Postgame Analysis- NOTRE DAME 20, USC 16

THE EIGHT GAME LOSING STREAK IS OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!! FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2001, NOTRE DAME HAS BEATEN USC!!!!!!!!

*Deep breath*

WE WON WE WON WE WON!!!!!

I'll calm down now, I promise.

This one was an absolute nail-biter. It came right now to the wire. It seemed bleak for Notre Dame at times. It looked there was a chance we were once again going to be on the receiving end of some ridiculous, "you've gotta be kidding me" crap. There was a lot of nervous pacing and loud swearing at my house.

But the Irish held on. They stood their ground, didn't give up and fought back. I didn't lose hope that they could come away with the win (my Twitter feed can back that up).

It wasn't the prettiest win. It was far from flawless. There were plenty of mishaps to go around. But right now, all that matters to the Irish is the scoreboard. The scoreboard that reads Notre Dame- 20, USC- 16.

And what a sweet sight it is.

Game Ball-

This was a no-brainer. The entire defense played great. They were easily the most dominant unit in the game, for either team. If they didn't play the way they did, Notre Dame doesn't win this game. End of story.

If I had to choose one player to give the game ball to, it would be a three-way tie between Manti T'eo, Brian Smith and Robert Hughes. All three had great games for the Irish. Brian Smith came up with some big plays when the team needed them. Robert Hughes gave the offense a much needed boost late in the game. And can anyone tackle better than Manti T'eo? Imagine what a dominate player he'll be when he's a senior.

Positives-

-Notre Dame beat USC for the first time since 2001 in Southern Cal!

-The defense. Whether it's the adjustments Bob Diaco has made or Brian Kelly instilling a new mindset or something else altogether, I don't know. But whatever it is, it's working wonders. It's hard to believe that just a few short weeks ago, the defense was being heavily criticized. The defense has been Notre Dame's biggest asset over the past three weeks and the defense is what won this game. They played with heart and didn't give up, even when things were rough. They came up big when they needed to and were the difference in the win. They were especially effective against the run game- without their starting nose tackle. Even with the offense committing turnover after turnover and giving the USC offense short field after short field, the defense didn't cave under pressure and held strong. They couldn't have played much better than they did last night.

-As badly as they struggled most of the game, the offense produced in do-or-die situations. That last touchdown drive was a thing of beauty.

-Notre Dame beat USC for the first time in 8 years!

-Robert Hughes. The sight of him pounding the ball hard up the middle was glorious. I'm not sold on Cierre Wood (he does well when he finds the right hole but he dances around and is too indecisive for my liking). Hughes was just what the doctor ordered. He gained good chunks of yardage and gave Tommy Rees some much-needed relief. I don't think he had a single negative run all night. He's a beast.

-As you all can imagine, I was happy that Brian Kelly didn't completely give up on the run. A few play calls were questionable, but that last drive was made up almost completely of running plays which took some pressure off of Rees. The final run-pass ratio was 27:32.

-The offensive line had one of their better games. When you're watching the highlights of the game, keep an eye on Braxston Cave during Hughes's five yard touchdown run. Perfect blocking.

-Gary Grey has another year of eligibility left and will bring his tackling skills back to Notre Dame next year.

-Did I mention that Notre Dame beat USC?

-The Irish only took one penalty the entire game (a 10 yarder). USC took eight for 47 yards. Penalty yardage is an often overlooked but key component of football games. It's something that only gets noticed when it starts costing you the game(s).

-This game reaffirmed what we already knew- Lane Kiffin can't coach and his dad takes power naps when he's supposed to be calling plays. If this game is anything to go by, Brian Kelly is going to have fun with USC while he's at Notre Dame.

Negatives-

-Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. Not only did Notre Dame lose the turnover battle 4-1, but USC scored all 16 of their points off of Notre Dame turnovers. Yes, they still found a way to win but if the defense hadn't been so lights-out, those turnovers would've been lethal. They nearly were, even with the way the defense played.

-I hope Brian Kelly is working on recruiting some defensive linemen because Notre Dame needs a better pass rush if they're going to return to relevance. The defensive line did a good job of getting penetration when USC ran the ball, but gave Mustain too much time to throw.

It was an excellent win to finish the regular season and a fitting way to end Brian Kelly's first regular season at Notre Dame! The Irish finish the season 7-5 and are bowl eligible. Everyone savor the fall of Troy as we await to find out which bowl game Notre Dame is going to attend.