Live updates, highlights, score: No. 5 Notre Dame football vs. USC Trojans
LOS ANGELES — It’s simple for Notre Dame today. Beat your archrival and you’re in the College Football Playoff. Leave nothing to chance, which is more than Ohio State did in the same situation against Michigan on Saturday.
The No. 5 Fighting Irish (10-1) are at the USC Trojans (6-5) at 3:30 p.m. ET today on CBS. Follow along with Blue & Gold’s updates from the L.A. Coliseum below.
FINAL: Notre Dame wins 49-35 over USC
11/30/2024 06:22:04 PMNotre Dame knocks off USC 49-35 in a wild one! With that win, the Irish very well may end up with the No. 5 seed in the College Football Playoff
TOUCHDOWN, USC — 49-35 Irish
11/30/2024 06:21:44 PMTrojans get a garbage time touchdown.
TOUCHDOWN, Notre Dame — 49-28 Irish
11/30/2024 06:10:38 PM100-yard interception returned for a score by Xavier Watts! Notre Dame has broken the game open with 1:18 left.
TOUCHDOWN, Notre Dame — 42-28 Irish
11/30/2024 06:02:19 PMNotre Dame cornerback Christian Gray interceptions a pass and returns it 99 yards for a monster Irish score. ND leads by two touchdowns with 3:39 left.
USC driving
11/30/2024 05:56:38 PMThe Trojans get back to back big plays to take the ball well inside Irish territory with 4:14 to play. The first was a long passing play on third down and the second was a run on first and 10. This is coming down to the wire with the Irish up a touchdown.
USC ball
11/30/2024 05:54:17 PMNotre Dame probably should have ran the ball on 2nd and 5. Riley Leonard took a sack, all of a sudden it’s 3rd and 10, and the Irish haven’t had much for that all year. USC has the ball trailing 35-28 with 5:47 left.
First down, Notre Dame
11/30/2024 05:50:58 PMThe Irish maintain possession with a holding penalty on a USC defensive back on third and three. Huge call for the Notre Dame offense.
TOUCHDOWN, USC — 35-28 Irish
11/30/2024 05:44:18 PMThe Trojans aren’t done yet. They go down the field primarily via the pass, again, to get into the end zone with 8:43 remaining. The TD pass went against Christian Gray on a quick slant at the goal line.
Jeremiyah Love is OUT for the rest of the game
11/30/2024 05:34:27 PMCBS confirms what Blue & Gold has been tracking from the press box in L.A. — Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is out for the remainder of the game with a right leg injury.
Christian Gray pass breakup
11/30/2024 05:33:02 PMIt’s been a tough day for the sophomore corner, but he makes a pass breakup on third and long to get the ball back for the Irish offense up 35-21 with 14 minutes to go.
Riley Leonard throws interception
11/30/2024 05:12:27 PMIt appears Kris Mitchell and Riley Leonard were not on the same page. Leonard threw what would have been a comeback route and Mitchell ran a go. The result was an easy interception and the ball on the Irish’s side of the 50 for the USC offense late in the third quarter.
Jeremiyah Love on the bike
11/30/2024 05:11:24 PMNot where you want him to be if you’re an Irish fan.
Jeremiyah Love update
11/30/2024 05:01:49 PMJeremiyah Love comes out of the injury tent with a wrap on his right leg. He’s testing his mobility on the Notre Dame sideline. Now having a chat with head coach Marcus Freeman. Seems like he’s going to try to get back into the game.
TOUCHDOWN, Notre Dame — 28-21 Irish
11/30/2024 04:59:02 PMNotre Dame dialed up the quarterback run over and over and it paid off in Riley Leonard’s 14th rushing touchdown of the season. In a back and forth affair, the Irish are back in front midway through the third quarter.
Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love limps to injury tent
11/30/2024 04:57:37 PMAfter a heck of a reception for a gain of 17 yards, Irish RB Jeremiyah Love limped to the injury tent. That’s huge news for this game and for Notre Dame. He’s the Irish’s best player. He’s got 137 yards from scrimmage in this game.
TOUCHDOWN, USC — 21-21
11/30/2024 04:49:21 PMUSC is getting good at this whole answering Notre Dame touchdowns thing. Jayden Maiava extends the ball over the goal line from a yard away for his second rushing score of the game. The Trojans got down to that point of the field with the help of another pass interference penalty on sophomore corner Christian Gray, his second in as many drives. USC is picking on Gray a bit of late and it’s working. All knotted up again.
TOUCHDOWN, Notre Dame — 21-14 Irish
11/30/2024 04:39:25 PMJadarian Price gets into the end zone from 36 yards out because that’s just what he does — scores from way out. The Irish are back in front early in the second half.
