Notre Dame Runs Over USC — and Straight Towards the Playoff

The Irish beat the Trojans in vintage fashion

Oct 18, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) runs the ball while Southern California Trojans safety Bishop Fitzgerald (19) defends in the second half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

There is nothing more demoralizing in sports than being a defense in football, knowing the other team is going to run the ball straight at you, and you knowing you aren't going to stop it. That's what happened Saturday night in South Bend as Notre Dame gashed USC for 306 rushing yards in a 34-24 victory.

On a rain-soaked evening in South Bend with more than one College Football Playoff bid potentially hanging in the balance, Notre Dame faced a must-win game. And the Irish delivered to the tune of those 306 rushing yards. Notre Dame's run game and offensive line play dominated this ballgame and enabled the Irish to hold off the Trojans and head to the off-week on a five-game winning streak.

Jeremiyah Love ran the ball against USC in a way that came off as defiant. Each run started to feel like a personal insult to USC. A "not tonight" message sent one handoff at a time. In total, Love ran for 228 yards, an average of 9.5 per carry, a touchdown, and a long run of 63 yards. What a stellar performance in prime time.

But Love wasn't the only running back that contributed to the win. Jadarian Price collected 87 yards on the ground and a momentum-swinging kickoff return for a touchdown as well. The timing couldn't have been better for the Irish to put together a dominant run performance; job well done.

PURE JOY ☘️#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/GyxkfLhf1X

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) October 19, 2025

Notre Dame's defense does its part

Chris Ash and Notre Dame's defense deserve a ton of credit for their performance against USC. In my opinion, holding this high-powered Trojan offense that entered the game averaging 45 points per outing to 24 points, that's a winning effort no matter how it looks.

The Irish held USC to just 68 yards rushing, had multiple fourth-down stops, and caused three turnovers. What a terrific effort. No, this unit isn't perfect; it still has head-scratching moments and momentary lapses, but they are getting better quickly and look much more like Irish defenses we've come to know, expect and respect.

Notre Dame Gets Huge Team Win

Other than the kicking units, this was a well-rounded, all-hands-on-deck team win. This Notre Dame team knew what was on the line and refused to cave. On the flipside, Lincoln Riley needed to win this football game to show that his team really was built differently this year. This was his big chance. And instead, Notre Dame beat USC the way they usually have, with good defense and a dominant run game.

Notre Dame now will enjoy an off-week before playing five more games in which the Irish will be favored. After a disastrous first two games, the Irish are squarely back in the CFP hunt.