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USC-Notre Dame Analysis: Another Ridiculous Game Plan

If you were a defensive coordinator facing USC, it only seems like Lincoln Riley does whatever he can to help you.

Riley offered another perplexing game plan against arch-rival Notre Dame on Saturday.

He stubbornly forced Jayden Maiava to throw pass-after-pass down the sidelines in favor of letting the mobile QB roll out or do anything that might confuse a defense.

Sooner or later, a cornerback will actually turn around when he knows the play and when Notre Dame’s Christian Gray did, he intercepted the pass and went 99 yards for the pick six.

That was in the fourth quarter. On USC’s first possession of the game, the Trojans had a fourth-and-2 from the Notre Dame 29-yard line. The Irish secondary motioned to each other before the snap that they knew the pass was going to Zacariah Branch and stopped him for a 1-yard gain.

It got worse. Riley inexplicably inserted reserve QB Jake Jensen with the ball at the Notre Dame 5-yard line. Jensen kept the ball and lost a yard. Isn’t that Maiava’s forte to run a keeper?

Jensen’s experience before Saturday was to take a couple knees against Utah State. Do you think Notre Dame was happy to see him in the game?

Was Riley trying to win or prove a point? It often seems hard to tell.

It feels like Riley made a QB change this season and then didn’t do anything to play to Maiava’s strengths.

  • How about the special teams blunder of the day?

Notre Dame had a fourth-and-nine at its own 26-yard line. Tyler Buchner completed a 23-yard pass on a fake punt. Do you think USC even realized Buchner started the first two games in 2022 at quarterback for the Irish?

Do you think USC realized Buchner got the ball on a fake field goal this season against Georgia Tech?

There was also a punt return in the first half where it appeared the Trojans had 10 men on the field and an illegal shift that negated a 74-yard punt.

  • Let’s not let D’Anton Lynn off the hook. Notre Dame ran a conservative offense that was afraid to let Riley Leonard do anything but throw short passes. And with good reason as his interception proved.

Instead, the Irish rushed for 258 yards. Remember when Michigan rushed for 290 yards against USC and the big excuse was that three plays accounted for most of the yards?

That wasn’t the case with Notre Dame, which had only three plays over 20 yards and ran at will against USC’s defense. Where were the linebackers Saturday?

  • Lastly, do you ever see Lincoln Riley interact with his team like this?
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46 thoughts on “USC-Notre Dame Analysis: Another Ridiculous Game Plan”

      1. Freeman now 11-5 v top 40 teams. Winner.

        Riley now 7-13 v top 40 teams. Loser.

        ND upgraded from a good HC to an excellent one,

        SC downgraded from okay HC to a flashy jack-hole.

        Liked by 1 person

  3. Riley was sold as a quarterback guru, an offensive genius. BS. His plays are predictable and are not fooling the defense. Last year Joel Klatt was calling out the running plays based on the position of the running back and this continues to be the case.

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  4. it’s beyond ridiculous- I’m praying the Chicago Bears do something stupid again and hire this guy. Honestly, I think Riley is blowing games on purpose so SC just fires him so he can get his payout. How many examples of his stupidity do we have to experience- the multiple 20 yard plus fade routes- when they need 3-5 yards for a 1st, forgetting the run, bringing in your 3rd string QB for a 4th down qb sneak- wtf was that. You can’t make up how he has somehow managed to repeat the same cycle Helton had us in- and this with better talent etc… who can believe his rhetoric anymore- No one- we are truly a mockery of a sham.

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  6. After the 3rd string quarterback was brought in for no gain, on the next play Mylava hit for a touchdown, so ‘no harm no foul’

    Another exciting SC game with the outcome undecided until the 3:40 mark of the 4th quarter. It seems SC has found its quarterback; now if they can only find some wideouts who can hang onto the ball every time

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  7. College football team have about 5 great teams- in the A level, 20 teams that are good in the B level, and then a ton of average teams in the next 30 or so, and unfortujnately let’s face it USC is now in this C level of programs nationally. This will not change until we get back to having superior lineman a few skilled wide receivers, and a qb will not get it done the game is one in the trenches. Maybe we need a head coach who has actually played in the trenches like Ed Orgeron instead of hiring all these qb coaches like Tollner, Hackett, and Riley.

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  8. It was a fun season for some, but it seems for the majority of SC fans it was a painful experience. Too bad for them

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    1. Fun season since week 2 for Notre Dame fans.

