USC vs. Notre Dame live score, updates, highlights from Week 7 college football game

By | October 14, 2023
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USC and Notre Dame both appeared to be at their worst in Week 6. The difference was the Trojans beat Arizona in triple overtime. Notre Dame was bludgeoned in a 13-point loss to Louisville.

On Saturday, the two ranked teams will face off in the latest edition of a rivalry that dates back to 1926. Notre Dame leads the series at 48-37-5, but USC took the Jeweled Shillelagh in 2022, winning 38-27.

USC has remained undefeated, and looks the part of a national championship contender. The offense, led by reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, is averaging the most points and the fourth-most total yards of any team in college football. The defense, however, has had its issues, having allowed 27 points and 421.3 yards per game, both in the bottom half of college football.

Notre Dame has seen a season that began with plenty of promise unravel over the past three weeks, falling at home to Ohio State, narrowly beating Duke and then losing badly on the road against Louisville to drop the Fighting Irish from a top-10 rating to No. 21 in the AP Top 25. Still, the defense has often looked promising, averaging the 15th-fewest yards and points among teams, while the offense has ranked 35th and 36th in points scored and total yards this year.

MORE: Watch USC vs. Notre Dame live with Fubo (free trial)

The Sporting News is tracking updates and highlights from Saturday’s Week 7 game between USC and Notre Dame.

USC vs. Notre Dame score

  Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
USC 3 3 7    
Notre Dame 7 17 0    

USC vs. Notre Dame results, highlights from Week 7 game

(All times Eastern)

Third quarter

9:53 p.m. Notre Dame scoring play: Hartman uncorks a deep ball down the middle of the field and finds the speedy Tyree on the run. Tyree races the rest of the 15 yards into the end zone to score the touchdown and push Notre Dame’s lead back out to 18. Notre Dame 31, USC 13

9:52 p.m.: Evans, back in the field after an injury earlier in the quarter, catches a short pass and fights his way through contact to pick up the first down and tally eight yards up to the USC 46.

9:50 p.m.: The Fighting Irish are feeding Estime to start the drive. Estime runs up the middle for seven yards, another to the right for four yards and a first down and then a third run for three yards.

9:49 p.m.: Solid return by Ford will give the Fighting Irish the ball to start at their own 32.

9:45 p.m. USC scoring play: The Trojans have their first touchdown of the evening, as after a rush by Williams for four yards, Lloyd carves through the left side of the defense off a pitch from Williams and breaks loose for a 31-yard touchdown. Notre Dame 24, USC 13

9:44 p.m.: Williams bails USC out of another second-and-long, finding McKree up the middle and on the run, allowing him to move up for 21 to pick up the first down.

9:43 p.m.: Impressive play by Branch just to get back to the line of scrimmage after a reverse. Williams then connects with Singer on a pass down the right sideline, and Singer darts up for a gain of 11. But the Trojans give that yardage nearly all the way back after he was sacked for a loss of 10.

9:42 p.m.: Trading PI calls, as now Notre Dame is penalized for pass interference after Williams tried to find Rice on a deep shot down the middle. Morrison is called for the penalty, his third of the night. USC moves back to its own 43.

9:40 p.m.: USC is called for its second offensive pass interference penalty, with Mario Williams being flagged after a 10-yard catch by Washington. The Trojans will now have a first-and-25.

9:37 p.m.: Another short pass by Hartman, and Calen Bullock makes a great open-field play to tackle Ford after just a yard. Notre Dame punts, and Branch returns it 21 yards up to his team’s 43.

9:36 p.m.: Faison manages to get a yard on a short pass, then Love picks up four on the ground to set up a third-and-5 at the Notre Dame 30.

9:32 p.m.: Tyree returns the punt two yards up to the Notre Dame 25, where the Fighting Irish will begin their drive.

9:31 p.m.: USC goes three-and-out quickly, with Williams throwing an incompletion, a pass for a loss of four and another incompletion. Trojans still looking lost on offense.

9:29 p.m.: Branch boots the 50-yard punt, but he’s able to hop back on it and ensure USC retains possession. The Trojans will begin the drive from their own 30.

9:28 p.m.: Evans was injured on the play, and though he was able to walk off the field, he had to go to the blue tent. Hartman then throws a short pass to Holden Staes for three and misses him on the third-down try, forcing out the punting unit after a three-and-out.

9:26 p.m.: Hartman opens the drive with a play-action deep shot out to Evans, but the pass was broken up by Roland-Wallace, the second time he’s defended a pass out to Evans.

9:25 p.m.: The third quarter is under way, with Notre Dame beginning its drive at the 22 after a 17-yard return from Ford.

