of the game, and how we think it will shake out.
The Notre Dame football team kicks off the second half of their 2021 college football schedule against the USC Trojans inside Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday night. The Trojans are also coming off their bye week heading into the Notre Dame matchup, but their last time out, they were trounced by the Utah Utes, 42-26.
The Irish, on the other hand, are fresh off a victory against Virginia Tech, a game they appeared to be headed towards a loss in, but one they came back and finished the job. Jack Coan came back in after his replacement, Tyler Buchner went out with an injury, and led the team on a furious comeback to eventually win the game late.
On Saturday, these two rivals get back together for what should be an exciting game, but also one that the Irish should be able to win. Yes, the Irish have struggled up front along the offensive line, but they seemed to get a good mix of players against Virginia Tech, and that should bleed over into the second half.
Notre Dame football rolls over the Trojans
This game may be a rivalry game, but if the Irish can come out and put four solid quarters of football together, there is no way this version of the Trojans can hang with them. They have an elite running back in Kyren Williams, multiple standout players on defense, including Kyle Hamilton, a potential top-5 pick in next year’s NFL Draft.
USC does have playmakers, including Drake Jackson coming off the edge on defense, and Drake London attacking the outside at wide receiver, but they also have a quarterback who has struggled this season in Kedon Slovis. With an extra week to prepare, you have to like defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman’s chances of putting together a game plan to shut down what is a one-trick offense.
In the end, the USC Trojans will keep it close early, and we may even see this one as a one-score game heading into halftime. However, the Irish should be able to pull away in the second half, wearing down a Trojans defense that just is not there yet, as they not only cover the spread but win by two touchdowns.
Prediction: Notre Dame 31, USC 17