Turnovers haunt USC during costly, rain-soaked loss at Notre Dame

SOUTH BEND, INDIANA — It was an ominous image of what could be the bitter end to a century-long series. Dark clouds descend over Touchdown Jesus, a heavy rain pouring down on every soul in Notre Dame Stadium, as if Mother Nature herself were attacking the prospect of one of college football’s signature rivalries dying in vain.

Both USC and Notre Dame have suggested they want to continue the rivalry if they can reach an agreement in the coming months. But if this is indeed the end, 99 years after USC and Notre Dame first met on a football field, it will be a particularly crushing end for the Trojans, who fell 34-24 and now find their College Football Playoff hopes hanging by a thread.

Saturday seemed headed for a different kind of ending, when the Irish kicked a 31-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Three plays later, USC quarterback Jayden Miava found wide receiver Mackay Lemon for a 42-yard gain.

The momentum of the game was suddenly in the hands of USC coach Lincoln Riley and his offense. That’s when Riley called a bluff that he was sure to regret later.

Lemon sprinted at the end, took the handoff from Maiava and immediately found himself corralled by the Notre Dame defense. Lemon shot the ball as if he was going to throw it, only to have the ball stripped from him.

This was a rare misstep from the Trojans’ star, but it was an especially costly one. It took seven plays for Notre Dame to find the end zone after that, as quarterback C.J. Carr hit it from one yard out to put the game away.

But there were other errors and missed opportunities long before the Irish delivered that final blow. On the drive before Lemon was fumbled, Maiava threw an interception, the first of two in the final 20 minutes of the game. On the next possession, USC failed to convert on fourth-and-1 at midfield.

Of course, the loss cannot be limited to a few spare plays. USC was crushed by Notre Dame’s rushing attack, which piled up 306 yards and three touchdowns. Jeremiah Love alone totaled 228 yards and a touchdown.

Meanwhile, the Trojans faced Notre Dame without their top two running backs and couldn’t get anything going on the ground. King Miller led USC with 70 yards on 18 carries.

USC’s offense appeared to be in place for much of the second and third quarters before Maiava spotted wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane charging through the Notre Dame secondary. He threw a prayer in the pouring rain and found Lane in perfect stride as he sprinted into the end zone for a 59-yard score.

But the Irish needed a full 15 seconds to get past USC again. On the ensuing kickoff, Jadarian Price passed one Trojan, then another before the field opened up in front of him. He didn’t stop until he was in the end zone, 100 yards later, with the Irish regaining the lead.

They won’t give it up anymore, as they battle their way to victory in the 96th – and possibly final – meeting between the two rivals.

Heavy rain fell on the stadium for hours before kick-off, causing lightning to appear, putting the start of the match in doubt. But the rain stopped with enough time for warm-ups to take place and the match started on time.

With thunderstorms expected after halftime, neither team wasted any time putting the pedal to the ground in the first quarter.

USC flew down the field on its opening drive, with Maiava completing four of five passes, the last of which found tight end McCrary Lake in the corner of the end zone. The touchdown gave USC its first lead in South Bend since 2019. But Notre Dame provided an immediate answer, as Love broke away on his first drive for a 63-yard touchdown run, then a 12-yard touchdown run in the second.

Both teams were on board within five minutes of the opening kickoff. Then suddenly their crimes stopped.

The price finally broke out early in the second quarter. The Irish running back went on a 32-yard rush, then sprinted to the rim on a 16-yard TD three plays later.

Notre Dame ran the ball at will during the first two quarters. Love crossed the century mark on the ground with nine minutes remaining in the first half, while the Irish finished the first half averaging 12 yards per carry.

But just as Notre Dame was on the doorstep of the end zone again, preparing to go up two scores, Carr threw an interception directly to USC defensive end Braylan Shelby.

USC was unable to take full advantage of it. The Trojans were able to get into the red zone twice in the second quarter, but came away with just three points.

Those missed opportunities haunted USC the rest of the game — and with no game scheduled from here, the Trojans will now have eternity to ponder how something could have gone wrong.