USC

As we progress toward USC, there should be some comfort in knowing the enemy.  Each year, it seems we know we will have to do battle at the end of the season against mighty Troy.  A team with speed, skill and often a superior record (at least over the last couple of decades), a team with a history and winning tradition of their own who pride themselves on winning, especially against the Irish.  Brian Kelly was asked this week about his team heading to Southern California as the number one team and he explained that they feel that pressure every week, that every team gives Notre Dame their best when the Irish come to town.

At 7-4, USC may not be the force it was at the beginning of the season when they held the number one ranking, but with the exception of Matt Barkley being out, they still have the talent that got them that preseason ranking.  This may not be a great team, but even without their preseason Heisman favorite they are still a very sound team.  The USC running game still has two above-average backs in Junior Silas (740 yards, 5.4 yards per carry and 9 touchdowns) and Senior Curtis McNeal (658 yards, 6.3 yards per carry and 2 touchdowns), both of whom have multiple receptions out of the backfield. 

The Trojans may have lost their quarterback, but their passing game still has powerful weapons in the receiving corps.  Leading the charge are 6’1” sophomore Marqise Lee (107 receptions, 1605 yards, 15 yards per catch and 14 touchdowns) and 6’1” Junior Robert Woods (66 receptions, 721 yards, 10.9 yards per catch and 10 touchdowns). 

With Matt Barkley out, the Trojans will turn to redshirt freshman Max Wittek.  Wittek’s stats may not measure up to Barkley’s, but he has made the most out of what he has done.  Wittek has completed eight passes for 95 yards and a touchdown, giving him a quarterback rating of 214.2.  Kelly said he can’t be all bad being on scholarship at USC, and Wittek also had offers from most of the big programs including Notre Dame.  Here is the high school scouting report two years ago by Scott Kennedy of Scout.com:

Wittek is a greedy quarterback that is always pressuring the defensive backfield. He has tremendous vision and always wants to make the big play before checking down to his shorter routes. He has a quick release and a strong arm. He struggles with accuracy at times, but shows poise under pressure and a willingness to hang in the pocket and take a hit. A gun-slinger mentality, Wittek likes the high risk, high reward throws.

On the other side of the ball, the Trojans defense has been sub-par this season, especially for a USC team (giving up 24.8 points a game).  Expect the Irish to mix it up between the run and pass.  Notre Dame should try to come out fast and big to break the Trojans’ spirits early.  Going from number one in the beginning of the season to unranked at the end of the season (last happened in 1964), not being in contention for the Pac-12 championship let alone a BCS bowl makes a win over Notre Dame even more important.  Beating Notre Dame would be one of the only bright spots in this season, especially since doing so would likely crush Notre Dame’s chance at of perfection and a shot at the National Championship.  If they see that slipping away early, they may begin to give up all together.