LOS ANGELES (AP) — Christian Gray returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown with 3:39 to play, Xavier Watts returned another interception 100 yards for a score with 1:18 left, and No. 5 Notre Dame punched its ticket to the College Football Playoff with its 10th consecutive victory, 49-35 over USC Football on Saturday.
Riley Leonard threw two touchdown passes and rushed for another score for the Fighting Irish (11-1), who completed an impressive regular season by holding off the persistent Trojans (6-6) for their sixth win in the last seven editions of this famed intersectional rivalry.
Notre Dame led 35-21 early in the fourth quarter, but Ja’Kobi Lane made the second of his three touchdown catches for the Trojans with 8:43 left.
there goes @cantGuardJak1 again ✌️ pic.twitter.com/K1wpFCgWnG
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) November 30, 2024
After USC stopped the Irish offense, Jayden Maiava moved the Trojans to the Notre Dame 21 for a shot at a tying score — but Gray kept his feet after an acrobatic interception of a goal-line pass intended for Kyron Hudson, and the sophomore returned it all the way down the USC sideline.
Maiava led another desperate drive before throwing an easy end-zone pick to Watts, who took the same route for the clinching touchdown.
Notre Dame retained the Jeweled Shillelagh in the schools’ 95th meeting in a series that began in 1926 at the Coliseum.
Jadarian Price rushed for 111 yards and a touchdown for the Irish, and Jeremiyah Love added 99 yards and a score. Eli Raridon and Mitchell Evans caught TD passes from Duke transfer Leonard, who continued his solid finish to the season with 155 yards passing.
Maiava rushed for two touchdowns and passed for 360 yards in his first loss as the starter for USC (6-6), which lost five of eight to end the regular season.
Makai Lemon had 82 of his 133 yards receiving in the fourth quarter, but the Trojans didn’t hold a lead in the final period for the first time all season. Lane caught his third TD pass with 13 seconds left.
Woody Marks, USC’s 1,100-yard rusher, got hurt on a 9-yard run to begin the Trojans’ second drive. He didn’t return to the game despite being on the sideline, and the injury ended the Mississippi State transfer’s FBS-best…
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