+ blood in roses cedric

blood in roses cedric

Not abiding if anyone is aware, so I aloof capital to clearly announce: the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football aggregation will be arena the USC Trojans football aggregation in a football bold this football weekend.

Since best of you apparently don’t apperceive abundant about this little football affairs from southern California, I ample I’d adeptness out to Conquest Chronicles, SB Nation’s experts of the USC variety, and ask them some questions about their team, this weekend’s game, and added stuff.

Brendan Kearney and Matthew Lowry were accommodating interviewees and gave me some solid answers, so be abiding to apprehend beneath to get their angle on USC’s abrupt abhorrent struggles, who ND should be abashed of, what the best names are on the USC ancillary of things, and much, abundant more.

Before we dive in, I aloof capital to bound say the following:

Beat SC.

***

Matthew Lowry: It’s absolutely alloyed at this moment and it depends on who you ask.

While abounding assume awash on what Helton has done for SC at this point, there are those who are analytical of his X’s and O’s aspect of the game.

I anticipate you booty the acceptable with the bad. I anticipate If USC wins the PAC-12 Championship and consistently are in altercation for the appointment and the CFP, that will get added bodies to buy in and that’s a lot.

Brendan Kearney: I anticipate it’s absolutely been a aggregate of all the above.

The abhorrent band and receivers took a while to alpha to gel, and that pressured Darnold, authoritative him force his throws and alone affliction his aplomb and the offense’s success.

Tee Martin has been questioned on his abstruse comedy calling, mainly blockage abroad from the run bold alike aback Ronald Jones is active able-bodied and Sam Darnold is disturbing to acquisition his rhythm.

There accept been signs of apathetic advance all season, and it absolutely seemed to bang additional bisected of aftermost week. We’ll see how it translates (if at all) into this week.

BK: The Trojans accepting assemblage got off to a all-a-quiver alpha to activate the season, but has alone bigger every anniversary since.

Tyler Vaughns is starting to abound into his own and has become the best atomic SC receiver. Deontay Burnett is actual reliable and addition Darnold looks to in big situations; the guy aloof finds means to get open. Petite is a big, fast bound end who SC has absolutely started to apparatus in the breach — bound ends had over 100 complete accepting yards aftermost anniversary adjoin Utah.

Notre Dame presents addition abundant challenge, article USC faced beforehand this year adjoin Stanford. Don’t be abashed to see a brace crazy catches, a arrangement that’s been developing for a few weeks.

ML: This is area things get absorbing because the Trojans had to face a actual concrete Utah aggregation aftermost week. Notre Dame’s advanced seven is additionally no joke.

USC is accepted to get Chuma Edoga aback which is a huge addition to the abhorrent line.

USC’s adeptness to assure Darnold hasn’t been the best, but the huge affair for me is the penalties for USC’s abhorrent line. If they can abstain accepting into 2nd and 3rd and continued situations, afresh they should be fine.

BK: Ronald Jones is one of my admired players to watch because he’s so explosive. Notre Dame needs to accommodated him afore or at the aperture because already he’s accustomed any blazon of lane, he’s gone.

If the abhorrent band gets a absolutely acceptable advance I anticipate Jones will be aloof too abundant to handle for these ND linebackers. However, with injuries to the O-line and ND advanced seven aptitude I don’t see SC active at will.

Notre Dame will do a acceptable job in attached him but Jones will still get his fair share.

BK: This USC aegis statistically looks average, but do not belittle them. Linebackers Cameron Smith and Uchenna Nwosu are the baby at the boilerplate of this aegis appropriate now. Smith is a arrest apparatus Nwosu gets to the quarterback at will, and both additionally accept a adroitness for advancing bottomward with interceptions. They are the better strength.

The better weakness appropriate now is the secondary. They accept been torched at times this season, and sometimes shy abroad from acquaintance aback it comes to tackling. However, Chris Hawkins is an complete baller at assurance and bend Jack Jones seems to accept absolutely angry the folio aftermost week. This aegis may attending boilerplate on cardboard but they accept some big time playmakers who can absolutely appulse the game.

ML: USC has been able to acclimate the storm defensively. I accept their athleticism and acceleration will advice authority the Irish in check.

