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Day/Time: Oct. 17/7:30 p.m. (ET)
2014 Record: 9-4
Projected Returning Starters – Offense: 6
Projected Returning Starters – Defense: 7
Head Coach: Steve Sarkisian (second-year; 9-4)
2014 Points Scored: 35.8 (No. 22)
2014 Points Allowed: 25.2 (No. 45)
2014 Review
Former offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian returned to Southern Cal, this time as its head coach, with talent across the board. The Trojans dropped Stanford in Palo Alton, 13-10, seven days before a startling 37-31 defeat at the hands of Boston College. But behind an impressive season from quarterback Cody Kessler and soon-to-be NFL-bound Nelson Agholor at wide receiver, the Trojans’ passing offense thrived and earned nine wins.
All-American defensive tackle Leonard Williams powered Southern Cal’s frontline on the defensive side of the ball, recording 80 tackles and seven sacks as a junior. Sophomore Adoree’ Jackson garnered national attention for his three-way success as a kick returner, cornerback and wide receiver. An electric playmaker, Jackson recorded 49 tackles, caught 10 passes for 138 yards and three touchdowns in addition to tallying 684 return yards – he averaged nearly 30 yards per return and went the distance twice.
Expected Strengths
Kessler is widely considered a preseason Heisman Trophy favorite with 12-to-1 odds, according to Bovoda Sportsbook. He earned the right to have his named thrown into the conversation, completing 70 percent of his passes for 3,826 yards and tossing 39 touchdowns with only five interceptions. Agholor, his favorite target from last year, opted to leave school early for the NFL. That means sophomore Juju Smith should build off the 54 receptions and 724 receiving yards he recorded in his first season. The 6-foot-2 wideout takes over Agholor’s role opposite junior Darreus Rogers, while sophomore Steven Mitchell takes over in the slot. The nation’s 15th-ranked passing offense shouldn’t have too much of a drop-off with replacements in place.
Kessler should have plenty of time to throw the ball behind an experienced and physical offensive line. Three-year starter Max Tuerk is one of the top centers in college football. The senior has an All-Pac-12 freshman on either side of him, and both starting tackles return to make up a powerful unit.
Jackson is a breakaway threat who appears in every facet of the game. Keeping the ball out of his hands—on kickoffs, as a defensive back and at wide receiver—is nearly impossible. Outside linebacker Su’a Cravens recorded team-highs with three interceptions and 17 tackles for loss as a sophomore. Three starters return in the defensive backfield, with strong safety John Plattenburg as the only new first-stringer in the group.
Possible Weaknesses
Williams leaves a massive hole on the Trojans’ defensive line. Returning starters Delvon Simmons (44 tackles; 2.5 tackles for loss; one sack) and Antwaun Woods (37 tackles; one tackle for loss; one sack) didn’t generate nearly as much pressure as their fellow lineman. The Trojans also graduated another key member of the pass rush in outside linebacker J.R. Tavai (seven sacks; 13.5 tackles for loss), creating a need for one of the newcomers to generate some pressure.
The loss of running back Javorious Allen will be felt, and not just in the running game. Allen finished third on the team with 41 receptions behind Smith and Agholor. Junior running back Justin Davis is going to be expected to make up some of Allen’s 1,489 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, a tough task for someone who averaged 4.6 yards per carry and rushed for 595 yards a year ago.
Key Players
Cody Kessler; QB: The best performance of Kessler’s spectacular junior campaign came in the regular season finale against Notre Dame. He went 32 for 40, threw for 372 yards and tacked on six touchdowns in a 49-14 victory. One of the best quarterbacks in college football will once again be a decisive factor in determining the outcome of Southern Cal’s meeting with Notre Dame.
Juju Smith; WR: The sophomore is shouldering additional responsibility without Agholor on the field, but Smith showed last season that he can be an impact player. Smith still caught 54 passes for 724 yards as the No. 2 target behind Agholor. Now the go-to receiver, Smith will receive plenty of attention from opposing defenses.
