What Notre Dame Should Feel Good About Concerning USC

Notre Dame has an elite offense. We've seen it through the first half of the season and regardless of weathethe r, we should see it again Saturday against USC.

After years, if not decades, of complaints from Irish fans, Notre Dame finally has an offense that can beat opponents through the air and ground. The Irish finally have a quarterback in CJ Carr, whose biggest natural physical gift is his passing ability.

This is a new luxury for Notre Dame, and one that will serve it well when USC comes to town. Under CJ Carr, the Irish offense has a totally different feel and look than it has presented in recent years. Notre Dame can outscore opponents, flip the field fast, and stretch the ball downfield.

In the past, Notre Dame's opponents could sell out to stop the run and dare the Irish to throw with little fear of getting torched, and those days are over. I cannot wait to see this new age Notre Dame offense further develop from this point forward, starting with USC.

1️⃣3️⃣ in the AP Poll#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/tVaWdUzpRj
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) October 12, 2025

Jeremiyah Love and JD Price are the best running back duo in America

Aside from CJ Carr's elite natural passing ability, the Irish also feature the best running back tandem in America in Jeremiyah Love and JD Price. This dynamic creates nothing but headaches for opposing defensive coordinators. Sell out to stop the run, get burned by Carr over the top. Present a soft box up front to prevent intermediate to deep passing lanes, get gashed by these two stallions.

Especially in a game where the weather may become a factor, having a backfield as dynamic as Love and Price could be a deciding factor in this ballgame. Notre Dame's offense is the real deal in 2025, and the threat of balance and effectiveness in both the run and pass game is the reason why.

Notre Dame's defense has momentum

Notre Dame's defense is far from perfect. I, just like everyone else, am still scarred from the way the Irish performed in the first two games of the season. But since that point, this unit has improved rapidly and has only allowed 27 points the the last three games combined.

Am I concerned about Makai Lemon in the slot for USC having a field day like Miami's Malachi Toney and Texas A&M's Mario Craver did against the Irish defense? Yes, I am, but the Notre Dame defense looks vastly improved from where it was early in the season. Confidence and momentum are real in college football, and the Irish defense is currently playing with both, and the timing couldn't be better with USC rolling into town.