Is Notre Dame’s Defense Back? USC Will Reveal the Answer

Notre Dame’s defense looks revived, but can it hold up against USC’s explosive offense? Week 8 will show if the Irish are truly back.

Notre Dame defensive lineman Christopher Burgess Jr. hypes up the crowd in the first half of a NCAA football game against NC State at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Notre Dame's bizarre defensive journey

After the first two games of the 2025 Notre Dame season, it seemed that the Irish defense was helpless and could hold the team back all year. Irish fans, accustomed to a lockdown defensive unit that can normally be relied upon to play winning football, had no patience for a Chris Ash "learning curve."

Notre Dame's defense looked like a shell of itself against Miami and Texas A&M. The Irish gave up a total of 68 points in these games while looking passive, confused, and timid, leading to two losses. The heat, ironically, quickly rose on new Irish defensive coordinator Chris Ash.

Notre Dame needed a few games to get comfortable running the newly tweaked defense and finding the right situational personnel fits. Unfortunately, facing Miami and Texas A&M, even with an off week in between, the winning margin was low, and the Irish made just enough mistakes to get beaten.

With morale and vibes at a depressingly low level after two games, slowly but surely, the Notre Dame defense improved. Drastically.

Oct 4, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback Leonard Moore (15) comes up with an interception against the Boise State Broncos at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Notre Dame's defense clicks at the most perfect time

After the Purdue game, Notre Dame has faced some pretty solid offenses and quarterbacks, statistically speaking, in the form of Arkansas, Boise State, and NC State. In these games, the Irish have allowed just an average of nine points per game, including 14 points total in the last two games combined.

Turnovers, which felt nearly impossible to stumble upon in the first two games, are now appearing in bunches. A defense that was previously playing back on its heels is now flying around freely, making disruptive plays.

This feels and looks much more like the defense Irish fans have come to appreciate. This is the perfect time for a big test.

USC is the perfect mid-season litmus test for Notre Dame's Defense

While Notre Dame has faced some decent offenses in the last month, none of them are nearly as good as the unit USC will be bringing to town.

The Irish have had trouble with slot receivers all season, such as Miami's Malachi Toney and Texas A&M's Mario Craver. USC's Makai Lemon is the best of the bunch. Notre Dame cannot afford many defensive lapses in this game and expect to win. Period.

Lincoln Riley is far from a perfect coach, but he knows offense and knows quarterbacks. Notre Dame will be tested, and the season is on the line.

Notre Dame's defense has been trending up for the last month heading into this moment. Is the Irish defense truly back, or were the last month of blowouts fool's gold propping up the stat sheet? America will soon find out in primetime!