Trojans Gear Up To Take On Irish In South Bend
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Coach Ed Orgeron (Shotgun Spratling/Neon Tommy)
LOS ANGELES -- Pat Haden, a verbose and eloquent speaker, needed all of nine words to convey the importance of USC’s 38-31 victory over Arizona. Not only did it move USC two wins away from bowl qualification, but it maintained a crush of momentum that followed Ed Orgeron replacing Lane Kiffin as head coach.
“Had we lost, it would have been a buzzkill,” he said.
Instead, Haden’s Trojans ride into South Bend with unbridled enthusiasm after Orgeron’s first game in charge had his team decisively and unanimously singing the 52-year-old interim coach’s praises.
“You want a coach that you would go to war for every time,” said quarterback Cody Kessler, who was seated next to Orgeron in a press conference following the Arizona win. “And this guy here to my right – and I don’t just speak for myself – we would go to war for him. When you can not only see, but feel, how much he loves us, we would go to war for him.”
“Coach O really brought Coach Carroll back,” said offensive tackle Kevin Graf. “It's very special to me, because Coach Carroll really meant a lot to me. Coach O really brought it back for us. We're having a great time, and he's showing us videos of the 2000s just to show how he wants us to play. I think we're getting closer to being that way.”
Their next task is to carry that energy and enthusiasm into South Bend to take on their storied rival. 4-2 Notre Dame carries momentum of their own after beating Arizona State 37-34 one week after the Sun Devils demolished USC 62-41 in Kiffin’s final game in charge. They’re also fresh after coming off a bye week, although USC has the luxury of added rest themselves following the first ever Thursday night game in the history of the LA Coliseum.
“We realize this is a rivalry game and we have a lot of respect for our opponent,” Orgeron said on Sunday. “But we need to take care of what we can control and that's us, the fundamentals and the style of play. It's going to be an exciting game.”
SEE MORE: Behind Enemy Lines: Trojans March East To Notre Dame
On offense, the Irish’s strength lies in its 53rd-ranked passing game. Quarterback Tommy Rees has been erratic, completing only 51.2 percent of his passes to go and tossing six interceptions to go with 13 touchdowns. But the Illinois native has a trio of dependable targets to rely on in receivers T.J. Jones (33 receptions for 481 yards) and DaVaris Daniels (25 for 385), and tight end Troy Niklas (14 for 250), each of whom have caught four touchdowns. They combine to offer a blend of styles that test a defense in every way between Jones’ shifty quickness, Daniels’ athleticism and leaping ability and the 6’7’’, 270-pound Niklas’ gargantuan physique.
Defensively, few teams, if any, boast two defensive linemen as formidable as nose tackle Louis Nix III and defensive end Stephon Tuitt. Nix is every bit of 340 pounds and the anchor of a 3-4 front that ranks 23rd in rushing yards allowed. Tuitt, meanwhile, boasts unusual quick-twitch athleticism for his 6’6’’, 320-pound frame and is showing signs of rounding into form after offseason hernia surgery has hampered his play.
"[I'm impressed by] the physicality of their team," Orgeron said Thursday. "They've very, very good up front on both sides of the football. Their running backs run the ball hard. They've very efficient on offense and very sound on defense. It's an excellent kickoff return team and very well-coached."
Notre Dame’s weak point is its secondary, and a pass defense that currently ranks 87th nationally with 252 yards per game allowed through the air. That bodes well for Kessler, who turned in a career-high 297 yards against the Wildcats. Also helping the redshirt sophomore’s cause is the potential return of Marqise Lee, who sat out the Arizona game after suffering a left knee sprain against ASU. Orgeron formally listed Lee as questionable in the upcoming week’s injury report but said that he is “optimistic” about Lee’s chances of playing in South Bend. That, along with the probable return of Darreus Rogers and De'Von Flournoy, would significantly boost a beleagured receiving corps.
The defense, meanwhile, will be buoyed by the probable return of cornerback Anthony Brown, who hasn’t played since the season opener against Hawaii. Standout pass rusher Morgan Breslin is listed as questionable.
USC is 35-44-5 against the Irish in a series that dates back to 1926. The Trojans are 1-2 in the teams’ last three matchups after winning eight consecutive matchups from 2002 through 2009. The teams will kick off at 4:30 PST from Notre Dame Stadium.
