Skip to main content

Game Day Central: No. 20 USC Trojans vs. No. 13 Notre Dame football

Singer headshotby: Mike Singer10/18/25MikeTSinger
cj carr-6
Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr. (Mike Miller, Blue & Gold)

No. 13 Notre Dame (4-2) has been in playoff mode since losing against Texas A&M in September, with one more loss certainly ending the Irish’s hope to compete for a national championship. And the Irish have the chance for a marquee, ranked win on Saturday with the No. 20 USC Trojans (5-1, 3-1 Big Ten) coming to town. Blue & Gold gets you ready with what you need to know before today’s tilt.

Join us live on YouTube after the game as we break down ND vs. USC

GAME DAY INFORMATION

Date: Oct. 18, 2025
Site (Capacity): Notre Dame Stadium (77,622)
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
Television: NBC/Peacock
Radio: This game can be heard on Notre Dame IMG affiliates.
Series Facts: Notre Dame leads 52-38-5. The Irish have won six of the past seven matchups, including a 49-35 win on Nov. 30, 2024, in Los Angeles that clinched Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff berth. The Trojans have not won in South Bend since Oct. 22, 2011. Notre Dame and Southern Cal’s current contract ends after the 2025 season and the two sides have not agreed on an extension.
Head coaches: Southern Cal — Lincoln Riley (31-15, 4th season); Notre Dame — Marcus Freeman (37-12, 4th season).
Noting Southern Cal: Only three ranked wins since 2022 for Riley (2023 Holiday Bowl over No. 15 Louisville; 2024 season opener over No. 13 LSU; and last week over No. 15 Michigan) … Top two defenders to know are linebacker Eric Gentry (41 tackles, 3 sacks) and safety Bishop Fitzgerald (30 tackles, 3 interceptions) … Trojans rank 50th in scoring defense at 21.3 points per game, particularly struggling against the pass (7.8 opponent yards per attempt, tied for 98th in college football) … Reserve safety Kennedy Urlacher transferred from Notre Dame in April … Only three Trojans were drafted into the NFL this year, led by cornerback Jaylin Smith (third round, No. 97 overall).

Blue & Gold subscribersClick here for the full game day package with depth charts, rosters, stats and more.

GAME PREDICTIONS

BetMGM line: Irish -9.5 …. Over/under 61.5

Eric Hansen: ND 38, USC 30
Tyler Horka: ND 45, USC 28
Tyler James: ND 41, USC 38
Kyle Kelly: ND 35, USC 27
Jack Soble: ND 42, USC 31
Todd D. Burlage: ND 31, USC 24
Steve Downey: ND 34, USC 31

Full staff predictions article

PREGAME READING