College Football Preview – Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. USC Trojans

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are nearly a touchdown favorite over the USC Trojans this weekend. Notre Dame has defeated USC in each of their last three meetings, as the Trojans have largely been a mess under Clay Helton. However, the Trojans might have spark plug freshman Jaxson Dart back under center. Dart has missed the last few games with a knee injury, but he might be able to return this weekend.

The USC Trojans will head to Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday, October 23, 2021, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

College Football Betting Odds

USC +6.5

Notre Dame -6.5

Total 58.5

Both teams had last week off in order to prepare for this rivalry game. Notre Dame enters this game with a 5-1 record, but the Irish have struggled against most of their opponents. They have only defeated Purdue comfortably, and they lost to Cincinnati at the start of the month.

USC has alternated wins and losses this season. The Trojans have big wins over San Jose State, Washington State, and Colorado, but they lost by two scores to Stanford, Oregon State, and Utah. All of their games have been decided by 14 points or more.

When Notre Dame Has the Ball

Jack Coan will likely get the start under center for the Fighting Irish. Coan has played relatively well this season, completing 62.1% of his passes for 7.5 YPA with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions. However, the offensive line hasn’t given him much help, as Coan has been sacked 22 times. If he is ineffective, Brian Kelly might switch to freshman Drew Pyne.

The offensive line has not been great at run blocking either. Kyren Williams is averaging just 3.9 YPC, and Notre Dame is averaging just 2.8 YPC as a team. Tight end Michael Mayer has been a reliable target over the middle too, catching 32 passes for 360 yards and three touchdowns.

USC has not played well on defense. The Trojans are allowing 4.4 YPC and 8.4 YPA. That puts them near the bottom of the FBS in terms of yards per play. They will need to make some big plays to pull off the upset on Saturday night.

When USC Has the Ball

If Dart is unable to play, Kedon Slovis will get the start for USC under center. Slovis hasn’t been bad for the Trojans, but he has struggled with his accuracy at times and has been prone to making mistakes. He is completing 64% of his passes for 7.2 YPA with nine touchdowns and five interceptions.

Drake London has been one of the best receivers in the country. London has 64 receptions for 832 yards and five touchdowns through six games. Keaontay Ingram has done a good job of running the ball too, averaging 5.7 YPC.

Notre Dame has been largely good on defense under new coordinator Marcus Freeman. The Irish have a ball hawking safety in Kyle Hamilton that could be a top ten pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and his ability to make up ground and read quarterbacks has been incredible.

Prediction

If Dart plays, the Trojans could win this game. However, if Slovis ends up getting the start, the Fighting Irish will force enough mistakes to pick up the cover in a comfortable fashion.

Follow our Twitter account for the latest sports news and wagering odds, and come to

our Instagram for more useful betting info too.