No. 5 USC Football Hosts No. 13 Notre Dame At Coliseum For First Time Since 2018

THE GREATEST INTERSECTIONAL RIVALRY IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL

*USC and Notre Dame…two renowned brands…two iconic football programs…it doesn't get any better.

*USC hosts the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the 93rd meeting of the greatest intersectional rivalry in college football. It will be shown live nationally on ABC.

*The game is a battle between schools with glorious gridiron heritages. The winner gets year-long possession of the jeweled Shillelagh.

*By defeating UCLA, the Trojans have officially punched their ticket to Las Vegas to compete in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

*In its last 10 games against the Irish, USC is 3-7.

*USC is ranked No. 5 in the AP Poll and No. 5 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

*The AP No. 5 ranking is the highest by USC since 2017 when the Trojans were ranked No. 5 going into the Washington State game (fifth game of season).

*In the second round of CFP Rankings, USC was No. 7.

*The last time both teams were ranked for this matchup was 2017 when USC was No. 11 in the AP Poll and Notre Dame was No. 13.

*The 10-1 start is USC's best since the 2008 team started 10-1 and went on to finish 12-1 and defeated Penn State 38-24 in the Rose Bowl.

*Lincoln Riley is one win away from tying the most victories in a debut season by a USC head coach, which was 11 by Howard Jones in 1925 and John Robinson in 1976.

HE13SMAN

*Leading Heisman candidate QB Caleb Williams continues to impress the nation with his dazzling performances.

*Through 11 games, Williams has 33 TDs and 3 INTs. He is 250-for-385 (.649) for 3,480 yards. He has also rushed for 316 yards on 88 carries with 7 TDs.

*Williams has accounted for 40 total touchdowns in 11 games at USC.

*USC's 5 consecutive games with 40 points or more are the most since the 2003 team had 7 consecutive 40+ point games.

*Williams' 316 rushing yards this year are the most by a USC QB since Troy Winslow had 319 in 1965, and he is 3 yards shy of the most by a Trojan QB in the last 70 years when complete records were first available (342 yards by Jim Sears in 1952; Sears played halfback but led USC in passing that season).

*Williams is No. 3 in the nation in points responsible for per game (21.8).

*He is No. 4 in the nation in passing TDs (33) and leads the Pac-12 in the stat.

*He also is No. 4 in the nation in points responsible for (240) and total offense (345.1).

*He's No. 6 in the nation in passing yards (3,480) and passing yards per game (316.4).

*Williams is No. 8 in the nation in passing yards per completion (13.92), No. 9 in the nation in passing efficiency (167.6) and No. 11 in the nation in yards per pass attempt (9.04).

*USC is leads the nation in turnover margin (1.91) and turnovers lost (4).

*It is No. 2 in the nation and No. 1 in the Pac-12 in total offense (513.0).

*USC is No. 2 in the nation in 3rd down conversion percentage (.543). It is No. 3 in the nation and leads the Pac-12 in scoring offense (42.7).

*USC is No. 4 in the nation in passing offense (330.8). USC is No. 6 in the nation and No. 1 in the Pac-12 in team passing efficiency (168.47). USC also leads the Pac-12 Conference in passing yards per completion (13.89).

*Williams is currently No. 12 on USC's Single Season Passing Leaders list with 250 completions. He is on pace to become USC's all-time single season passing leader.

*Former Trojan Cody Kessler, currently holds the record for the lowest rate of interceptions in a season with 1.1% (5 in 452 attempts during the 2014 season). Williams is on pace to overtake that record since he is currently at 0.8% (3 in 385 attempts).

*Williams is currently tied for highest passing efficiency rating in a single USC season with Kedon Slovis (2019) at 167.6

*Williams now has 3,796 total offensive yards which ranks 4th on USC's single-season total yards list.

CALEB BY THE NUMBERS

Last 5 games

TULI TIME

*DL Tuli Tuipulotu is a Finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Rotary Lombardi Award.

*By virtue of being named a Nagurski finalist, Tuipulotu will make the FWAA All-American First Team and will become USC's 171st All-American first teamer.