Adoree’ Jackson; CB/KR/WR: Jackson is a rare three-way player in modern day college football. The majority of the sophomore’s contributions will come as a cornerback and kick returner, but his speed can create problems for any secondary. Jackson is someone Notre Dame needs to keep a close eye on in all three phases of the game.
Su’a Cravens; OLB: With Williams and Tavai no longer members of the Trojans defense, Cravens returns as the team’s top pass rusher. His five sacks and 17 tackles for loss were in addition to a team-high three interceptions, and finding a way to nullify the junior’s impact is going to be a challenge for Notre Dame.
Notre Dame Matchup
The Trojans travel South Bend after embarrassing Notre Dame less than a year ago. The Irish had a depleted defense and was in the midst of a four-game slide, but the bottom line is that Southern Cal was a far superior team. The first order of business is to slow down the quarterback who marched Southern Cal down the field with ease in 2014. Dialing up pressure is one of the most pressing questions being asked of Notre Dame’s defense this fall. Generating a pass rush against an offensive line as strong as Southern Cal’s is going to be difficult.
Southern Cal is the only team aside from LSU that saw Zaire before the fourth quarter. The junior completed 9 of 20 passes for 170 yards, and carried the ball six times for 18 yards and a score. Notre Dame averaged 4.2 yards per carry in Los Angeles last November and needs more production from its ground game in 2015. Southern Cal controlled time of possession last year (37:39 to 22:21), and Notre Dame needs time-consuming drives to keep the ball away from the Trojans’ dangerous offense.
Early Prediction
This is arguably Notre Dame’s most difficult test on the schedule. The Irish should be able to compete with Southern Cal stride-for-stride barring the roster is healthy. But like the road trip to Clemson, this looks like one of the two probable losses based on where the teams stand prior to fall camp. Controlling Southern Cal’s playmakers is a must, and the Irish are going to have to do so if this game is to be won.
Day/Time: Oct. 17/7:30 p.m. (ET)
2014 Record: 9-4
Projected Returning Starters – Offense: 6
Projected Returning Starters – Defense: 7
Head Coach: Steve Sarkisian (second-year; 9-4)
2014 Points Scored: 35.8 (No. 22)
2014 Points Allowed: 25.2 (No. 45)
2014 Review
Former offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian returned to Southern Cal, this time as its head coach, with talent across the board. The Trojans dropped Stanford in Palo Alton, 13-10, seven days before a startling 37-31 defeat at the hands of Boston College. But behind an impressive season from quarterback Cody Kessler and soon-to-be NFL-bound Nelson Agholor at wide receiver, the Trojans’ passing offense thrived and earned nine wins.
All-American defensive tackle Leonard Williams powered Southern Cal’s frontline on the defensive side of the ball, recording 80 tackles and seven sacks as a junior. Sophomore Adoree’ Jackson garnered national attention for his three-way success as a kick returner, cornerback and wide receiver. An electric playmaker, Jackson recorded 49 tackles, caught 10 passes for 138 yards and three touchdowns in addition to tallying 684 return yards – he averaged nearly 30 yards per return and went the distance twice.
Expected Strengths
Kessler is widely considered a preseason Heisman Trophy favorite with 12-to-1 odds, according to Bovoda Sportsbook. He earned the right to have his named thrown into the conversation, completing 70 percent of his passes for 3,826 yards and tossing 39 touchdowns with only five interceptions. Agholor, his favorite target from last year, opted to leave school early for the NFL. That means sophomore Juju Smith should build off the 54 receptions and 724 receiving yards he recorded in his first season. The 6-foot-2 wideout takes over Agholor’s role opposite junior Darreus Rogers, while sophomore Steven Mitchell takes over in the slot. The nation’s 15th-ranked passing offense shouldn’t have too much of a drop-off with replacements in place.
