Notre Dame football vs. USC: 3 Studs and 3 Duds in Week 8

Notre Dame football vs. USC: 3 Studs and 3 Duds in Week 8

1st Stud: Kyren Williams

It’s great to have Kyren Williams doing all the different things that you need him to succeed. For Williams, that’s meant getting just a second to read and find a hole before he’s getting hit. Williams got that time and he took advantage.

Throughout the game, Williams did a great job making USC’s defenders miss, often cutting once and hitting the hole. Other times he was just stronger than the Trojans, running through them when necessary. Add solid hands in the receiving game, great pass blocking, and return duty and you had a game of vintage Kyren Williams bringing balance to the offense.

1st Dud: Clarence Lewis

This might not being Clarence Lewis’ fault, but he was the corner assigned to play Drake London, often in man coverage. That meant that for a large chunk of the game, Lewis was getting torched by London, as the Irish had no answers. Ultimately, that means you have to put a chunk of London’s 15 catches and 171 yards on Lewis’ head.

To be fair, this was a mismatch and London probably should have had two corners on his head all night long. He dominated the game, but he’s also a freak athlete that has dominated every game all year.