*Tuipulotu is a semifinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy and a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award

*He is No. 3 in the nation in sacks (1.00) and leads the Pac-12 Conference.

*Tuipulotu's 11.5 sacks are the most in a single season at USC since Kenechi Udeze set the Trojans' record with 16.5 in 2003. He is also No. 4 in the nation in tackles for loss (1.7) and leads the Pac-12.

UCLA GAME RECAP

*Leading Heisman candidate QB Caleb Williams went 32-of-43 (.744) for a career-high 470 yards and 2 TDs and rushed for 33 yards on 8 carries with 1 TD to lead the Trojans to victory over crosstown rival UCLA 48-45 in the Rose Bowl.

*Williams' 503 total yards set a USC single game record. The previous record was held by Kedon Slovis who had 502 yards versus UCLA in 2019.

*Williams' 503 total yards was also the most by any player in the series' 92-game history.

*Williams had a 92.3 PFF passing grade against UCLA.

*USC's 5 consecutive games with 40 points or more are the most since the 2003 team had 7 consecutive 40+ point games.

*Williams distributed the ball to 9 different receivers during the game.

*WR Jordan Addison led the team with 11 receptions and a season-best 178 yards with 1 TD.

*WR Kyle Ford also had an impressive game with 3 receptions for 78 yards and 1 TD.

*RB Austin Jones was USC's leading rusher collecting a season-best 120 yards on 21 carries.

*RB Darwin Barlow bulldozed through the Bruin defense to score a TD late in the game. He recorded 25 rushing yards on 3 carries.

*Defensively, ILB Shane Lee led the Trojans with 9 tackles.

*He also had a momentum shifting interception as he picked off UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson at the end of the second quarter. This was Lee's second INT of the season and the third of his career. Lee's interception put USC in a position to have PK Denis Lynch kick a 49-yard FG to end the first half.

*DB Mekhi Blackmon also picked off Thompson-Robinson. This was Blackmon's third INT of the season and the fifth of his career.

*USC leads the nation in passes intercepted with 18 on the season. USC is also No. 3 in the nation in turnovers gained with 25.

*DL Tuli Tuipulotu led the team with 1.5 TFLs for 5 yards.

*On another pivotal defensive play, DL Tyrone Taleni sacked Thompson-Robinson and forced a fumble that DB Latrell McCutchin recovered for the Trojans.

*DB Max Williams recorded a career-high 3 PBUs.

*Coming into the game, UCLA RB Zach Charbonnet has lost just 8 yards on 152 carries in the 2022 season. The Trojans were able to successfully contain him as he lost 10 yards on 19 carries and finished the game with 95 yards.

NOTRE DAME SCOUTING REPORT

*The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are 8-3 overall and riding a five-game winning streak.

*They are coming off a 44-0 shutout of Boston College at home in a snowstorm with a temperature of 21 degrees.

*Conversely, they will be coming to Los Angeles where the high temperature on Saturday will be 73 degrees.

*After starting the season 0-2 with a tragic loss to Marshall, the Irish have rebounded and have won 8 of their last 9 games

*QB Drew Pyne leads the Fighting Irish. He is 141-of-228 for 19 TDs and 5 INTs.

*RB Audric Estime (136 carries for 782 yards for 11 TDs) is Notre Dame's top back. RB Logan Diggs (140 carries for 698 yards) is also a weapon on the ground for the Irish.

*TE Michael Mayer is Notre Dame's top pass catcher with 59 receptions for 711 yards and 7 TDs.

*Eight other Notre Dame receivers have caught TDs for the Irish this season.

*On the defensive side of the ball, S DJ Brown leads the team with 40 tackes.

*DL Justin Ademilola is the top sack man for the Irish with 3 sacks for 19 yards, while DL Rylie Mills leads the team in TFLs with 4.5 for 20 yards.

*CB Benjamin Morrison has collected 5 INTs on the season.

*K Blake Grupe is 13-of-18 in FGs this season with his long being 47 yards.

