Notre Dame Football: 3 keys to victory vs. USC in Week 7

1. The Irish must win the turnover battle

Perhaps the greatest advantage the Irish have over the Trojans in this game is their dominance in the turnover battle. While the Irish come in at 13th in the nation in opponent points per game, the rest of their defensive stats aren’t necessarily on par with what you’d expect (63rd in rushing yards allowed, 18th in passing yards allowed, and 45th in opponent first downs).

Part of this can be attributed to somewhat of a bend but don’t break style, but the Irish have a few too many aggressive playmakers on defense for that to be the whole story. Instead, perhaps the best explanation for this disparity lies in the defense’s ability to make plays, particularly those that result in a change of possession.

So far, the Irish trail only San Jose State when it comes to the most turnovers forced per game. The Irish offense has held up on their end of the turnover battle as well, putting the Irish among the top in the nation in turnover differential. With freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis on the slate this week, the Irish are in prime position to greater expand an already impressive differential.

Slovis, who was forced into action after JT Daniels’s season-ending injury in Week 1, has currently thrown for five touchdowns to four interceptions. With Slovis expected to return after suffering a concussion against Utah, the Irish are in a great position to dominate the turnover battle against a team that has proven to be a shell of itself on the road.