Notre Dame Debriefing: Week 7 USC

It was a long seven days for the Fighting Irish. There were lots of questions being asked after the loss to Louisville last Saturday night. Questions about Marcus Freeman and the coaching staff. Is Freeman the right guy to lead this team? Are the coordinators good enough to help this team compete for national championships? Can this team get up for big games, and why do they look lifeless? How would this Notre Dame team be able to rebound against a good USC team, led by reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams?

As soon as the game started, there was something different about this Notre Dame team. They looked like had something to prove. On the first drive of the game, Notre Dame’s defense stepped up in a big way, when Xavier Watts picked off Williams and brought it all the way back to the USC 12-yard line. Notre Dame would score a touchdown just three plays later. That would be the story for the whole game. Notre Dame completely dominated USC, giving them a statement win. The final score was 48-20.

This is the biggest win of the season for the Irish. It’s a lot like the win against Clemson last season. Going into that game there were serious questions about Freeman and the coaching staff up until that point in the season. However, after Notre Dame dominated Clemson it seemed like a switch was flipped. Lots of the questions fans had were answered and helped reinspire confidence in this team. It also helped propel the Irish to a Gator Bowl victory. The hope is this win will have a similar effect on this Irish team. Here are the major takeaways from this dominating win.

Notre Dame Defense Silence Caleb Williams

The biggest question that this defense had was how they were going to stop Williams. This team looked lifeless against Lousiville, and that type of performance isn’t going to cut it against the high-power offense of USC. However, all the credit goes to defensive coordinator Al Golden, who came up with a game plan that gave Williams fits. Golden’s defense had Williams under pressure all night, and he was also sacked six times. All of that pressure made Williams uncomfortable all night, causing him to be rushed and make mistakes. Those mistakes resulted in three interceptions in the first half, all of which Notre Dame was able to capitalize on.

Watts had the game of his career against USC. It’s a performance that will be talked about for years to come. He had seven tackles and two interceptions. He was all over the field constantly haunting Williams. Without Watts, it’s likely this game is much different. Notre Dame doesn’t dominate the way they do because they don’t have all the chances he created. His first interception set the tone for the entire game. He led this defense to a dominant performance

Golden was able to win back some support after facing lots of questions. The fanbase has been wondering if he was the right guy after the final drive of the Ohio State game. Ever since he had 10 men on the field plus the performance last week against Louisville, he wasn’t in the fans’ good graces. However, after neutralizing one of the best offenses in the country, it’s fair to say he won some support back.

Audric Estime Reestablished Himself

One of the biggest issues the fanbase had after the Lousiville game was the use of Audric Estime. He only had 10 carries for 20 yards and didn’t score a touchdown. All week, everyone was saying that if this offense is going to be successful, Estime has to be featured more. Well, offensive coordinator Gerad Parker must have been listening because Estime put in some work against USC. He carried the ball 22 times for 95 yards and two touchdowns. This was the type of production that Notre Dame fans were expecting.

There were concerns about what this offense really was. What we’ve learned is the success of this offense relies heavily on the production of Estime. If Estime is going to have a big game, then the Notre Dame offense is going to put up points. Are there issues? Yes, but Estime is going to be able to cover up those problems. He should be featured like he was in this game for the rest of the season. That’s how Notre Dame is going to be able to build off this win.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Notre Dame was able to cap off the hardest stretch of their season perfectly. This is a win that’ll be talked about for years to come. Notre Dame was also able to improve to 2-2 against ranked opponents. Although Notre Dame has no shot of making the college football playoffs, there are still positives to take away.

For starters, think about what this does for recruiting. Recruits are going to watch this game and watch how the Irish were able to shut down one of the most electric players in college football. That shows them that this is a competitive football team. If they come to Notre Dame, they’re going to be competing for national championships and playing some of the best schools in the country. What recruit wouldn’t want that?

This win also helps the Irish get invited to a big bowl game. As mentioned, they won’t make the playoffs, but who is to say that a New Year’s Six Bowl isn’t out of the conversation? They have two wins against ranked opponents and played hard against Ohio State. They probably would’ve won that game had they had 11 guys on the field. If they win out and continue to play like they did tonight, there’s no reason why a 10-2 record wouldn’t earn them a spot in the NY6.

Notre Dame will be on a much-deserved bye this week. However, they’ll be back in action on October 28th when they take on Pitt in South Bend. Kickoff is set for 3:30 pm EST.

Thanks for reading! Credit for my feature image goes to Michael Miller. You can find more college football content at Belly Up Sports and follow me on Twitter.