Notre Dame Football: 3 keys to victory vs. USC in Week 7
By Jacob Wilson
3. The Irish’s No. 2 corner must be consistent
With the reliable Shaun Crawford sidelined for the next few weeks after a gruesome-looking injury revealed itself to be a dislocated elbow, the Irish will turn to sophomore TaRiq Bracy to fill the void against USC. Their options behind him are limited, so defensive coordinator Clark Lea will have to be creative with how he rolls out his personnel against USC.
While the Irish easily survived Crawford’s absence against Bowling Green, the Trojan receiving corps featuring Michael Pittman Jr., Tyler Vaughns, and Amon-Ra St. Brown is a completely different animal. With little production elsewhere, USC relies very heavily on this trio that has combined for 1,153 yards and nine touchdowns so far.
In fact, the next most productive receiver on the team is Stephen Carr, a running back who has logged 82 yards and the unit’s only other receiving touchdown of the year. USC runs their offense around the above trio, and for good reason. Therefore, it will be absolutely imperative that Troy Pride Jr. and Bracy hold their own against an offense with such big-play potential.
Given the down-the-field approach taken by USC, fatigue is likely to play somewhat of a factor in the secondary’s performance. Should the Irish need to turn to cornerback depth, first up would be Donte Vaughn, unfortunately notorious for his struggles against Clemson’s big-play threats last season. Nevertheless, if the defense wants to continue their dominance, it’ll start with containing USC’s elite receiving corps.