Kessler should have plenty of time to throw the ball behind an experienced and physical offensive line. Three-year starter Max Tuerk is one of the top centers in college football. The senior has an All-Pac-12 freshman on either side of him, and both starting tackles return to make up a powerful unit.
Jackson is a breakaway threat who appears in every facet of the game. Keeping the ball out of his hands—on kickoffs, as a defensive back and at wide receiver—is nearly impossible. Outside linebacker Su’a Cravens recorded team-highs with three interceptions and 17 tackles for loss as a sophomore. Three starters return in the defensive backfield, with strong safety John Plattenburg as the only new first-stringer in the group.
Possible Weaknesses
Williams leaves a massive hole on the Trojans’ defensive line. Returning starters Delvon Simmons (44 tackles; 2.5 tackles for loss; one sack) and Antwaun Woods (37 tackles; one tackle for loss; one sack) didn’t generate nearly as much pressure as their fellow lineman. The Trojans also graduated another key member of the pass rush in outside linebacker J.R. Tavai (seven sacks; 13.5 tackles for loss), creating a need for one of the newcomers to generate some pressure.
The loss of running back Javorious Allen will be felt, and not just in the running game. Allen finished third on the team with 41 receptions behind Smith and Agholor. Junior running back Justin Davis is going to be expected to make up some of Allen’s 1,489 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, a tough task for someone who averaged 4.6 yards per carry and rushed for 595 yards a year ago.
Key Players
Cody Kessler; QB: The best performance of Kessler’s spectacular junior campaign came in the regular season finale against Notre Dame. He went 32 for 40, threw for 372 yards and tacked on six touchdowns in a 49-14 victory. One of the best quarterbacks in college football will once again be a decisive factor in determining the outcome of Southern Cal’s meeting with Notre Dame.
Juju Smith; WR: The sophomore is shouldering additional responsibility without Agholor on the field, but Smith showed last season that he can be an impact player. Smith still caught 54 passes for 724 yards as the No. 2 target behind Agholor. Now the go-to receiver, Smith will receive plenty of attention from opposing defenses.
Adoree’ Jackson; CB/KR/WR: Jackson is a rare three-way player in modern day college football. The majority of the sophomore’s contributions will come as a cornerback and kick returner, but his speed can create problems for any secondary. Jackson is someone Notre Dame needs to keep a close eye on in all three phases of the game.
Su’a Cravens; OLB: With Williams and Tavai no longer members of the Trojans defense, Cravens returns as the team’s top pass rusher. His five sacks and 17 tackles for loss were in addition to a team-high three interceptions, and finding a way to nullify the junior’s impact is going to be a challenge for Notre Dame.
Notre Dame Matchup
The Trojans travel South Bend after embarrassing Notre Dame less than a year ago. The Irish had a depleted defense and was in the midst of a four-game slide, but the bottom line is that Southern Cal was a far superior team. The first order of business is to slow down the quarterback who marched Southern Cal down the field with ease in 2014. Dialing up pressure is one of the most pressing questions being asked of Notre Dame’s defense this fall. Generating a pass rush against an offensive line as strong as Southern Cal’s is going to be difficult.
Southern Cal is the only team aside from LSU that saw Zaire before the fourth quarter. The junior completed 9 of 20 passes for 170 yards, and carried the ball six times for 18 yards and a score. Notre Dame averaged 4.2 yards per carry in Los Angeles last November and needs more production from its ground game in 2015. Southern Cal controlled time of possession last year (37:39 to 22:21), and Notre Dame needs time-consuming drives to keep the ball away from the Trojans’ dangerous offense.
Early Prediction
This is arguably Notre Dame’s most difficult test on the schedule. The Irish should be able to compete with Southern Cal stride-for-stride barring the roster is healthy. But like the road trip to Clemson, this looks like one of the two probable losses based on where the teams stand prior to fall camp. Controlling Southern Cal’s playmakers is a must, and the Irish are going to have to do so if this game is to be won.
