Midweek Musings

FIVE NOTRE DAME PLAYERS MUST SHINE VS. USC

Notre Dame has a challenging seven-game stretch to end the season, but this weekend’s game is the biggest, and it’s not just because it’s rivalry week. No team on the schedule has the top-end talent that USC will put on the field. The Trojans aren’t an overly disciplined team, but when USC has clicked this season they can be overwhelming.

Stanford had USC down 20-10 in the second quarter before the Trojans turned it on and went on a 35-0 run in the final two and a half quarters. USC played extremely well on defense and its offense grinded out a 30-23 victory over Utah, who was the No. 10 team in the country at the time.

To win this game the Irish will have to be on top of their game, and there are five players above all others that must really bring it if Notre Dame is going to win.

QB Ian Book - When Book plays well the Notre Dame offense is extremely hard to defend, and if Book is on top of his game the Trojans will not be able to keep Notre Dame under 30 points. Book showed progress against Bowling Green, and if he can build on that and start fast against USC he’ll put up big numbers.

USC will likely take a similar approach that it did a year ago, which is to blitz Book, keep him from getting comfortable in the pocket and force him into mistakes. Notre Dame’s line will have to play well and protect him, but Book needs to make USC pay for coming after him. That means making good pre-snap decisions, reading out the coverages, being decisive with the football and playing with poise.

If Book does all that Notre Dame will make a big statement on offense.

DE Khalid Kareem - All the linemen need to play well, and I could see senior Julian Okwara having an impact on the edge, especially if the coverage can force USC to hold onto the ball a bit longer. But the front seven player who will have the most on his shoulders is Kareem.

Kareem has been good this season, and he was excellent against Virginia, but he hasn’t been quite as dominant as I thought he would be. Okwara had his breakout game against the Cavaliers, and the Irish need Kareem to have his big breakout against USC.

The reason Kareem is so important is his dual-threat skills. Yes, he needs to rush the passer, but Kareem will play a vital role in shutting down the run game. USC will force Notre Dame to spread out and defend its wideouts and perimeter pass game, which can then create creases in the box for the run.

If Kareem is dominant against the Trojans he’ll be the primary factor in Notre Dame shutting down USC’s ground game, which is a crucial aspect of earning a victory.

CB TaRiq Bracy - The Trojans went after Bracy last season, and he had a hard time keeping Michael Pittman in check. Now a starter, Bracy will once again be a frequent target of the USC pass game. The Trojans will look to take advantage of his youth and lack of size by going after him with Pittman - who stands 6-4 and weighs 225 pounds - and Tyler Vaughns, who checks in at 6-2 and 190 pounds.

Bracy must be at his best in this matchup, much like he was against Georgia. He’ll need to be sound with his technique, he’ll need to keep the windows tight and he’ll need to play the ball effectively on downfield throws. USC is too good not to complete some balls on Bracy and fellow cornerback Troy Pride Jr., but the Irish corners need to make just as many plays if the defense is going to slow down the USC offense.

WR Chase Claypool - The senior wideout leads the Irish in receiving this season and he’s been steady thus far, but we haven’t seen a true breakout game from Claypool. He’ll likely get that chance against the Trojans.

I expect USC to focus a lot of its attention on slowing down tight end Cole Kmet, which will give Claypool opportunities to make plays on the outside. During the spring and fall camp we saw Claypool and Book develop a tremendous on-field relationship, and while Claypool has been Book’s most frequent target we haven’t seen them hook up on the outside like we did in fall camp.

Book needs to be wiling to let loose on downfield throws when he sees Claypool in one-on-one situations. If he does that, and Claypool then makes plays, the offense will be able to generate a lot of chunk plays in this game. It will then force USC to limit its pressures and expand its defense, which would then open up the run game.

If Claypool doesn’t have a big game it could stall the Irish offense.

Rover Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah - USC’s alignments, scheme and talent puts a lot of stress on space players, and no one has to play in more space than Owusu-Koramoah. He’ll be challenged in the run game, he’ll be challenged with quick perimeter throws, and USC will surely look to isolate him in coverage and go after him.

Owusu-Koramoah has been a flashy player all season, and the Irish need him to be at his best in this game. Not just to hold up against what USC will throw at him, but if Owusu-Koramoah is at his best he can be a playmaker. He can be a defender that creates negatives and incompletions, which will help get USC off schedule.

Simply put, if Owusu-Koramoah has a big game the defense will make a lot of stops.

TWO CRUCIAL MATCHUPS TO WATCH

There are two matchups, one on each side of the ball, that won't generate much pre-season hype, but they will have a major role on who can play the best.

C Jarrett Patterson and LG Aaron Banks vs. DT Marlon Tuipulotu and DT Jay Tufele

Book’s play is crucial to success, but he cannot shoulder the entire load. That means Notre Dame absolutely must be able to run the football effectively against USC. A key to that will be center Jarrett Patterson and left guard Aaron Banks having strong performances.

Neither blocker has played to their potential thus far in the season, but both are capable of being impact players inside. USC’s two best defenders are arguably its defensive tackles, Jay Tufele and Marlon Tuipulotu. That means the Irish interior blockers have to bring their "A Game."