Second quarter

9:03 p.m. USC scoring play: The Trojans make the most of the defensive miscue and forced timeout and boot a 48-yard field goal to at least get closer, but this has been a disastrous half for the Trojans. Notre Dame 24, USC 6

9:02 p.m.: This Notre Dame defense continues to get after Williams, with Boubacar Traore sacking the quarterback for a loss of six. USC tries to snap the ball with several Notre Dame defenders in the backfield, but Marcus Freeman gets a timeout in time to prevent the penalty.

9:01 p.m.: Williams fires a strike to a streaking Washington, who then takes it 14 yards for a first down to the Notre Dame 25. Williams is then pressured and has to throw the ball away.

9 p.m.: USC runs the ball for four yards up the middle to bring up a third-and-3, and is now forced to burn its last timeout with 30 seconds left in the half.

8:57 p.m.: Back-to-back big plays by the Trojans, with Williams first hitting Washington for nine, then hitting Mario Williams for a pickup of 20. He then scrambles for three yards as USC uses a timeout with 39 seconds left. USC has a second-and-7 from the Notre Dame 43.

8:56 p.m.: USC will start the drive at the 25 after a touchback.

8:54 p.m. Notre Dame scoring play: Estime powers ahead from a yard out, and the Fighting Irish are dominating the Trojans. Just 1:30 left to play in the first half. Notre Dame 24, USC 3

8:52 p.m.: Back-to-back runs by Estime for five and eight yards sets up Notre Dame at the USC 1 with a first-and-goal.

8:51 p.m.: Now Hartman’s putting his legs to work, scrambling for 12 yards to the right side to set up a first-and-10 at the USC 4.

8:50 p.m.: Hartman responds to the pick by throwing a perfect deep pass to Flores, dropping the ball in his hands 24 yards out along the sideline to move up to the USC 26.

8:50 p.m.: This has been a half to forget for Williams. He again throws a pass into double coverage, and is again picked off, this time by Morrison.

8:48 p.m.: Williams connects with Mario Williams for 10 yards and a first down after missing Washington on a deep ball to start the drive. He then has to throw the ball away after he gets chased in the backfield by Bertrand.

8:43 p.m. Notre Dame scoring play: Estime makes ’em pay, plowing ahead for two yards and the touchdown to immediately cash the interception in to seven points. Notre Dame 17, USC 3

8:42 p.m.: Williams throws his second interception of the game, trying to find Singer but instead hitting Watts again in double coverage for Watts’ second pick of the game after the ball was tipped at the line. He had one interception all season, and now has thrown two, both to Watts.

8:40 p.m.: Williams finds Rice on a crossing route, but he drops the pass. The next play, Williams fires a quick pass to Branch in the slot, and he takes the ball up 10 yards for the first down to the 16.

8:36 p.m.: Branch returns the USC punt up to the Trojans’ 25 for 12 yards. A holding penalty brings the ball all the way back to the USC 6.

8:35 p.m.: Estime picked up four yards on the ground to start the drive, but Hartman missed a deep shot to Faison on the second-down play. He tries to find Evans up the middle, but Christian Roland-Wallace swats the ball out of Evans’ hands to force the three-and-out.

8:31 p.m.: This time, Jones is halted almost as soon as he picked up the handoff from Williams, getting brought down by JD Bertrand for a loss of four and giving the Fighting Irish the ball at their own 33.

8:31 p.m.: Jones is stopped a yard short on the third-down run, and the Trojans again face a fourth-and-1. The offense stays out on the field.

8:30 p.m.: Branch shows off his explosiveness, blazing ahead for 17 yards to set up a much more manageable third-and-3 at the Fighting Irish 31.

8:28 p.m.: Following an incompletion, Williams appeared to score a 38-yard rushing touchdown to tie the game at 10. However, left guard Emmanuel Pregnon is called for offensive holding, bringing the play all the way back and making it a second-and-20 for the Trojans.

8:27 p.m.: Williams rewards the decision to go for it, as he keeps the ball on an option and picks up eight yards up to the Notre Dame 38.

8:25 p.m.: This time, Lloyd’s going backwards as DJ Brown makes an impressive solo tackle to bring him down three yards behind the line of scrimmage. USC punts the ball away, but Notre Dame is called for running into the kicker, which sets up a fourth-and-1. The Trojans will go for it.

8:24 p.m.: Williams tries to connect with Rice on a deep shot after off-setting penalties reset the downs, but the two can’t connect. Lloyd picks up seven yards bouncing out to the right and beating two defenders to move into Notre Dame territory.

8:22 p.m.: Williams connects with Mario Williams right at the line of scrimmage to convert the third-and-4 at the USC 45.

8:21 p.m.: Jet sweep by Washington picks up 10 to the USC 35, following by a rush of six by Jones right up the middle. Trojans now have 47 yards on the ground as they look to wake their offense up in the first half.

8:20 p.m.: USC will start its drive from its own 25.