RANKINGS

*USC is ranked No. 5 in the latest AP Poll and 5th in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

*Notre Dame is ranked No. 13 in the AP Poll and 15th in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

*In the third round CFP rankings (which comes out on Tuesdays), the Trojans moved up to the No. 7 spot, while Notre Dame was No. 18.

*The AP No. 5 ranking is the highest by USC since 2017 when the Trojans were ranked No. 5 going into the Washington State game (fifth game of season).

SERIES

*Notre Dame leads the series with USC, which began in 1926, 50-36-5 (not including Troy's 2005 victory that was later vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 50-37-5). Including that 2005 vacated game, USC has won 11 of the last 19 meetings and 14 of the last 25 (including 8 in a row from 2002 to 2009), but ND has won 7 of the last 10. Since 1967, USC has gone 25-25-3 (not including the 2005 vacated game; original record: 26-25-3).

*In Los Angeles games, USC leads 22-20-4 and the Trojans have won 2 out of the last 3 Coliseum matchups.

*In their last meeting on Oct. 12, 2021, No. 10 Notre Dame won its 37th consecutive game against an unranked opponent when it posted a 31-16 victory over USC on a chilly (mid- to low-40s) evening in South Bend in front of a capacity crowd of 77,622 and a national NBC audience. It was USC's fourth straight loss in South Bend. USC had more total yards (428 to 383) than the Irish. But Troy converted just 6-of-13 third downs and had 9 penalties. WR Drake London tied a Notre Dame opponent game record by catching 15 passes for a career-high 171 yards, RB Keaontay Ingram rushed for 138 yards on 24 carries and QB Kedon Slovis completed 27-of-37 passes for 299 yards. ILBs Kana'i Mauga and Ralen Goforth and CB Isaac Taylor-Stuart each had a team-best 7 tackles, while OLB Drake Jackson had 6 tackles, including 2 for losses (with a sack). See page 4 for a complete recap of that most recent matchup.

USC vs. NOTRE DAME FOLLOWING UCLA

*USC is 18-21-4 (.465) versus Notre Dame in games immediately following the UCLA game, including 10-8-2 when USC is coming off a win over UCLA, 8-12-1 when coming off a loss to the Bruins and 0-1-1 coming off a tie.

RIVALRY DOMINATION

*USC has defeated both UCLA and Notre Dame in the same season 20 times, with 10 of those occasions occurring in back-to-back Bruin/Irish games (1938-56-62-64-72-74-76-78-2002-16), twice on consecutive Irish/Bruin games (2004-08) and the other 8 times (1967-79- 81-2003-05-07-09-11) coming when the Irish game was in October and the Bruin contest in November/December (2 of those UCLA wins--2004, 2005-- were later vacated due to NCAA penalty).

USC AND NOTRE DAME BOTH RANKED

*In USC-Notre Dame games in which both teams are ranked by AP, Notre Dame holds a 17-13-2 edge (not including 1 USC win vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 17-14-2). When USC is the higher ranked team in such games, the Trojans hold an 11-6-2 advantage (not including 1 USC win vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 12-6-2). The last time the teams met when both were ranked was in 2017, a 49-14 victory by No. 13 Notre Dame over No. 11 USC in South Bend.

USC FOOTBALL AND THE WORLD CUP

*USC has a 175-75-8 (.694) record in the 22 seasons when the World Cup was played, including 2022. In those years, the Trojans went to 12 bowl games (including 7 Rose Bowls) and won 7 of them, plus they captured 7 conference titles and were named national champion 3 times.

VERSUS PAC-12 CONFERENCE

*USC has won 69.9% (490-203-29) of its games against current Pac-12 opponents (does not include 9 wins later vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 499-203-29, 70.3%).

IN NOVEMBER

*USC has a 269-136-20 (.657) all-time record while playing in the month of November (not including 3 wins vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 272-136-20, .659).

