USC head coach Lincoln Riley has long been a foil for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, so it's safe to say people back in South Bend don't regret at all that he's under quite a bit of fire in the wake of comments he made after his team lost to Oregon on Saturday night.
- It wasn't the loss that had Riley under fire, but rather his reaction to linebacker Desman Stephens II hitting the Ducks' quarterback in the head during a textbook example of targeting. It wasn't the hit that was the real issue either. It was that the defender was allowed to stay on the sideline after his ejection rather than being sent to the locker room.
- After the game, even the Los Angeles Times took issue with Riley's comments: “I did not see it. No,” Riley said about the celebrations.
- Stephens remained on the sideline, Riley said, “because he’s on our football team.” As the Los Angeles Times wrote about Riley: If he can’t be counted on to do the right thing — or to even spot the wrong things — how can he steer the ship to a championship, which is what’s expected of him?
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- Jeremiyah Love had his best game as a member of the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Love got 21 carries and five receptions, for 26 total touches. He ran for a career-high 90 yards, averaging 4.3 yards per carry. That, plus his 19 receiving yards and first-ever fourth-quarter receiving touchdown, totaled 109 yards for the rookie. Unfortunately, Love's breakout game ended in a 36-30 loss to the 49ers.
- Barry Odom talked quite a bit about the things that didn't work for Purdue after the Notre Dame game, but one of the key aspects was when he attempted a fake punt. The ball carrier was tackled just a yard short of the first-down marker. Shortly after, the Irish took a 7-0 lead and went on to win 49-10.
- Joey O'Brien had his first career start for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and it was a very impressive game. He had 5 tackles, and his first career sack. After the game, he talked about comparisons to NFL safety Kyle Hamilton.
- “I mean, it’s a great feeling to be compared to him, but I’m Joey O’Brien," The true freshman said after the game. "I gotta do what I gotta do. Of course, we have the same traits, stuff like that. But I’m just trying to be the best me and just be the best player to help this team.”
- Fresh off the win over Purdue, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish has opened as 22.5-point favorites over North Carolina. The total is also sitting at 49.5, meaning that both spreads are very similar to what the Irish saw against Purdue.
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