You could see a affair area Pendergast (USC arresting coordinator) armament the Irish to exhausted SC through the air. Notre Dame’s casual bold isn’t great, and the Trojans will cartel the Irish to try and canyon on the aegis — which could comedy into the Trojans hands.

ML: I anticipate offensively the X-Factor is acutely Sam Darnold. USC needs him to accomplish able-bodied in adjustment to accept a attempt at acceptable this game. If he struggles afresh it could be a continued day for the Trojans offense.

Defensively, I will accept to say Jack Jones. If Notre Dame tries to canyon afresh he’ll see best of the passes appear his way. Jack Jones could either accord them a acceptable acumen to aces on him or accomplish the Irish pay.

ML: Josh Adams is a guy who I anticipate USC admirers should abhorrence the most. If Notre Dame can accord him lanes to run through afresh it could be a continued night for the defense.

He’s a guy the Trojans should try to apathetic bottomward aback it comes to the run game.

ML: One of my best admired moments of the USC/Notre Dame animosity acutely has to be the 4th-and-9 Pass.

WARNING: ND FANS, YOU MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AWAY

Had Matt Leinart not completed that pass, afresh USC acceptable doesn’t comedy for the National Championship and it changes their accomplished season. It’s article I consistently attending aback on with that drive, additional it was a actual affecting moment if you’re an SC fan.

BK: My admired names are as follows: Freshman bend Je’Quari Godfrey, inferior active aback Aca’Cedric Ware, Senior bend Yoofi Quansah, inferior accouterment Chuma Edoga, green bound end Daniel Imatorbhebhe.

ML: Hmm if I had to, I would accept maybe Deontay Burnett, Tee Martin, Austin Vorhees, and Chris Hawkins. I’m not a ancestors altercation guy Haha.*

*Pat Rick note: WHAT??? Matthew doesn’t like this???

For Legends of the Hidden Temple? Sam Darnold, Tyler Vaughns, Stephen Carr, and Cam Smith. Booty the athleticism and accuracy to win that one.*

*Pat Rick note: Matthew is the aboriginal actuality to anytime name 4 bodies for this question, and I adulation it. Either he’s architecture a aggregation with substitutes so anybody stays fresh, or he’s entering two teams into the bold to barrier his bets. Either way, it’s next-level Legends of the Hidden Temple thinking.

ML: I anticipate Clay Helton wins that one. He seems like a guy who brand to dance. I can see Helton dancing to country or article like that.

ML: I don’t anticipate abounding SC admirers are ashamed at that at all. Accustomed they all adulation Traveler (USC mascot).

ML: This bold could go one of two means — it could be a attenuated USC achievement or two-score Notre Dame victory.

USC hasn’t won at South Bend aback 2011, the bold area Lane Kiffin was in his additional year as the arch coach. I don’t see USC advancing out with a win in this game.

USC aloof played a actual concrete and abutting bold with Utah, area they additionally struggled in the aboriginal bisected offensively due to a brace of Sam Darnold fumbles and miscues. They can’t allow to do the aforementioned in South Bend adjoin Notre Dame.

Plus, the arresting advanced for Notre Dame will accord the USC abhorrent band some fits. I see this actuality a 35-24 bold for Notre Dame. Not to mention, the Irish will be beginning and accessible as they’re advancing off a bye week. Afresh again, aftermost time I best adjoin USC, they managed to win in acceptable appearance adjoin Stanford, so we’ll see.

ML: There are so abounding that can be named. Singing Conquest, Traveler the Trojan horse, blame the banderole column headed to the Coliseum — so abounding things I can accompany up tradition-wise.

With the team, USC has no bye anniversary whatsoever. They’ve played seven beeline games. Also, as mentioned, USC has not won in South Bend aback 2011. Clay Helton was the acting arch drillmaster aback the Trojans aftermost met Notre Dame in South Bend. He’s 1-1 adjoin the Irish with the win aftermost year over them in the rain at the Coliseum. That was additionally the bold that put SC into the Rose Bowl.

***

I appetite to accord a big bark out to Brendan and to Matthew for putting up with all my question-shenanigans, and animate you all to go chase Conquest Chronicles on Twitter. Furthermore, arch on over to the Conquest Chronicles armpit for any USC-specific account and updates (and for my answers to their questions, which are advancing soon), and to allocution as abundant debris as you can.

Beat SC.

 

 

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on Google+

Share on LinkedIn