Notre Dame Football: 3 keys to victory vs. USC in Week 7
By Jacob Wilson
Despite entering as double-digit favorites, Notre Dame football will need to find success in a few areas if they hope to take down USC in South Bend.
The Irish have now maintained possession of the coveted Jeweled Shillelagh for two straight years and would love nothing more than to keep their hands on it for yet another. However, while this game will surely feed into the historic Notre Dame/USC rivalry, there’s much more on the line than a trophy, especially for an Irish team looking to improve their outside chances at the CFP.
After losing a close one on the road to Georgia, Notre Dame has rebounded quite nicely with convincing wins over Virginia and Bowling Green. However, the Trojans provide a whole other element considering the state of this rivalry over the past few years. Both teams have had their chances to play spoiler in the past, and that’s exactly what USC will look to do this weekend.
With that said, there’s no excuse for head coach Brian Kelly’s squad to drop this one. We’ve seen far too many mid to late-season losses in competitive seasons during his tenure. If anything, this is an opportunity for the Irish to put on a show and prove to the rest of the nation that they’re deserving of attention as it relates to the CFP. Here are a few ways in which they can do that.