SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Xavier Watts intercepted Caleb Williams twice and returned a fumble for a touchdown as No. 21 Notre Dame harassed the Heisman Trophy winner and handed No. 10 Southern California its first loss in a 48-20 victory on Saturday night.
Having lost twice in the three games, the Fighting Irish (6-2) bounced back against their longtime rivals in a big way. Watts had two of Notre Dame’s three first-half picks against Williams and then a 15-yard scoop-and-score with 3:27 left to add an exclamation point.
Benjamin Morrison had Notre Dame’s other interception of the half, leading to Audric Estime’s 1-yard plunge that put Notre Dame ahead 24-3. A week after wiping out a 17-point deficit to beat Arizona in overtime, the Trojans (6-1) had no such comeback in them.
Williams had only been intercepted once, but he was sacked four times by the Fighting Irish and finished with 199 yards passing and a TD.
Averaging 51.8 points per game, USC ended up with five turnovers and was limited to 92 yards rushing. The Fighting Irish racked up 11 tackles for loss.
Williams pulled USC within 31-20 with a seven-yard TD pass to Brenden Rice with 9:04 left in the fourth quarter.
Seconds later, the Notre Dame lead bounced back to 18 points when Jadarian Price returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a score.
USC lost for the fifth consecutive time at Notre Dame Stadium.
THE TAKEAWAY
USC: The defense has taken lots of well-earned criticism, but the offensive line is now also looking like a big issue with several huge games in the Pac-12 still ahead.
Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish ability to bounce back after a stinging 33-20 loss at Louisville gives Notre Dame momentum heading into the final four games of the season. After a week off, the Irish take on Pittsburgh, Clemson, Wake Forest and Stanford as they try to boost their bowl stock.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
USC feasted on a first-half schedule that included only one team with a winning record, but after the loss at Notre Dame, the Trojans can expect a significant slide in the rankings.
UP NEXT
Southern California: The Trojans jump back into Pac-12 action when they host No. 16 Utah.
Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish host Pittsburgh on Oct. 28.
