USC Trojans vs. No. 14 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Losing head coach Steve Sarkisian like the USC Trojans have heading into week seven of the college football season is never easy. The Trojans, however, will need to move forward and try not to think about all the off-field distractions left behind by their former head coach. Cody Kessler needs to bounce back from potentially his worst collegiate game ever a week ago and find his groove on the road.
Notre Dame is looking to take that next step in the national football spotlight. The Fighting Irish may be down their starting quarterback this season, but backup DeShone Kizer has done a phenomenal job filling in and avoiding disappointment. A home game in a big rivalry might be a lot of pressure on the sophomore starter, but if he can win this one under the lights, his confidence will be sky high.
Details for Sunday’s game are below:
Date: Saturday, Oct. 17
Start Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Notre Dame, IN
Stadium: Notre Dame Stadium
TV Info: NBC
Live Stream: WatchESPN app
Radio: For USC radio affiliates, click here. For Notre Dame radio affiliates, click here.
Ticket information: For Notre Dame ticket info, click here. For USC ticket info, click here.
Keys to Victory
USC Trojans
For USC to be successful in this one, Cody Kessler will need to put his poor performance behind his from a week ago and he really needs to rally the troops. Playing with distractions is one of the toughest things to do for collegiate athletes. The senior quarterback will need to really play well on the road for his teammates.
On the same note, the defense can’t be struggling against a solid Notre Dame offense. Although DeShone Kizer is a first-year starter and began the season as a backup, the Trojans will need to buckle down on this side of the ball
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Kizer needs to be able to run the offense without panicking under the bright lights. This is the primetime matchup and he can’t overlook the Trojans as they’re not exactly a pushover. He will need to pass for at least 250 yards and two touchdowns in this one and protect the ball.
Limiting Cody Kessler to under 250 yards won’t be easy, but if the Fighting Irish can do that, it should give Notre Dame just enough to get the win. Defense is key for both sides since both offenses are so solid.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Notre Dame -6.5
Moneyline: Notre Dame -265, USC +225
O/U: 61
Prediction
I think this one will be close like it always is, but the Fighting Irish will score a late touchdown to go ahead and Cody Kessler’s last drive will come up just short as the Trojans lose a heartbreaker. Don’t count this USC team out just yet, though, as the Trojans are one of the most talented teams in the Pac-12 in an undesirable situation.
Final Score: USC 24, Notre Dame 31