In the second quarter of their first five games, the Irish have outscored opponents 75-19.
“I think once we get a feel for the game, we have always talked about openers and being able to react to what they are doing and not wait until halftime,” Irish coach Charlie Weis said. “And that’s really where that comes into play, where now you can see where this game is heading and then you go ahead and adjust.”
Continuing that trend will be crucial if Notre Dame hopes to come away with a victory in its next game, against Southern California on Oct. 15–after its first week off.
The Trojans, the top-ranked team in the country, have averaged 54 points per game in four victories. And they have beaten Notre Dame by 31 points in each of the teams’ last three meetings.
Of course, an early lead means little against USC. In each of the last two games, against Oregon and Arizona State, the Trojans have trailed at halftime, by three and 18 points, respectively. They went on to beat the Ducks by 32 and the Sun Devils by 10.
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Next: Oct. 15 vs. Southern California, 2:30 p.m., WMAQ-Ch. 5
