Behind Enemy Lines: Why 'USC is capable of beating Notre Dame'

How do you expect Notre Dame to attack this USC defense through the air? Will it take shots downfield or likely stick to the intermediate stuff, which has been its bread and butter?

Bryan Driskell: "I think they’ll mix it up. Chip Long likes to get Ian Book comfortable early in the game but also likes to create big play opportunities, whether it’s a play-action deep shot or some kind of screen or cross to attack the blitz if he thinks it’s going to come. Specifically how he’ll do that is different each week, but that’s something Long likes to do early in every game to create a spark and get Book into a good rhythm. Notre Dame has started fast this season, but after they get off the “script,” the pass game has sputtered. Teams have a lot more film on Book, and no pun intended, the book on him is to play tighter coverage, take way the quick game and try to get numbers against the run. This will force Book to beat you down the field, and in most instances he hasn’t been able to consistently do that."

Notre Dame’s pass rush and secondary has generated a lot of buzz. Is the defensive backfield as advertised or propelled by the D-line? Where do you think the Fighting Irish are most vulnerable on defense?

Driskell: "I think the group plays off each other well, but the heart and soul of the defense is the line, and more specifically the ends. Even without Daelin Hayes the Irish boast one of the nation’s best end combinations, and backup Ade Ogundeji is going to collect NFL paychecks some day as well. Jalen Elliott and Alohi Gilman were two of the top 15 returning safeties in the country this season, according to Pro Football Focus, and Troy Pride has elite speed at cornerback. There is certainly talent on the back end, but the ends are the difference makers. When that group is going, it makes everyone else better. I expect to see USC go after TaRiq Bracy. He’s very fast and talented, but he’s young, inconsistent and undersized, and he’s matched up against a group of receivers that are not only fast and dynamic, but long.

"The other weakness of this defense isn’t about personnel, it’s about execution. Notre Dame has new starters at every linebacker spot and both tackle positions. When that group is playing well the defense is very, very good, but it has also been prone to assignment mistakes and tackling woes. You don’t want to do that against an offense that can turn mistakes into big plays, which USC obviously can."

Has Notre Dame dealt with an offensive system comparable to USC's in recent years and how did it do? How do you expect the Fighting Irish to defend USC?

Driskell: "What they haven’t faced is an offense like this with the athletes that USC has running around. Syracuse runs an Air Raid and the Irish dominated the Orange, holding them to just 3 points - which were scored against the Notre Dame backups - and a season-low 234 yards and 3.2 yards per play. Wake Forest doesn’t run an Air Raid, per se, but they are incredibly fast and up-tempo, finishing third in the country last year in total plays. Notre Dame gave up a lot of yards to Wake Forest, but most of it came in the second half after Notre Dame had built up a big lead.

"But this isn’t about scheme, there are Air Raid offenses that work brilliantly and those that don’t, just like every other system. It’s about the players, and what Harrell does well in my view is that he designs ways to get the ball to his playmakers, and that’s what makes USC so difficult. Their playmakers are better than anyone else Notre Dame has faced this year. Clemson and Georgia are the only teams with better offensive talent than what USC brings to the game."

What do you think concerns Notre Dame most about USC?

Driskell: "What I just talked about, the wide receivers. USC doesn’t just have one really good wideout, they go three deep of guys who would be No. 1 on most teams. Everyone talks about Michael Pittman and Amon-Ra St. Brown, but from what I’ve seen on film the most consistent wideout is Tyler Vaughns. That’s a load to deal with. Offensively, I think the Irish offense is concerned about the defensive line taking the game over. Notre Dame needs to avoid giving up a lot of negatives, which means not letting Jay Tufele and Marlon Tuipulotu push back the interior against the run and not letting Drake Jackson get all over Book."

The Fighting Irish are at home and heavy favorites. Have you seen anything from them this season to suggest they could falter in this game?

Driskell: "One thing we’ve learned about Notre Dame the last three seasons (2017-19) is that they tend to be really up for these types of games, especially at home. During that stretch, Notre Dame has played Georgia, USC, Michigan, Stanford and Florida State under the lights at home. They lost 20-19 to Georgia in a year where Georgia was the national runner-up, the next four games Notre Dame won by an average score of 38-15, and none of those teams scored more than 17 points. After the Miami debacle in late 2017, this team has been at its best in the “spotlight” games. So this isn’t about overlooking USC or not being up for the game or faltering. It’s about matchups. It’s about Notre Dame trying to allow its lines to take over the game in hopes of negating the speed and athleticism USC brings to the table.

"USC is capable of beating Notre Dame even if the Irish bring it, because they have matchups that can do damage against Notre Dame that most teams can’t. Even if Notre Dame controls the line, USC has the athletes to still get free, and they only need 4-5 big plays in this game and a big play here or there from one of the former five-star players on the defense to pull off the upset, even if Notre Dame brings it. That’s what makes this USC team dangerous, and why Notre Dame won’t care about the point spread, the fact that they’ve won three out of four against the Trojans or anything else. They know that USC can hurt them if they aren’t ready."

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