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Look: What Lincoln Riley said after USC's practice on Tuesday

The Trojans are preparing for Saturday's game vs. No. 18 Notre Dame

LOS ANGELES - A few days after their biggest win in recent memory - an epic 48-45 win over UCLA - the USC Trojans have turned the page.

Lincoln Riley and the Trojans took the field early Tuesday to start preparing for Saturday's nationally televised showdown with No. 18 Notre Dame. 

If USC can get past the Fighting Irish, then win the Pac-12 championship game, a berth in the College Football Playoff likely awaits. 

Watch the video above for Riley's full comments after Tuesday's practice. Here are a few highlights from his session with the media.

Riley on the Trojans peaking at the right time:

"We did some things the other night ... that get you pretty excited about where we're headed. This is kind of what you gear up for, right? It's going to take our best on all sides throughout this closing stretch and this weekend."

"It's not always the perfect climb ... there's a lot of ups and downs throughout it. ... I see us finding some cool ways to win and we've beat some good opponents."

Riley on his confidence in kicker Denis Lynch, who missed two short field goals in the first half:

"Very high. The holder moved his foot on the first one. He kicked the holder's foot. I've never seen a kicker who could make a field goal and hit the holder's foot."

"He didn't hit a great ball on the second (miss), but those happen. He comes back and drills a 49-yarder into the wind that ended up being the differentiating points in the game."