8:16 p.m. Notre Dame scoring play: On a third-and-7, Hartman throws a short pass out to Mitchell Evans, who is stopped right away only for a gain of five. Notre Dame is forced to settle for the 36-yard field goal, which Spencer Shrader successfully boots. Notre Dame 10, USC 3

8:14 p.m.: Make it back-to-back plays as Faison is handed the ball on a reverse, fooling the USC defense, and freeing up space down the right sideline to move up 16 yards to the UCS 26.

8:13 p.m.: The Fighting Irish kick off the second quarter with a big play, with Chris Tyree catching a short pass and taking it up the field 16 yards behind a few blockers to pick up the first down and move up to the Notre Dame 42.

First quarter

8:09 p.m.: Jeremiyah Love loses a yard, but Hartman helps pick it back up and more with a completion out to Jordan Faison to pick up seven. The second quarter will begin with Notre Dame on a third-and-4.

8:07 p.m.: Notre Dame will begin its drive at its own 36 after Devyn Ford returned the kickoff 28 yards.

8:04 p.m. USC scoring play: Three short plays by the Trojans, and the offense stalls at the Notre Dame 8, bringing up a fourth-and-5. Denis Lynch drills the 25-yard field goal to put USC on the board. Notre Dame 7, USC 3

8:02 p.m.: Michael Jackson catches a pass from Williams and heads up 12 yards, but Morrison is called for a personal foul that moves USC all the way up to the Notre Dame 13 and gives the Trojans an automatic first-and-10.

8:01 p.m.: Singer makes a 13-yard catch, but he’s called for pushing off Morrison and is flagged for offensive pass interference, backing the Trojans up to the Notre Dame 39 and bringing up a first-and-25.

8 p.m.: Jones picks up three on the ground, then Williams dumps the pass off to Zachariah Branch, who races up for a pick up of seven yards for another first down.

7:58 p.m.: Williams fires a strike up the middle to Dorian Singer to the Notre Dame 35 following a pickup of one on the ground by Jones, and the Trojan offense is rolling.

7:56 p.m.: Williams is flushed out of the pocket and scrambles for a gain of 11. Notre Dame is called for a defensive holding penalty on the play as well that adds to it for the Trojans, who have now moved all the way up to the Notre Dame 46.

7:54 p.m.: USC will begin its next drive at its own 33 with 6:38 left in the first quarter.

7:53 p.m.: The Fighting Irish will be forced to punt the ball away after Estime rushed for only a yard and Hartman’s next pass was incomplete out to Rico Flores Jr.

7:51 p.m.: Estime fights his way a yard past the first-down marker for a pickup of 11 to kick off Notre Dame’s drive. He then catches a pass for four yards to set up a second-and-6.

7:47 p.m.: The Trojans get the connection between Williams and Tahj Washington, but the wide receiver is stopped three yards shy of the first-down marker to bring out the punting unit. Notre Dame fair catches the punt at its own 14.

7:46 p.m.: Following a rush of four by Williams, USC is called for a snap infraction to bring up a second-and-11. Jones then rushes for three yards.

7:45 p.m.: Austin Jones picks up just five on the first-down carry, but on the second-down play, Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morris is called for defensive holding on a pass attempt, giving USC the first down up to the 34.

7:44 p.m.: Zachariah Branch returns the kickoff out to the USC 19. 

7:39 p.m. Notre Dame scoring play: The Fighting Irish are on the board first. Sam Hartman drops back and fires a pass to a leaping Gi’Bran Payne, who back-pedals into the end zone for the 4-yard touchdown. Notre Dame 7, USC 0

7:39 p.m.: Back-to-back runs by Audric Estime pick up eight yards to set up a third-and-2.

7:37 p.m.: Williams fires a strike to Brendan Rice for a pickup of 11 yards to pick up the first down, but he then over-shoots Lake McRee and is picked off by Xavier Watts. Watts takes the ball all the way back to the USC 12.

7:35 p.m.: First offensive play of the game is a run up the middle by MarShawn Lloyd, but he picks up just a yard. Caleb Williams scrambles on the next play, and gets out of bounds for no gain.

7:35 p.m.: USC will start with the ball at the 25.

7:29 p.m.: Just about time for the start of USC-Notre Dame. The stadium is dark as the fans welcome the Fighting Irish to the field.

7:03 p.m.: Before the start of Saturday’s game, be sure to read about Caleb Williams’ legendary high school game between DeMatha and Gonzaga in 2018, which helped put him on the map.

How to watch USC vs. Notre Dame

  • Date: Saturday, Oct. 14
  • Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Location: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Ind.
  • TV channel: NBC
  • Live stream: Peacock, Fubo

The latest edition of the rivalry between USC and Notre Dame will be carried on NBC. The game will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET from Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind. on Saturday, Oct. 14. 

There will be several options to stream the game. The game can be found on Peacock or on Fubo, which offers a free trial.

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