LOS ANGELES — Christian Gray returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown with 3:39 to play, Xavier Watts returned another interception 100 yards for a score with 1:18 left, and No. 5 Notre Dame punched its ticket to the College Football Playoff with its 10th consecutive victory, 49-35 over Southern California on Saturday.
Riley Leonard threw two touchdown passes and rushed for another score for the Fighting Irish (11-1), who completed an impressive regular season by holding off the persistent Trojans (6-6) for their sixth win in the last seven editions of this famed intersectional rivalry.
Notre Dame led 35-21 early in the fourth quarter, but Ja’Kobi Lane made the second of his three touchdown catches for the Trojans with 8:43 left.
After USC stopped the Irish offense, Jayden Maiava moved the Trojans to the Notre Dame 21 for a shot at a tying score — but Gray kept his feet after an acrobatic interception of a goal-line pass intended for Kyron Hudson, and the sophomore returned it all the way down the USC sideline.
Maiava led another desperate drive before throwing an easy end-zone pick to Watts, who took the same route for the clinching touchdown.
Notre Dame retained the Jeweled Shillelagh in the schools’ 95th meeting in a series that began in 1926 at the Coliseum.
Jadarian Price rushed for 111 yards and a touchdown for the Irish, and Jeremiyah Love added 99 yards and a score. Eli Raridon and Mitchell Evans caught TD passes from Duke transfer Leonard, who continued his solid finish to the season with 155 yards passing.
Maiava rushed for two touchdowns and passed for 360 yards in his first loss as the starter for USC (6-6), which lost five of eight to end a second straight disappointing regular season under coach Lincoln Riley.
Makai Lemon had 82 of his 133 yards receiving in the fourth quarter, but the Trojans didn’t hold a lead in the final period for the first time all season. Lane caught his third TD pass with 13 seconds left.
Woody Marks, USC’s 1,100-yard rusher, got hurt on a 9-yard run to begin the Trojans’ second drive. He didn’t return to the game despite being on the sideline, and the injury ended the Mississippi State transfer’s FBS-best streak of 56 consecutive games with a reception.
The first half was remarkably even in front of a big Coliseum crowd on a 75-degree (23.8 Celsius) game day. Love hurdled Kamari Ramsey to set up Raridon’s 12-yard TD catch 59 seconds before halftime, but the Trojans went 78 yards in 31 seconds to tie it on Lane’s 12-yard TD reception.
Price made a 36-yard TD run on the opening drive of the second half, but USC answered with Maiava’s second 1-yard TD plunge. Notre Dame’s offense responded with yet another lightning-quick drive against USC’s improved defense, and Leonard’s short TD run put the Irish up for good.
John Humphrey intercepted Leonard’s badly underthrown pass on Notre Dame’s next drive, but after the Irish defense stopped USC on downs, Evans caught a 23-yard TD pass.
Takeaways
Notre Dame: The Irish could only beat the teams on their schedule, and that’s what they’ve done every week since getting embarrassed by Northern Illinois. But it’s also tough to tell how they’ll respond to a big step up in competition level in the CFP after struggling a bit to hold off a .500 USC team.
USC: The Trojans’ lack of playmakers became glaring with Marks sidelined. Receivers repeatedly missed chances to help Maiava, while Riley didn’t stick with the running game in Marks’ absence. The USC defense also struggled after its largely solid season.
Caleb’s visit
Caleb Williams, the only USC quarterback to beat Notre Dame since 2016, watched from the Trojans’ sideline. The Chicago Bears rookie’s No. 13 was formally retired during an in-game ceremony.
Up next
Notre Dame: Likely hosting a first-round CFP game, since the Irish can’t get a top-four bye.
USC: A low-stakes bowl game for the second straight year, which isn’t what fans had in mind with the high-priced Riley.