However, the man who has really made this all come together is Sophomore QB Everette Golson. You can thank running backs Theo Riddick and Cierre Wood, who have combined for almost 1,500 yards rushing and 8 scores. Offensively, they average 200 rushing yards per game, which is good enough to rank them 33rd in the country. By the way, when was the last time Norte Dame was ranked #1 in the nation right? You actually have to go all the way back to November 1993 when they were rewarded with the #1 ranking after they beat Florida State 31-24 in what was called “The Game of the Century.” He has 43 solo tackles on the year, not to mention the 6 INTs to go along with them. The Irish rank #1 in the nation in points against, allowing a meager 10.1 points. But you could just say that this team is loaded from top to bottom, which is definitely the case. They have played in (and won) a ton of close games and they have gone against some of the best teams in the country as well. The Fighting Irish are battle tested for sure. ![]() Now what has brought the Irish all the way to the verge of playing for a national championship? You could argue that what got them there is the brilliance of coaching from head coach Brian Kelly (26-10 in his 3 years as coach). Why the Irish Are So Damn Good this Year Golson is a huge reason for Notre Dame’s success this season. A second trophy was created at the start of the 1997 season and the original is on display at the University of Notre Dame, go check it out sometime! Here’s something interesting… the original shillelagh trophy was retired in 1989 because it ran out of space for its ornaments. Because of their win last year, Southern Cal is currently in possession of the Jeweled Shillelagh. This means that the winner holds the trophy for the year. While for a Notre Dame victory, an equally detailed green emerald studded shamrock is placed. When USC wins, a red ruby Trojan head is added with the year and game score. It was created by the Notre Dame Alumni Club of Los Angeles and it was stated that “this shillelagh will serve to symbolize in part the high tradition, the keen rivalry and above all the sincere respect which these two great universities have for each other.”įor each win, a jeweled ornament from the winning school is placed on the shillelagh. The Jeweled Shillelagh is a trophy that actually originated in 1952 to commemorate a rivalry between USC and Notre Dame that started way back in 1926. What the hell is a shillelagh? For those of you who aren’t Irish, like myself, a shillelagh is a walking staph used by little Irish leprechauns or Irishmen. Lets start with the history behind the Jeweled shillelagh, shall we? The Jeweled Shillelagh. That was easy enough right? Now for those who have been following college football all season long, I’m going to give you a little behind the scenes for both Southern Cal and Notre Dame. If #1 ranked Norte Dame beats USC this Saturday night, they are going to be playing for the national championship. Last Year’s Results: USC defeated Notre Dame 31-17įor those of you who have been under a rock for the entire duration of the college football season, I’ll make it nice and easy for you to understand. Overall Series Record: Notre Dame leads 43–34–5 #1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-0) USC Trojans (7-4, 5-4 in Pac-12) This hasn’t always been such a friendly rivalry. If you haven’t figured it out yet, I am talking about #1 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the USC Trojans in the battle for the Jeweled shillelagh. It, of course, has a trophy to go along with it, and not to mention national title I’mplications, so therefore it is deemed worthy to review. But I am breaking that streak today because we have a big football game on our hands. ![]() For those of you who don’t know what it is, I try to find rivalries that nobody is aware of and bring them to light for the not so average sports fan. In an unusual turn of events, I have decided to go against my MO for the Rivalry Trophy Series. Big League Clu previews one of the more well known rivalries in college sports.
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