Oct 17, 2015; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer (14) carries the ball as USC Trojans safety Chris Hawkins (4) defends in the second quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame won 41-31. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Running back C.J. Prosise rushed for 143 yards and two touchdowns, and No. 14 Notre Dame held on for a 41-31 victory over USC on Saturday.
Quarterback DeShone Kizer passed for 227 yards and two touchdowns. Notre Dame (6-1) earned its fourth win in the past six meetings against USC and topped 40 points against the Trojans for the first time since 1977.
Quarterback Cody Kessler completed 30 of 46 passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns. But the senior signal-caller threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter to spoil the comeback bid for USC (3-3).
USC interim coach Clay Helton lost his first game six days after replacing head coach Steve Sarkisian. The Trojans fell short despite outgaining Notre Dame 590-476.
The score was tied at 24 at halftime before USC grabbed a 31-24 edge with 9:40 to go in the third quarter. Kessler found tight end Taylor McNamara for a 4-yard touchdown pass.
Notre Dame pulled even at 31 on a 6-yard touchdown run by Prosise in the first minute of the fourth quarter.
A diving, 10-yard touchdown reception by wide receiver Corey Robinson gave Notre Dame a 38-31 lead with 9:06 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Justin Yoon added a 32-yard field goal to increase Notre Dame’s lead to 41-31 with 5:39 remaining.
Kessler gave USC a 7-0 lead on the opening drive when he faked a handoff and rolled right for a 3-yard touchdown run with 11:53 remaining in the first quarter.
Notre Dame evened the score at 7 on its first play from scrimmage. Wide receiver Will Fuller sprinted past USC cornerback Adoree’ Jackson and Kizer hit him in stride for a 75-yard touchdown.
USC regained a 10-7 lead on a 42-yard field goal by Alex Wood.
A 25-yard touchdown run by Prosise put Notre Dame on top 14-10 on the next series.
Notre Dame increased its lead to 21-10 on a blocked punt with 5:04 to go in the first quarter. Equanimeous St. Brown burst through the line of scrimmage to block the punt by USC’s Kris Albarado, and Amir Carlisle scooped the ball and raced 5 yards to the end zone.
A 32-yard field goal by Yoon put Notre Dame ahead 24-10.
USC quickly cut the deficit to 24-17. Kessler threw the ball behind the line of scrimmage to wide receiver Jalen Greene. Notre Dame’s defense bit on the play, and Greene stopped and lobbed a pass to wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster for a 75-yard touchdown with 5:41 remaining in the second quarter.
Less than three minutes later, USC evened the score at 24. Kessler fired a quick pass to Jackson, and the two-way standout sprinted past the secondary for an 83-yard touchdown.
NOTES: USC interim coach Clay Helton, who replaced Steve Sarkisian on Oct. 11, became the Trojans’ fourth leader to face Notre Dame in the past four years. Helton followed Sarkisian (2014), interim coach Ed Orgeron (2013) and head coach Lane Kiffin (2012). … Notre Dame LG Alex Bars exited the game in the second quarter with a left leg injury. … USC C Toa Lobendahn replaced C Max Tuerk, who sustained a season-ending knee injury last week. … Notre Dame honored alums Jerome Bettis and Tim Brown, both of whom were 2015 inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, during a pregame ceremony at midfield.
