Notre Dame vs. USC game balls: These five Irish stood out on Saturday
Playing from behind all night in a 38-27 loss to USC, Notre Dame couldn’t find a victory, but there were some bright spots in the loss.
These were the five Irish players who stood out in the regular-season finale.
Quarterback Drew Pyne
With 23-of-26 passing for 318 yards and 3 touchdowns, the performance by the Irish junior was statistically terrific.
And while a lost fumble and a late interception dragged down the overall worth of his game — perhaps unfairly — Notre Dame would’ve been lost without the many clutch plays Pyne made on Saturday.
Defensive end Isaiah Foskey
The senior defensive end was a menace throughout the game, especially in the first half, and finished the night with 5 tackles, including 2.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks, which extended his Irish career sack record to 26.5.
Foskey also forced a fumble in the first half.
Tight end Michael Mayer
The Irish junior All-American led all receivers with 8 catches, 98 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Even while working against double-, triple-, and sometimes even quadruple-team coverage, Mayer made clutch catches on third downs and goal-line situations.
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His performance was a terrific closing act to his Mackey Award candidacy as the nation’s best tight end.
Wide receiver Deion Colzie
The Irish sophomore continued his ascent as a rising star with 3 catches for 75 yards with a 23-yard touchdown — the first of his career — with a long reception of 30 yards.
Colzie’s 3 receptions tied his career high and the 75 yards was his personal best.
Defensive lineman Jayson Ademilola
On a night the Irish struggled to keep USC from making big plays, the graduate lineman did his part with 5 tackles, including 2.0 for loss and 0.5 sacks.
And those numbers do not include the disruption Ademilola provided that allowed other Irish defensemen to make stops on a night that Notre Dame recorded 8.0 tackles for loss.
