Ian Book capped a clutch drive by scoring on a quarterback draw for eight yards out with 3:33 remaining in the game to give Notre Dame a ten point lead, and Brock Wright secured USC’s onside kick with a minute left to secure a hard-fought 30-27 victory over the Trojans. The hosts led by 20-3 early in the third quarter before USC quarterback Kedon Slovis caught fire and brought his team back.
The contest became a nail-biter with 10:27 remaining when Slovis connected with Tyler Vaughns on a five-yard scoring strike to narrow the gap to 23-20. With Notre Dame facing a season-defining challenge to relieve the pressure, the Irish turned to the running game.