USC notebook: Trojans shuffle defense against Notre Dame

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Coming disconnected its bye week, USC made a fewer changes to its defence successful Saturday’s 31-16 nonaccomplishment to Notre Dame, 1 owed to wounded and others arsenic an effort to shingle up a portion that has underperformed this season.

Starting nickel backmost Greg Johnson traveled with USC but did not formal for the crippled with an undisclosed injury. In his place, freshman Jaylin Smith started astatine nickel.

It was 1 of respective shingle ups to USC’s secondary, with information transfers Xavion Alford and Chris Thompson getting much tally than they person this season.

The changes had small interaction connected the results for the USC secondary, though. Notre Dame completed 73% of its passes for 213 yards and 1 touchdown successful the game.

Alford, a Texas transfer, had a frustrating performance. He mislaid Notre Dame receiver Avery Davis successful the extremity portion to springiness the Irish a touchdown successful the archetypal quarter, past committed a important walk interference punishment connected third-and-8 successful the 3rd 4th that gave the Irish first-and-goal.

An amerciable substitution and a precocious deed connected back-to-back plays made it first-and-goal from the half-yard-line, and Notre Dame punched it successful from determination for a 24-3 lead.

And of course, determination was Alford’s unsportsmanlike behaviour punishment during Notre Dame’s fourth-quarter thrust that enactment the crippled retired of reach. Alford deed an Irish receiver connected the crushed agelong aft the play was dormant to gully his 3rd emblem of the day.

Alford did person a walk breakup connected a imaginable touchdown walk successful the 2nd 4th to negate immoderate of the damage, but not enough.

Smith finished the crippled with 5 tackles, portion Thompson added two.

Sopsher makes debut

Defensive tackle Ishmael Sopsher made his USC debut against the Irish aft transferring from Alabama and undergoing compartment syndrome country this off-season.

Sopsher was mostly utilized successful short-yardage and goal-line situations.

“It felt bully to beryllium backmost retired determination with everybody,” Sopsher said. “I inactive got a fewer small things to enactment on.”

Dart dresses

Backup backmost Jaxson Dart dressed for Saturday’s crippled but did not play against the Irish. Dart took second-team snaps during USC’s pre-game warmups, but interim caput manager Donte Williams said helium was lone partially disposable for the crippled aft not taking immoderate interaction successful signifier this week.

“I attraction astir his semipermanent health, not conscionable 1 shot game,” Williams said. “He wasn’t each the mode right.”