If Notre Dame is going to run the ball effectively it needs the interior blockers to fire off the ball with power, to play assignment sound football and to finish on a consistent basis.

DT Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa vs. LG Alijah Vera-Tucker and RG Jalen McKenzie

On the flip side, Notre Dame must be able to take away the USC ground game. The more one-dimensional Notre Dame can make the USC offense the better the odds it can make enough stops in the pass game to win.

Tagovailoa-Amosa has been a force for the Irish defense this season, and he was passed over by the Trojan coaches in favor of Tufele and Tuipulotu. This game is his chance to show he’s on their level, and if he does that he’ll have a major impact on the success of the entire defense.

HUGE RECRUITING WEEKEND ON TAP

As is always the case, Notre Dame/USC will be a major recruiting event. This is true whether the game is in South Bend or Los Angeles. Notre Dame will have a deep list of talented athletes on campus. Fortunately for the Irish, man of those talented players are already committed.

Running back Chris Tyree, wide receivers Jordan Johnson and Xavier Watts, tight ends Michael Mayer, Kevin Bauman and Cane Berrong, and quarterbacks Drew Pyne and Tyler Buchner will all be on campus this week. So will committed linemen Tosh Baker, Michael Carmody, Blake Fisher on offense and Rylie Mills, Gabriel Rubio and Alexander Ehrensberger on defense.

There are four uncommitted skill players with offers on campus this weekend that are absolutely vital to Notre Dame putting together an elite 2021 recruiting class. The more players that Notre Dame can land from this list the more dynamic that class will be.

WR Lorenzo Styles - Pickerington (Ohio) Central - Styles is ranked as the No. 28 player in the entire country by Rivals, and he’s arguably the top wideout on the board for Notre Dame in the 2021 class. He’s an electric athlete that could play receiver or cornerback at the next level, but it’s on offense that Notre Dame covets this standout.

Despite his father being an Ohio State legacy, I’ve felt for months that Notre Dame was actually the team to beat for Styles. Getting him on campus this weekend will be big, and it will give Notre Dame yet another chance to convince this difference maker to join the program.

Styles is a dynamic athlete that would combine quite nicely with Johnson, Watts and Tyree to give the Irish roster the kind of explosive depth on offense it has not seen for a very long time.

RB Will Shipley - Matthews (NC) Weddington - Shipley is considered one of the nation’s top running back recruits, ranking No. 19 nationally by ESPN, No. 44 by 247 Sports and No. 53 by Rivals. Like Tyree, he’s the kind of all-around back that OC Chip Long covets. He is fast, he’s elusive, he can run between the tackles and he can make plays in the pass game.

Getting him out of the Mid-Atlantic is going to be incredibly difficult, but Shipley has certainly been receptive to the Notre Dame overtures, and getting him on campus for such a big game - on his own dime - is a positive sign for the staff.

WR Deion Colzie - Athens (Ga.) Academy - The 6-4, 205-pound Colzie is another highly-ranked and talented junior that is high on Notre Dame. Colzie is ranked No. 48 nationally by ESPN, No. 55 by 247 Sports and No. 95 by Rivals.

Colzie is the perfect complement to Styles as a player. While the smaller Styles is a dynamic player that can stretch the field and do damage with the ball in his hands, Colzie is a long, athletic and talented pass catcher that can do damage down the field, work the middle of the field and make plays in one-on-one situations.

The Georgia native camped at Notre Dame this summer and stood out, and he’s been very high on the Irish for some time. This weekend gives the Irish a chance to cement their standing at the top of his list.

CB Jakailin Johnson - St. Louis (Mo.) DeSmet - Cornerback might be the most important position for Notre Dame in the 2021 class. The Irish staff absolutely must land impact players at the position, and Johnson could hold the key to making that happen.

The No. 64 player in the country according to Rivals, Johnson is the kind of long, athletic cover man that Notre Dame covets. A teammate of 2020 commit Jordan Johnson, the 2021 standout has offers from powerhouse programs across the country, but Notre Dame’s staff got on him very early, and that has given them more than a puncher’s chance with him.

Getting to see how Notre Dame’s corners stack up against the vaunted USC receivers will be good for him to see.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

The tweet of the week will provide a it of comedy to Irish fans. Notice the first team listed two spots ahead of Notre Dame. Despite its blowout loss to Wisconsin and looking dreadful on offense, Michigan is still considered more of a title contender than Notre Dame.

Should make the game in a few weeks a lot more fun.

Odds to win the CFB National Championship (Bovada):

Alabama/Clemson +265
Ohio State +600
Georgia +650
LSU +800
Oklahoma +900
Wisconsin +2500
Florida +3000
Michigan/Penn State +4000
Auburn/Utah +5000
Notre Dame/Oregon/Texas +6000
— Odds Shark (@OddsShark) October 9, 2019

FILM TO WATCH

Ever since Notre Dame landed a commitment from Chester (Va.) Thomas Dale running back Chris Tyree my view of the Irish offense has changed. There are times when a play happens and I catch myself saying, "I wonder what Tyree would have done on that snap."

He has missed his last couple of games with an ankle injury, but Tyree has shown early this season why he's considered one of the nation's best running backs, and that he is in fact the most explosive runner in the country.

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