Three keys and prediction: Notre Dame – USC

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1. Take advantage of every opportunity. Think of this like the plan for facing an ace starting pitcher like Clayton Kershaw — he won’t make many mistakes, but when he does, you gotta hit the ball hard. USC will make mistakes, and Notre Dame will have to take advantage of them. Whether’s that DeShone Kizer connecting with Kevin Stepherson on a blown coverage or converting a turnover into a touchdown, Notre Dame can’t afford to waste any opportunities if it has any chance of upsetting the No. 12 Trojans. 

2. Find a way to stop the pass. Notre Dame’s secondary, both before and after the Brian VanGorder era, has struggled with efficient passing offenses. Duke and Virginia Tech both have unremarkable air attacks but had plenty of success; USC has an outstanding passing offense (No. 2 S&P+) that’s been highly efficient since Sam Darnold took over at quarterback in late September. Notre Dame’s passing defense ranks No. 98 in S&P+, so this might be the most exploitable matchup of the season for any Irish opponent. Notre Dame’s best chance of an upset is if it can cobble together some consistent success defending pass — otherwise, it could be a long day at the Coliseum. 

3. Get some young guys involved. If the first two keys don’t go Notre Dame’s way, the Irish could benefit from getting some sparingly-used underclassmen into this game. Wide receiver Chase Claypool — who’s also lined up in line as a tight end a few times — would be a top target to receive more snaps; on defense, getting defensive end Daelin Hayes some more experience could be beneficial. This will be Notre Dame’s final game or practice until mid-March, which severely limits development opportunities for a number of players who will be counted on to turn things around next year. Even if Saturday results in a loss to the Trojans, Notre Dame could squeeze out some solace in  getting some important in-game experience for those guys. 

Prediction: USC 41, Notre Dame 17. While Notre Dame’s previous seven losses came by a combined 32 points, they haven’t faced a team nearly as good as USC this year. That this game is in Los Angeles — it’s only Notre Dame’s third true road game of the season — is a mitigating factor as well. The Irish keep things close through the first half, but ultimately, USC’s talent shines through over the final two quarters to deal Notre Dame its eighth and final loss of the season. 

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