TOUCHDOWN, USC — 14-14 (halftime)
11/30/2024 04:40:04 PMWell, that was quick. The Trojans accumulate 63 passing yards plus 15 more for pass interference, and just like that USC has tied the ballgame up at 14 with 24 seconds left in the first half. USC got the ball with under a minute to go and still went the distance for the TD.
TOUCHDOWN, Notre Dame — 14-7 Irish
11/30/2024 04:02:31 PMThe Irish make good on a chance to put points on the board before half and pay it off with a perfect pass from Riley Leonard to Eli Raridon in the corner of the end zone. Jeremiyah Love hurdled another defender to get the Irish into the red zone, then Leonard and Raridon took over from there. The Irish are back up with under a minute until halftime.
USC RB Woody Marks is OUT for the remainder of the game
11/30/2024 03:49:11 PMThe CBS broadcast announces the Trojans’ top tailback will not return to the game.
Notre Dame gets the ball back
11/30/2024 03:48:03 PMThe Irish defense does its job following the missed field goal, and a procedure penalty wipes out a 74-yard punt. The Trojans punt again, and it’s Notre Dame’s ball on its own 35-yard line with 3:26 left to take a lead into halftime.
Mitch Jeter misses short field goal
11/30/2024 03:42:06 PMNotre Dame can’t pay off the fake punt with points. The Irish have a bad drop from Beaux Collins then a couple runs netting just six yards. On fourth and four, Mitch Jeter misses a field goal from 27 yards away wide right. A complete push, just like his attempt at Yankee Stadium a week ago. It’s still 7-7 with 5:13 left until halftime.
Tyler Buchner fake punt pass
11/30/2024 03:36:01 PMYep. You read that right. In its own territory, Notre Dame dials up a fake punt pass for the former Fighting Irish quarterback and he finds Mitchell Evans for a gain of 18 and a first down.
Call stands — TOUCHDOWN, USC — 7-7
11/30/2024 03:27:10 PMIt is indeed 7-7. The Jayden Thomas fumble results in a quick Jayden Maiava touchdown, and we are all knotted up in Los Angeles with 12:07 to play in the second quarter. New ballgame.
TOUCHDOWN, USC — 7-7
11/30/2024 03:24:59 PMFor the time being, the referees rule Jayden Maiava got the ball over the goal line on a quarterback sneak. It’s being reviewed, however, and it’s tough to ever see when that was the case. He looks short, but it will tough to overturn the call on the field.
Notre Dame loses fumble in Irish territory
11/30/2024 03:20:15 PMSenior wide receiver has the ball popped free after a catch and USC recovers fairly deep in Irish territory. Tough play for a veteran to have happen. The Trojans are gifted new life.
END 1: Notre Dame 7, USC 0
11/30/2024 03:15:09 PMGood first quarter for the Irish. They’ve got the ball entering the second quarter, too. Couldn’t have asked for a much better start on the road in a rivalry game.
Notre Dame defense gets another stop
11/30/2024 03:12:34 PMDon’t tempt Al Golden with a good time on third more than five yards to go. He dials up a safety blitz with Xavier Watts, USC quarterback Jayden Maiava flees the pocket and throws a prayer downfield that ends up incomplete. It’s the Irish’s ball again.
USC RB Woody Marks goes down
11/30/2024 03:04:58 PMOn the first play of USC’s second offensive possession, Trojans tailback Woody Marks goes down and stays down for a bit. Trojans athletic trainers are checking him out, causing a media timeout. Marks eventually gets up and walks to the sideline under his own power.
TOUCHDOWN, Notre Dame — 7-0 Irish
11/30/2024 03:00:53 PMNotre Dame goes 72 yards in 13 plays and caps off an outstanding first offensive possession with a Jeremiyah Love 1-yard touchdown rush. The Irish are up late in the first quarter.
Notre Dame gets a fourth-down stop
11/30/2024 02:49:16 PMUSC sustained a drive with a few first downs on its first possession, but Irish cornerback Christian Gray came up with a big stop on a screen on fourth and two. The Irish offense takes over just inside its own 30.
USC wins the toss, and the Trojans will receive
11/30/2024 02:39:31 PMNotre Dame’s highly touted defense will be on the field first.
Caleb Williams gets things going
11/30/2024 02:35:41 PMUSC’s Heisman Trophy winning quarterback gave the fans a pregame spiel, and we’re moments away from kicking this one off. The Trojans are taking the field, soon to be followed by the Fighting Irish.
