LOS ANGELES – Christian Gray was nearing the end of the worst performance of his Notre Dame football career on Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

USC repeatedly targeted the second-year starting cornerback through the air, which was a winning plan for the Trojans for much of the game. Of course, USC quarterback Jayden Maiava tried to test Gray again by having his team threaten to tie the game with less than four minutes left in the fourth quarter.

This time the plan backfired. Maiava threw well behind the wide receiver Kyron HudsonGray recognized it and made a twist catch for Notre Dame’s first forced turnover of the game. However, Gray wasn’t finished yet. He returned the interception 99 yards to give CFP No. 5 Notre Dame an insurmountable 14-point lead, ultimately leading to a 49-35 win.

“Christian Gray is a great player, but he had to get back to the moment where nothing else matters but doing his job for us to achieve team glory,” said the Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. “Don’t let anything personal influence this. I’m proud of him for doing it. He has confidence and is a really good player. He showed that in the second half.”

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Notre Dame (11-1) didn’t have a defense that looked like itself for most of the game. In a reverse scenario from much of the 2024 season, Notre Dame’s offense provided a more stable performance while the defense worked out its problems. But in the fourth quarter, the Irish defense rose to the occasion when the offense couldn’t finish the game.

After scoring 35 points in the first three quarters, Notre Dame’s offense struggled to make a three-pointer on its first drive of the fourth quarter. Then USC (6-6) cut the lead to 35-28 with a six-yard touchdown reception Ja’Kobi Lane in front of Gray. Notre Dame’s next drive consisted of just six plays before another punt.

That was the defining moment for Gray at the end of a USC drive that began after a 60-yard punt past its own 16-yard line James Rendell. The Trojans drove to the Notre Dame 21-yard line in five plays before Gray’s interception.

Notre Dame safety Notre Dame’s lead increased by 14 points without the offense having to take the field.

“It’s amazing,” Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard said as he watched from the sideline as the defense closed out the play. “I am of course their biggest fan. Every time they step on the pitch, I am sure you all have faith in them. I have a lot of confidence in them because I’m the one who had to play against them in fall camp. It was just a nightmare, so man, it was incredible. These guys are great.”

USC added a late touchdown to make the final score less one-sided, but the game was never one-sided on the field. Notre Dame didn’t take a two-point lead until late in the third quarter. That’s because USC’s offense gave the Irish problems, Notre Dame’s offense suffered two turnovers and kicker Mitch Jeter missed a 27-yard field goal.

A fumble by Notre Dame wide receiver Jayden Thomas led to USC’s first score, a one-yard touchdown run by Maiava that capped a five-play, 3-yard drive. Then USC’s offense began to find a rhythm on the final drive of the first half. Maiava led a five-play, 78-yard touchdown drive with 63 passing yards and a 15-yard defensive penalty in 31 seconds.

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Gray allowed a 35-yard completion and was called for pass interference on consecutive plays on USC’s scoring drive late in the first half. The drive ended with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Lane, apparently due to a miscommunication between Gray and nickelback Rod Heard II.

At the beginning of the second half, both offensive players exchanged blows. Running back Jadarian Price gave Notre Dame the lead again with a 36-yard touchdown run on the first drive. Maiava, who completed 27 of 49 passes (55.1%) for 360 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, scored another quarterback sneak for USC on the next drive. Then Leonard rushed for a two-yard touchdown to put Notre Dame back in the lead.

Notre Dame’s defense forced a punt on the ensuing drive, but then Leonard gave the ball right back to USC with a poor cornerback interception John Humphrey that was intended for wide receiver Kris Mitchell.

“Someone on the sidelines said he had enough time to catch it fair,” Leonard said. “Yeah, I have to work on that. I take great pride in protecting football. This can’t happen.”

Leonard completed 17 of his 22 passes (77.3%) for 155 yards and two touchdowns and ran 12 times for 50 yards and a touchdown. Price and fellow running back Jeremiyah Love scored 111 and 99 rushing yards, respectively, in a game-winning Notre Dame game on the ground. Both scored touchdowns, but Love left the game in the third quarter with an apparent right leg injury.

Freeman places emphasis on his team’s turnover margin, but the Irish were still ahead in the standings despite falling behind by two turnovers. The lead held as Notre Dame’s defense responded with a turnover on downs on the ensuing drive. Watts, who nearly gave up a big play on third-and-3, broke up a pass on fourth-and-3 to give the ball back to the Notre Dame offense.

The Irish offensive struck quickly. Runs of 4 and 35 yards by Price were followed by a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mitchell Evans to give Notre Dame a 35-21 lead. That was the last time ND’s offense provided much help. Luckily the Irish defense didn’t need that. The unit compensated for USC’s offense with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

Notre Dame’s 360 yards allowed are the most the Irish have given up since Freeman’s first game as head coach in the Fiesta Bowl following the 2021 season. Oklahoma State threw for 371 yards in that game. Georgia Tech had a season-high 269 yards against Notre Dame this year.

The Irish run defense wasn’t outstanding either. USC averaged 7.0 yards per rush with 28 carries for 197 yards and two touchdowns. Defensive coordinator AlGolden will have three weeks to identify improvements for Notre Dame’s later College Football Playoff home game. He and the defensive backs had to find a solution quicker in the fourth quarter.

Freeman’s message of reloading after every play resonated with Gray. He let out a scream after USC gained momentum before his interception. A secondary that has been a strength all season has rediscovered its strength when it needed it most.

“They’re resilient,” Freeman said of his secondary. “They fought. You are never out of the fight. That’s what you love about it. That they fought until the clock showed zero.”

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