Eric Gentry's return, Caleb Williams' magic fuel USC's win over Notre Dame: 3 takeaways
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LOS ANGELES — USC won its second consecutive rivalry game Saturday night at the Coliseum in a comfortable 38-27 victory over Notre Dame, bringing the Jeweled Shillelagh back to Southern California for the first time since 2016.
Caleb Williams likely secured himself some hardware with another four-touchdown performance to add to his Heisman-caliber season. Williams had already vaulted up to the betting-favorite for college football’s most prestigious award after last week’s win over UCLA, and with CJ Stroud’s Buckeyes losing to Michigan, Williams’ top competitor is likely out of contention for the Heisman.
Here are three key takeaways from USC's win:
USC'S RUN DEFENSE RISES TO CHALLENGE
Much of the talk leading up to this game was that Notre Dame’s physicality in the defensive front and the run game would be too much for a smaller USC team to compete with. But the Trojans outgained the Fighting Irish by 114 yards in the ground game.
“I kind of got sick and tired of hearing how we were just gonna get pounded in the run game,” USC head coach Lincoln Riley said. “That didn’t happen.”
Considering USC is a statistically abysmal run defense, and the Irish average nearly 200 rushing yards per game, it’s quite impressive that the Trojans held Notre Dame to just 90 rushing yards.
USC stepping up to the challenge of a physically-lopsided matchup is the most encouraging sign of Saturday night’s regular season finale.
CALEB WILLIAMS IS BEST PLAYER IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL
It’s a matter of time before Williams gets a nickname that’s immediately recognizable throughout each of America’s time zones. Maybe it’ll actually become “The Kid”; maybe Williams is spectacular enough to be college football’s equivalent of baseball legend Ken Griffey Jr.
As great a player as he was, Griffey was also just the coolest player there was during his era. Williams has the talent and the swag. He had “f*** UCLA” painted on his nails before torching his crosstown rival for 500 yards and three touchdowns and shutting up those “teddy bears,” as coined by veteran USC center Brett Neilon.
Then, he showcased his excellence once again in USC’s win over Notre Dame. Every Heisman winner has a “Heisman moment.” Remember when Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M beat then-No. 1 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, marking the Aggies’ greatest moment in any living person’s memory? That moment happened for Williams with 1:55 on the clock in the third quarter when he turned a big loss into a 19-yard gain in the least probable of ways.
If you didn’t know already, watching that play made you say out loud or in your head: “that’s the best player in America.” Impressive that he avoided the sack, amazing that he recorded the first down, and unbelievable that he darn near scored on the play.
As brilliant of a play caller as Riley is, he certainly is willing to put all of his trust in Williams.
“The escapability, the ability to get out of tackles and that combination of quickness with it. I think there’s just a trust there because a high percentage of the time he makes the right play on it and has made a lot of big plays in that scenario for us,” Riley said.
IS ERIC GENTRY JUST THAT IMPORTANT?
USC came into the game allowing 147 yards per game on the ground - and Notre Dame was the best rushing team the Trojans have faced this season. So how did they hold a big, physical Notre Dame team to under 100 yards?
Look no further than the return of sophomore linebacker Eric Gentry.
USC’s defensive personnel is much deeper at defensive back than it is at linebacker or edge rusher. The Trojans have enough solid guys to put a strong starting 11 on the field, but when injuries come into play — which they always do — defensive coordinator Alex Grinch likes to turn to the depth of the secondary more than that of his linebackers.
“You know, we've had to do a lot of playing with six DBs quite a bit in the last couple of weeks, just trying to maximize the roster,” Grinch said. It’s been good for USC to get guys like Bryson Shaw and Lattrell McCutchin on the field, but USC was desperately missing some help in the second level at the linebacker spot.
As a result, the middle of the field has opened up frequently against the Trojans because there just aren’t enough red jerseys in the box. There are multiple examples to choose from, but Colorado running back Alex Fontenot’s season-high 37-yard carry straight up the gut exemplified everything wrong with USC’s defense. Colorado's quarterback completes less than half of his throws, and the Trojans still got blasted by a run that everyone knew was coming.
Gentry changed that equation on Saturday. USC got its lanky, basketball-built outside linebacker back on the field and he led his team with nine total tackles and a forced fumble.
“There's a big difference. Having him there, they don't have to put me [at linebacker] sometimes,” USC’s best defensive player, Tuli Tuipulotu, said. “He's a great, great, great player. Yeah, y’all know that already. But he's a great leader too, one of those young guys that can really motivate you with his words, and I’m excited to have him back. I've been talking to his mom, because I wanted him back like a week or two ago.”
