Notre Dame excelled in the trenches against USC, winning 34-24 on a rainy night in South Bend.
The now 12th-ranked Fighting Irish have a lot to celebrate, but they need to improve before their matchup against Boston College.
The team has suffered injuries, including the loss of sophomore right guard Charles Jagusah to a broken arm and starting junior center Ashton Craig to a season-ending knee injury.
The passion put on display by both sides made clear how much this game mattered to the players.
Author's summary: Notre Dame wins against USC, but faces challenges ahead.