Despite multiple nervous moments along the way, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish held off the competitive Southern Cal Trojans to raise their record to 5-1 with a 30-27 victory. The Irish entered the game as double-digit favorites. However, they were unable to salt the win away until the final minute when an onside kick that was recovered by reserve tight end Brock Wright.
Notre Dame appeared to be in control at halftime, holding a 17-3 lead, but that changed after being stopped on downs with four minutes left in the third quarter. For the remainder of the game, Southern Cal fought back and got within the final three-point margin with 1:04 left to play.