#15 Irish Fall at #5 USC 38-27

LOS ANGELES – The University of Notre Dame’s 15th-ranked football team dropped a 38-27 contest to the fifth-ranked USC Trojans at the Los Angeles Coliseum Saturday night. The Irish passing offense had its most productive game of the season, gaining 318 yards and scoring three times through the air. The Irish defense couldn’t solve the riddle of USC’s high-powered offense as the loss drops Notre Dame to 8-4 for the 2022 season. 

Quarterback Drew Pyne threw for a career-best 318 yards, finishing 23-for-26 for three scores. The sophomore found seven different receivers in the contest, led by tight end Michael Mayer. Mayer finished with a game-high eight catches for 98 yards and two scores. 

Pyne also helped Deion Colzie set a new career high as he caught three passes for 75 yards and a touchdown. Jayden Thomas, Lorenzo Styles and Logan Diggs each finished with multiple catches in the contest. 

The Irish rushing attack was limited to 90 yards on 26 attempts. Audric Estime led the team with 43 yards on six carries. Diggs added 23 yards on 12 attempts and scored a touchdown. Chris Tyree finished with 24 yards on a pair of rushes. 

JD Bertrand and Xavier Watts led the Irish defense, finishing with nine tackles each. Isaiah Foskey and Jayson Ademilola added five tackles apiece, with Foskey finishing with 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Ademilola finished with two tackles for loss and added a half sack. 

How It Happened

The Trojans received the opening kickoff and marched down for the first points of the game. USC used seven plays to gain 75 yards, scoring on a Caleb Williams touchdown pass to Tahj Washington. The point after was good and the Trojans took a 7-0 lead just 4:24 into the contest. 

Notre Dame went three and out on its opening possession, punting the ball back to USC who fair caught the kick at midfield. Williams found Jordan Addison over the middle for a gain of 23, and hit Austin Jones for 16 more to drive to the Irish five. A big stop from Ademilola, followed by an offensive pass interference and a Foskey sack drove USC back to a third and goal from the 26. A run of 12 by Jones set up a 31-yard field goal for the Trojans to take a 10-0 lead. 

The Irish got on the board midway through the second quarter. Pyne found Colzie for a 30-yard gain on third and 10 to move into USC territory. Tyree broke loose up the middle for a gain of 18 to set up the score. Pyne went to the air, finding Mayer for a 22-yard score to cut the Trojan lead to 10-7 with 6:14 remaining in the half. 

USC responded on its next possession, driving 75 yards in 10 plays, capped by a Williams five-yard scoring run. The Trojans took a 17-7 lead into halftime. 

The Irish took the second half kick and saw a promising drive stopped with a fumble. USC took over on its own 26 following the turnover. A Jones run of 24 yards moved the ball into Irish territory. Williams found Washington on the right side for a gain of 18 to move the Irish five. On third and goal, Williams gave to Raleek Brown who ran off right tackle for the score to extend the Trojan lead to 24-7 with 8:21 left in the third quarter. 

Notre Dame answered back on its next possession. Estime ran for 29 yards on two carries to move into USC territory. Pyne took over from there, hitting Styles for a 16-yard gain and scrambling for another seven. On second and three, Pyne found Colzie on a back shoulder fade to score from 23-yards out. The score was Colzie’s first of the season. 

Williams led the charge on the ensuing drive for the Trojans. He combined for 41 yards through the air and on the ground, finishing the drive with a three-yard scoring run to extend the lead to 31-14 seconds into the fourth quarter. 

Pyne and the Irish continued to counter punch. The sophomore quarterback threw for 54 yards to move into the red zone on the next possession. He handed to Tyree who ran for six yards, followed by a give to Diggs who followed right tackle Blake Fisher into the end zone for a five yard scoring run to cut the Trojan lead to 31-21 with 11:29 remaining. 

After an Irish turnover, USC added an insurance score when Williams closed a 24-yard scoring drive with a 16-yard touchdown run on fourth and short to extend the lead to 38-21 with 2:35 left.  

Pyne found Mayer for a 24-yard score with just over a minute remaining to cut the Trojan lead to 38-27 after a failed two-point conversion, but USC recovered the Irish onside kick attempt and ran the clock out to hand Notre Dame its fourth loss of the season.