Notre Dame Football: Preview, predictions, and live stream vs. USC

Notre Dame football will look to build off their recent success with a big win over rival USC. Here is everything you need to know for Saturday’s matchup.

The Fighting Irish will face off against the Trojans in what has been one of college football’s greatest rivalries since its conception. The series currently favors the Irish at 44-36-5, but it has been the Trojans who have dominated over the last couple decades. Since 2002, USC has won 11 games to Notre Dame’s four.

Saturday’s matchup will mark the 72nd straight contest between the two teams, with the last year without a USC vs. Notre Dame game coming in 1945. While the Trojans have handled the Irish over the last 20 years, the last few years have been split. Notre Dame has managed four wins compared to USC’s three since 2010, setting this game up to be one of the greatest in recent memory.

In their last 15 meetings, the winner of any particular game in this series has failed to exit the contest with a ranking on only four occasions. This serves as a testament not only to the significant history of the rivalry, but to the strength of the two programs over the course of history.

With USC (11) and Notre Dame (13) ranked so closely, all signs point to this game as a potential classic. Here is everything you need to know for a game you don’t want to miss.

Date: Saturday, Oct. 21
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: South Bend, IN
Venue: Notre Dame Stadium
TV: NBC
Live Stream: NBC Sports

Keys to Victory

Notre Dame currently holds the second longest active sellout streak in college football, falling behind only the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Irish pack over 80,000 fans into Notre Dame Stadium weekly, and they’ll need their support this Saturday. One of Notre Dame’s biggest advantages comes in the turnover battle, and some extra noise in the ears of USC’s Sam Darnold should help.

Notre Dame’s keys to victory come in the run game along with the previously mentioned turnover battle. The Irish currently sit among the top ten in turnover margin with a +7 mark on the season. USC, on the other hand, round out at about 60th in the nation. Another focal point for the Irish is their backfield, a unit that could easily take advantage of a USC team allowing 147 yards per game.

The key to victory for Trojans is in their quarterback Sam Darnold. The sophomore has shown the ability to perform in clutch situations when his team has needed him most, yet he is currently on track to double his interceptions total of last year. Much of this game depends on which Sam Darnold the Irish will see when he suits up this weekend.

Prediction

With both coaching staffs likely honing in on their opponent’s quarterback, this game might shift to a defensive affair. If this is the case, the Irish will greatly benefit from one of the nation’s top rushing attacks. While the Trojans have a decent backfield of their own, it will be difficult for them to keep up on the ground against the likes of Josh Adams and company.

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Should this be an aerial contest, the scales certainly shift in the favor of the Trojans. However, with a healthy mix of Notre Dame’s steady ground-and-pound game to go along with a solid defense, the Irish are banking on a costly turnover or two from Darnold to shift the course of the game.

Final Score: USC 27, Notre Dame 31