      Fun season ex one week for Sandusky St fans.

      Fun times for fans of Maryland, Minnesota, Michigan and Washington when SC visited.

      Fun season for true SC fans, notsomuch.

      Perhaps for a loser….

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  9. Turning around this program needs to begin with the foundation, and that is CLR. He needs to embrace the great traditions of USC, such as utilizing the football alumni and not ostracizing them. This also goes back to wearing the USC uniform the right way. No more red or yellow tights. No more one legged tights/socks. Everyone should look the same. Recruit and develop dominant offensive and defense lines, along with a punishing ground game. This all begins with a recruiting philosophy taking kids who want to be Trojans. I realize that NIL is a big factor, but if a kid is choosing USC based upon NIL alone is the kid that is not all in, and he gets you beat in the 4th quarter. It is this lack of commitment that cost USC six losses this season, which is unacceptable.

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    1. Riley isn’t into physical football, never will be, SC is stuck with this gufus until they can pay him off or someone takes him.

      Just remember, USC was two plays from winning the game yesterday !

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      1. ND’s O punched the SC D in the mouth drive 1,

        and despite 2 TOs and losing their best player,

        never stopped.

        ND’s D was down 2 All-Americans and 3 other stars,

        and SC hit chunk plays but could not control the LOS.

        SC was lucky to be in it.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. ND has depth, identity and toughness. They are hosting a CFP game.

      SC has talent, but no identity or toughness. They are headed to a desert wasteland bowl.

      Flashy O makes for splashy plays but brings little success if accompanied by splotchy O-line play and Charmin D. Amazing or predictable after hiring the former Big12 CoY?

      Irish D was down 2 All-Americans and 3 other stars and still won. Irish O punched SC in the mouth starting on first drive and never stopped despite losing their best player.

      Only their 2 TOs kept the game close until SC returned the favor.

      CFB is best when ND-SC rivalry is a championship pre-cursor. Under Riley not sure that will happen.

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  10. Jayden Maiava and Miller Moss have probably played their last games for USC and I can imagine more players will portal out of this Titanic of a mess football program, we’re toast as long as Riley is there.

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  11. ‘Mylava had a great game keeping SC in the mix by throwing for 3 tds (for his side) and running for 2. He has pocket confidence. And that first game-over interception was also the fault of the SC wideout, slipping or tripping when he could have tackled the ND guy for a short gain, and the Trojans are still very much in it

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  12. It seems there are 2 games to every football game– there is the real one and the ‘bettors one,’ with the Irish by 7 1/2 looking shaky until the very end

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  15. And then SC scores a last second touchdown to close in on ND 49-35, or in other words a meaningless touchdown, and the Trojan wideout who scored did not celebrate, he just turned and walked away sadly

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  16. The two late ‘100-yard’ interceptions detracted from an otherwise ‘pretty solid’ game for SC, especially that 550-yard offense

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  17. Another way to look at this 2024 SC season is that the Trojans are a 55-minute team; it’s those last 5-minutes that bites them everytime

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  18. KAM: How did your ‘turnover theory’ turn out in the SC-ND game?

    DON: They each had 2 turnovers, but ND’s quality was a tad better

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    1. Sparrow Calypso ” Did I tell you my wife was a psychologist ? “

      Lawyer John ” Why no. Did I tell you we’re both Yoda ? “

      Sparrow Calypso ” I thought you were a lawyer ? “

      Lawyer John ” No, I’m really 43 other people on a blog, you included “

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  19. But the future still looks bright for SC football if it can improve on its recruting. Coaching is over-rated; let me coach Larry Bird and I’ll win most games

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  20. Or ask the Ohio St coach what his loyal Buckeye fans think of him today. His expected retort might be, “Why blame me, I didn’t play”

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  21. Wiley is not a ‘hug-a-guy’ type of guy, it doesn’t suit him. But as a coach, the 2024 team was better than the 2023 one

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  22. Some sports radio commentator said that this is the greatest college football season ever. Expanding to a 12-team playoff system has kept more schools in contention, which sparks sports interest and tv ratings. It does have the feel of ‘Let the Real college football season begin’

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  23. Should Jen Cohen be inclined to fire LR, would this be an advantageous time to do so with Carol Folt having one foot out the door? I’m thinking there would be fewer obstacles to get around with her having lame duck status. This with the possibility of having a get out of jail free card because of the sanctions (don’t know if that’s even true) this could present a once in a lifetime opportunity to correct a mistake.

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