SOUTH BEND — Stormy weather passed before kickoff, and the No. 20 USC football team’s offensive identity quickly became clear on Saturday night at Notre Dame Stadium during its game against the No. 13 Irish.
The Trojans struggled on the ground and collected just 60 rushing yards in the first half compared to its 177 yards through the air. But that didn’t keep the coaching staff from experimenting on the ground.
King Miller was the primary running back with 11 carries for 53 yards, but three other Trojans took a handoff in the first half and helped keep the game close. Notre Dame went into halftime with a 14-13 advantage.
Bryan Jackson was fully available to play for the first time this season after dealing with turf toe for the first six games and had 11 yards on four carries. Freshman Harry Dalton III had his first run of the season, but was unable to advance and was tackled for a loss of two yards.
Quarterback Husan Longstreet even jumped in for a play with two minutes remaining in the second quarter, momentarily replacing starting quarterback Jayden Maiava.
The one-two punch of Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders wasn’t available on Saturday night. Both running backs are out with lower-body injuries.
Kickoff goes as planned
Lightning flashed in the background of Notre Dame Stadium, and rain steadily poured down for two hours leading up to the 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on Saturday evening.
Fans were not able to enter the stadium until roughly 6:45 p.m., when the storms cleared, and both teams took the field for warmups. Athletic director Jen Cohen was on the sidelines for cloudy, 66-degree conditions at kickoff.
The last time USC played a game in the rain was in 2024 in Washington. The Trojans lost that game 26-21 and are 24-24-2 overall in games in which it has rained for the majority of the contest.
Wolverine in Trojans clothing
Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson had to pay up when USC beat Michigan last week.
The Wolverine alumnus is now teammates with former USC receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who is feeling confident in the Trojans this season and jumped on the opportunity for a fun challenge.
Hutchinson showed up to the Lions’ Thursday press conference wearing a cardinal and gold hoodie with USC football written on it.
“Just a friendly, friendly wager between me and St. Brown that I unfortunately lost,” Hutchinson told reporters. “But I still have faith in the troops.”
Game captains
Quarterback Jayden Maiava, linebacker Eric Gentry, offensive lineman Tobias Raymond, defensive lineman Devan Thompkins and long snapper Hank Pepper were all named captains for Saturday’s Notre Dame game.
Maiava and Gentry continue their captain streak and have earned the title in every game this season. Maiava was one of four Power Four quarterbacks averaging over 300 yards heading into the game and was leading the nation in yards per attempt with 10.83. Gentry is tied for second in the Big Ten conference with 35 solo tackles.