SHILLELAGH

*The winner of the USC-Notre Dame game gets year-long possession of the jeweled Shillelagh. The foot-long shillelagh—a Gaelic war club made of oak or blackthorn saplings from Ireland—has ruby-adorned Trojan heads with the year and game score representing USC victories, while emerald-studded shamrocks stand for Notre Dame wins. For tie games, a combined Trojan head/shamrock medallion was used. The first Shillelagh was retired after the 1989 game when it ran out of space for the medallions and a second one is now in use. There are now 50 shamrocks, 37 Trojan heads and 5 combined medallions on the shillelaghs (1 USC win was later vacated due to NCAA penalty). W

INNING TRADITIONS

*USC and Notre Dame have 2 of the top gridiron heritages in the country. The schools have both won 11 national titles (USC in 1928-31-32-39-62-67-72-74-78-2003-04 and Notre Dame in 1924-29-30-43-46-47- 49-66-73-77-88). Notre Dame is fourth in all-time victories among Division I-A schools (937, not including 21 wins vacated due to NCAA penalty) and USC is ninth (866, not including 14 wins vacated due to NCAA penalty). USC has played in 53 bowls (with 34 wins, not including 1 win and 2 appearances vacated due to NCAA penalty), while Notre Dame has been in 40 bowls (with 19 wins). Thirteen players from both schools have won Heisman Trophies (USC's Mike Garrett, O.J. Simpson, Charles White, Marcus Allen, Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and Notre Dame's Angelo Bertelli, John Lujack, Leon Hart, John Lattner, Paul Hornung, John Huarte, Tim Brown). Notre Dame has had 200 All-American first teamers, while USC claims 170. USC has 34 players in the College Football Hall of Fame and Notre Dame has 48. Both schools have had 5 players selected first in the NFL draft and both are well-represented in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (a record 13 from each school). Both programs have had legendary coaches (USC's Gloomy Gus Henderson, Howard Jones, John McKay, John Robinson and Pete Carroll, and Notre Dame's Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy and Ara Parseghian).

A WIVES TALE

*If it had not been for the persuasiveness of a young bride in 1925, the Trojan-Irish series may never have been established. The series came about because of a discussion between two wives. USC's graduate manager, Gwynn Wilson was a forerunner to the modern-day athletic director. He and his and his bride, Marion, got on the Sunset Limited train to Lincoln, Nebraska where Notre Dame was going to play the Cornhuskers. Mission: a USC-Notre Dame home-and-home series. Wilson didn't get to meet with Rockne though, until after the game when they all got on a train to Chicago. "He told me that he couldn't meet USC because Notre Dame was traveling too much," Wilson said. "I thought the whole thing was off but as Rock and I talked, Marion was with Mrs. Rockne, Bonnie, in her compartment. Marion told Bonnie how nice Southern California was and how hospitable the people were." "Well, when Rock went back to the compartment, Bonnie talked him into the game. But if it hadn't been for Mrs. Wilson talking to Mrs. Rockne, there wouldn't have been a series."

USC-NOTRE DAME CONNECTIONS

*USC has no players from Indiana, while Notre Dame has 13 Californians on its roster.

*USC ILB Raesjon Davis, WR Kyron Hudson, WR Josiah Zamora, RUSH Solomon Tuliaupupu, DB Domani Jackson, WR CJ Williams and RB Raleek Brown were high school teammates with Notre Dame CB Clarence Lewis at Mater Dei.

*USC DB Briton Allen and Notre Dame Houston Griffith were high school teammates at IMG Academy.

*USC DB L Simpson and Notre Dame K Josh Bryan were high school teammates at Sierra Canyon.

*Notre Dame offensive line coach Harry Hiestand was a USC graduate assistant in 1987.

*Notre Dame running backs coach Deland McCullough previously served as USC's run game coordinator/running backs coach in 2017.

*The athletic departments and business schools at USC and Notre Dame, along with those at North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan and Texas, conduct the Sports Management Institute for mid- and upper-level sports administrators who aspire to be athletic directors, executive directors or general managers in college, amateur or pro sports.

SENIOR DAY

*USC's seniors will will be appearing in their final home game in the Coliseum. They will be introduced individually prior to kickoff as they run onto the field through the Heritage Tunnel comprised of former Trojan players.