Trojans to ‘Push’ around Irish
The Notre Dame-Southern Cal rivalry is 91 years old and has featured more than a few memorable meetings. But it’s been a while since it was one of the marquee games of the week.
Not since the infamous “Bush Push” game of 2005, a 34-31 victory by Pom-Pom Pete Carroll’s top-ranked Trojans against Charlie Weis’ No. 9 Irish, have the teams been this good at the same time. And since Reggie Bush was rendered ineligible for that season and the win vacated, the game didn’t count anyway.
So the spotlight will shine bright tomorrow night on Notre Dame Stadium, where quarterback Sam Darnold will lead No. 11 USC (6-1) into battle against the power running attack of the No. 13 Irish (5-1), who have won four straight since a 20-19 loss to Georgia and are averaging 308 yards on the ground per game.
Notre Dame QB Brandon Wimbush allegedly is 100 percent after missing last week’s game with a foot injury, and he’ll combine with tailback Josh Adams (776 yards, five touchdowns) and a dominant offensive line to control the clock and try to wear down the Trojans defense.
But USC’s defensive front is the best the Irish have faced this season, and Darnold is capable of giving the Trojans a quick lead and forcing Notre Dame to throw, something it has not done well.
The Trojans are 3 1⁄2-point underdogs and a great bet to win straight up, at least until the victory is taken away by the NCAA. In other games:
TOMORROW
Virginia (-6) vs. Boston College — The Eagles’ upset of Louisville last week was exciting, but it came against a team whose defense simply has given up. Virginia is one of the nation’s top surprises at 5-1 and will not make the same mistakes, jumping ahead early and forcing BC to come back. AJ Dillon’s performance last week might have made people forget the Eagles passing game is one of the worst in the country.
Oklahoma State (-7) at Texas — The Longhorns are coming off a near upset of Oklahoma in a huge rivalry game and are ripe for a letdown. Cowboys quarterback Mason Rudolph already has thrown for 2,368 yards and 19 touchdowns, and he’s third in the nation in passer rating (191.0). He had 392 yards and four scores in last year’s rout of Texas. Expect more of the same as No. 10 Oklahoma State rolls.
Florida State (-7) vs. Louisville — Lamar Jackson still is playing like a Heisman Trophy winner, but he doesn’t play defense. The Cardinals have been embarrassed two straight weeks by North Carolina State and BC, and now they face freshman QB James Blackmon, who is much-improved since jumping in for injured Deondre Francois. The Seminoles are 2-3 but have plenty of talent to get revenge for last year’s 63-20 loss.
Michigan State (-61⁄2) vs. Indiana — The No. 18 Spartans are deliberate and flat-out boring, but you can’t argue with a 5-1 start that includes wins against Iowa and Michigan. They are unbeaten in the Big Ten and will use a stingy defense to stay that way against a Hoosiers team that lacks big-play ability.
Navy (+7) vs. Central Florida — Once this line jumped up to a touchdown, Navy became a good value bet. Everyone and their brother likes the No. 20 Knights to win going away, but as the Middies showed last week against Memphis, they stick with their game plan regardless of the score. Navy QB Zach Abey will grind the clock, make a ton of first downs and limit UCF’s possessions in a close game.
Kansas State (+14) vs. Oklahoma — Much like Oklahoma State, Kansas State is in a good spot, hosting a ninth-ranked Sooners team that spent a ton of energy holding off Texas. The Wildcats probably won’t win this game, but no matter who plays quarterback (injured starter Jesse Ertz or backup Alex Delton), he will be enough of a nuisance at home to cover.
Michigan (+9) at Penn State — The No. 19 Wolverines have a nonexistent passing game and can’t score touchdowns in the red zone, but their defense remains one of the best in the country, and Penn State Heisman candidate Saquon Barkley will find the sledding tough. The No. 2 Nittany Lions might win, but this will be a tight Big Ten slugfest. Last week: 2-4-2 Season: 26-26-2