Notre Dame responds to 'adversity,' authors win over USC - ESPN

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — After trading places at the podium with coach Marcus Freeman late Saturday night, Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman paused as a chant began near the main stadium tunnel.

«We love Marcus! We love Marcus!»

«Me too,» Hartman said with a smile.

The week had not started with an outpouring of support for Freeman, the second-year coach whose team had dropped two of three games to essentially fall out of the College Football Playoff race. A 33-20 loss at Louisville, not long after a heartbreaking home defeat to Ohio State, had stirred some doubt about the 37-year-old Freeman and Notre Dame's direction.

The week ended in decidedly different and dominating fashion, as No. 21 Notre Dame clobbered No. 10 USC 48-20, the Fighting Irish's most lopsided win against a top-10 opponent since beating USC by the same margin in 1995. Notre Dame scored on offense, defense and special teams to finish with its most points against an AP top-10 opponent since piling up 54 against No. 9 Boston College in 1992.

«Adversity is part of life,» Freeman said. «I told our guys… I want to be an anti-fragile program. I told them this on Monday. What does that mean? We just didn't get through it, through adversity. We are better because of the adversity we faced. That's easy to say. The challenge is do the things that it takes to make sure we're better, and that's what these coaches and players did.»

Notre Dame's defense did things not done before against USC quarterback Caleb Williams and the nation's No. 1 scoring offense entering Saturday's game (51.8 ppg). The Irish became the first team to intercept Williams three times, and did so in the first half. Led by safety Xavier Watts, who had two interceptions, a forced fumble and a 15-yard