SOUTH BEND, Ind. – No. 20 USC found out what it was up against on Jeremiah Love’s first carry on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium.
Love shot through a hole on the left side of the Irish offensive line and surged forward, arms pumping hard, for a 63-yard gain. Two plays later, he somehow broke through a crowd of players to score on a 12-yard run.
Love’s career night got off to a roaring start, and it didn’t stop until the Notre Dame junior running back racked up 228 rushing yards on 24 carries and five catches for 37 yards to lead the 13th-ranked Irish to a 34-24 victory.
With the rain pouring down on poncho-clad fans throughout much of the night, Love made his own interesting chapter in the USC competition, looking a lot like the All-America candidate every media outlet predicted he would be in the process.
“I like to be physical, go out there and try to run someone over,” Love said.
His performance, coupled with a 100-yard kickoff return from fellow field mate Jadarian Price, lifted Notre Dame (5-2) to its fifth straight win and biggest of the season as it attempts to rebuild its College Football Playoff case after an 0-2 start. This was the first game against a ranked team for the Irish since their one-point loss to No. 16. Texas A&M shootout in South Bend.
This, in the midst of conversations about whether the long-standing rivalry between Notre Dame and USC, was downright cheerful, even on a night when Irish quarterback C.J. Carr wasn’t at his best.
This was in large part because of Love, who racked up more rushing yards in a single game than any Irish player ever at Notre Dame.
“I’m so proud of this guy,” Price said. “We’ve been trying all year to get him over 200 points, and I’m proud that he’s finally crossed that mark. There’s a lot more to come for sure. … He’s a special human being, a special player.”
Notre Dame’s big night on the floor came without quarterback Ashton Craig, who was lost to a season-ending knee injury last week. Sophomore Joe Otting started in his place. Freeman said Otting “was prepared for his opportunity because he had been working every day in training.”
Just in case anyone forgot about him on Valentine’s Big Night, Price copied one of the game’s biggest plays.
After USC (5-2) took a 24-21 lead in the third quarter, Price fielded a kickoff into the end zone, broke two tackles, ran diagonally across the field from right to left and scored on a 100-yard punt return. Notre Dame missed the extra point and led 27-24.
“I didn’t do the right thing, I kind of went out of business,” Price said. “But it worked out. After I broke the first tackle, I knew I was going to go home. … I was just trusting myself, but also trusting my teammates to finish the play. A kickoff return can be a long play, so you just have to trust yourself.”
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Price, who would be No. 1 to many other programs, had 13 carries for 87 yards and a rushing touchdown. Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman has spoken before about the selflessness and price of sharing the workload, and he added to that Saturday night.
“It’s not very common in college football — and it’s not very common in life — that you see two guys who are so talented and deserve the ball in their hands on every snap, but they choose to put the team before themselves and then make the most of their opportunities,” Freeman said. “They don’t frown. They are each other’s biggest supporter.”
It wasn’t all a crime. Notre Dame increased its lead after Price’s return thanks in part to two takeaways on back-to-back USC drives.
Christian Gray came up with an interception against USC quarterback Jayden Miava late in the third quarter, but Notre Dame’s ensuing drive ended with kicker Noah Burnett missing a 31-yard field goal attempt left.
But when USC wide receiver Makai Lemon appeared to pass a trick play on the ensuing drive, Adon Shuler tore up his arm and forced a fumble. Recovered by Kingston fullback Viliamo Asa. Seven plays later, Carr scored on a one-yard run for a 34-24 lead.
Luke Talich added a game-sealing interception for Maiava late in the fourth period.
Maiava threw for 328 yards and two touchdowns. This included a 10-yard TD pass to Lake McRee on USC’s opening drive and a 59-yard scoring pass to Ja’Kobi Lane in the third quarter that briefly gave the Trojans the lead before Price returned.
Carr completed 16 of 26 passes for 136 yards and a touchdown and also scored on a 1-yard run that put the Irish up 34-24 with 7 minutes, 16 seconds to play. He also threw an interception.
Storms looked like they might be a problem for the game for a while. Fans were temporarily kept from the stands when the stadium doors opened due to lightning in the area. Although rain continued later, the lightning subsided for the 96th entry into the competition.
The future of the game is up in the air as managements from both schools talk through a new contract. Both Freeman and USC coach Lincoln Riley said during the week leading up to the game that they hoped to extend it.
Freeman’s comments after the game only added to that appeal.
“You remember rivalry games,” Freeman said. “I remember the rivalry games that I played from high school to college and the ones that I was a part of as a coach. Those are the games that mean a lot. You remember obviously the scores, but remember some of the things you did in that game that led to the score. And so it means a little bit more because of what you represent to the university, what you represent to your fans, the players that came before us and the players that are coming up.”
“It reminded our guys of the responsibility we have to do it the way we did.”
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