As expected, the pomp and circumstance all week leading up to this epic game between the Trojans and the Fighting Irish was in full force. The hype and noise blared as both USC and Notre Dame knew how important this game would be — especially with speculation that this could mark the end of their traditional rivalry.
In the 96th meeting between the two teams, the Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh once again tilted toward the Irish.
No. 20 USC (5–2, 3–1 Big Ten) fell to No. 13 Notre Dame (5–2) 34–24 on Saturday night at Notre Dame Stadium. Despite a 328-yard, two-touchdown effort from redshirt junior quarterback Jayden Maiava, the Trojans couldn’t escape their own mistakes.
USC showed flashes of its potential firepower with 111 receiving yards from junior wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane, 10 tackles from sophomore linebacker Desman Stephens II, and a sack from sophomore defensive end Kameryn Crawford. But the Trojans’ three turnovers, coupled with lapses on slowing down Notre Dame’s running game, doomed their upset bid in one of college football’s most storied rivalries.
The Trojans came out swinging. Maiava opened sharp, finishing the opening drive with a 10-yard touchdown strike to redshirt senior tight end Lake McRee, putting USC up early and sealing the deal with redshirt freshman kicker Ryon Sayeri’s extra point.
Notre Dame responded quickly when junior running back Jeremiyah Love broke loose for a 63-yard run, followed by a 12-yard scoring touchdown to tie the game. USC regained momentum with Sayeri’s 42-yard field goal, taking a 10–7 lead.
In the second quarter, Notre Dame junior running back Jadarian Price — the second piece in the team’s lethal run game — capitalized on momentum and ended the opening drive with a 16-yard touchdown run, seizing a 14-10 lead. The explosive Irish running back duo continued to dominate the rushing game in the first half for a combined 136 yards against USC’s defense.
Despite Notre Dame’s advances, USC junior defensive end Braylan Shelby managed to intercept a third-and-goal pass from Notre Dame freshman quarterback CJ Carr. USC salvaged points before the break with another Sayeri field goal, narrowing the halftime deficit to 14–13.
The third quarter was a whirlwind of momentum shifts as Notre Dame and USC traded explosive plays and costly mistakes. Notre Dame opened with a gritty 13-play, 75-yard drive capped by Carr’s 6-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Will Pauling to push the lead to 21–13. But USC fought back behind Maiava’s accuracy and a pair of Notre Dame pass interference penalties that set up another Sayeri field goal from 43 yards out.
Maiava then found Lane for a 59-yard touchdown and hit him again for a gutsy two-point conversion, giving USC a 24–21 lead and sparking new life on the sideline. But the Irish immediately countered. Price returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, capitalizing on two missed Trojan tackles to reclaim a 27–24 advantage in the blink of an eye. USC’s next drive ended abruptly when Maiava threw an interception on a pass behind his receiver, halting the Trojans’ momentum and sending them into the fourth quarter trailing by three.
The fourth quarter sealed USC’s fate as turnovers and missed opportunities began to compound. The Irish missed an early field goal that briefly opened the door for USC, and Maiava responded with a 42-yard strike to junior wide receiver Makai Lemon to move deep into Irish territory—but that momentum vanished with Lemon’s costly fumble on the next play, marking USC’s second turnover of the night.
Notre Dame took advantage with a 50-yard drive resulting in a 1-yard rushing touchdown by Carr to extend the lead to 34–24. From there, the Irish defense took over. With time running out, Maiava threw his third interception of the game, each coming in the second half amid worsening weather. Despite flashes of offensive spark, USC’s miscues proved fatal, as successes were undone by their own mistakes.
Despite the setback, USC remains in the Big Ten race but its margin for error has narrowed. The Trojans return home for a bye week, but will be looking to clean up execution and improve their story with an away Big Ten match-up against Nebraska Nov. 1.
While it is still unknown whether there will be a 97th Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh, both schools and the world will always remember the historic roaring tide between this rivalry.