Chapter 44

It had finally arrived. This was the day USC played number three Notre Dame.

David’s dad had called him the night before, giving David the story on Phil’s game. The Bulldogs had defeated the Rochester Red Devils, 34–24, for their fourth state championship. It’d been a banner night for Phil and as well for Roc. Rob wondered if the town would be erecting a statue of Coach Hope soon.

Before going downstairs, David logged into his hometown newspaper’s website to get the stats. Phil had gone 23 of 34 passing for 414 yards, and Roc garnered 162 yards receiving. David hoped Lincoln could continue performing at this level despite being fresh out of Dawsons.

The USC–Notre Dame game was slotted for the coveted 8 p.m. eastern showing on ABC. The team gathered in a ballroom to watch the early game between Big Ten rivals number four Michigan and number ten Ohio State.

David had received a message from his former high school teammate, Ty Wilson, that he was penciled in to the Michigan three-deep running-back spot. As David watched the game, Ty was rotated in during the second quarter and had a nice run.

Then David’s blood ran cold as his old rival, Mike Herndon, was inserted into the game at quarterback because the starter was all but killed by a Buckeye sack. As much as David wished for Mike to fail, he had a steady outing—but it wasn’t enough. Ohio State was dominant in all phases of the game and won 62–39 to knock one of the top five teams out of the college football playoffs.

When the game finished, it was time to load onto the buses and go to the stadium.

The ABC intro music faded, and the picture showed the two announcers for the game.

“Can the heavy underdogs salvage a bowl bid and spoil the playoff dreams of their long-distance rival from South Bend? Tonight’s game is between the undefeated Fighting Irish of Notre Dame and the USC Trojans. LA Memorial Coliseum is packed today with what have to be disappointed USC fans hoping to witness a miracle.

“Hello, everyone. I’m Tom Clause, along with Brett Goodrich, and we are about to watch the longest intersectional rivalry in the country, dating back to 1926.

“Brett, tell me why USC has a shot in this game,” Tom said.

“In terms of pressure, it’s all on the other side of the field.

“After going 11 and 2 last year, USC started the season ranked in the top 20, but their season hasn’t gone as they expected. The Trojans don’t have a College Football Playoff appearance coming, the UCLA loss was horrendous, and interim head coach Jason Merritt was fired because of it. But if they can ruin Notre Dame’s CFP dream, it would make their season.

“For USC, it all starts with their defensive front, which has been inconsistent this season despite having three returning all-conference players. Their sack production has dropped by more than 35% from last year. The Notre Dame offense is average, at best, so USC needs to put pressure on the Fighting Irish’s offensive line.

“Offensively, everything has been a struggle. Even when Matt Long has played well, it hasn’t translated into wins. That’s why they’re starting David Dawson tonight. He hasn’t lost a game in his previous three appearances.

“What Dawson needs to worry about is Notre Dame’s secondary, which has been the strength of their team so far. In his previous games, he’s done well passing, but he’s not faced a defense like the Fighting Irish. They’ve caused eighteen turnovers, including twelve interceptions. Theirs is one of the most experienced defenses in college football, including standout linebacker Dallas Lawson and edge rusher DeShawn Narcisse. Dawson will have to avoid making key turnovers and focus on moving the chains if USC is to have a chance.

“He must try to play like there’s no pressure on his shoulders,” Brett said.

“Another key for USC is stopping the penalties. Those have been a real problem for them,” Tom said.

“You’re right, Tom. Those self-inflicted wounds have killed drives for them and, I believe, have cost them games. And they need to avoid turnovers. The Trojans simply can’t afford to be beating themselves.”

“And what about Notre Dame? What do they have to do to win?” Tom asked.

“There’s no need to get cute here; just run the ball. Last week, USC got hammered with the ground game as UCLA battered them with 313 rushing yards. It was the third 200-plus-yard rushing game USC has given up in the last five they’ve played.

“An even bigger problem for USC is they’re not generating enough takeaways, which gets back to their defense’s spotty performance. Let’s face it: if Notre Dame takes care of the ball and doesn’t turn it over, it’ll be a long night for the Trojans.

“On defense, the Fighting Irish must contain Dawson. In his first game against UNLV, he ran all over the Rebels, setting a USC rushing record and an NCAA record for touchdowns. That’s the wild card in this game. But Notre Dame is not UNLV. Their defense is packed with talented veterans who have shown they can handle a running quarterback,” Brett said and paused before continuing.

“The Irish have spent much of this week’s practice preparing their run defense for this.

“At the same time, they can’t overlook Dawson’s passing. Though he did have a terrific running game against UNLV, he was a pocket passer in his games against Arizona and Colorado and put up some great numbers. Dawson can hurt them either way if they’re not careful.”

“Well, everyone in the studio is predicting a Notre Dame blowout. What say you?” Tom asked.

“I have to agree. Notre Dame isn’t going to blow it now.

“Don’t be surprised when USC has a few big moments to make it seem like a miracle is possible, but the Irish defense has been too good. When teams turn the ball over, the Irish have a knack for taking those opportunities and making them pay for their mistake.

“Some people may criticize Notre Dame’s schedule, but the fact remains that they’re undefeated and just four quarters away from going to the College Football Playoff. When the game is on the line, they’ll run the ball and take care of business,” Brett said.

“Final score?” Tom asked.

“35–10.”

After warming up, David found himself throwing up in a trash can in the locker room.

“Fuck me! Tell me you’re not sick,” Coach Thomas said, worried.

“I’m fine. I get a nervous stomach before big games. In high school, my teammates took it as a sign that I was about to lead them to victory,” David explained.

“I hope you’re right,” Coach Thomas said, then brought the team together. “I’m not going to give you some inspirational speech because you all know what’s on the line. A win, and we get to play in a bowl game. A loss, and our season’s over.”

David couldn’t contain himself.

“Our season is not going to be over,” David said to interrupt.

Everyone turned to look at him, some curious as to why he broke into the coach’s pregame speech.

“Tonight is about us, right? We have an opportunity to play fast, to play hard, and to play together. We have a chance to put the football world on notice. USC, the sleeping giant of college football, awakens. In front of a national television audience, we shock the world as we upset the number three team in the nation.

“I plan to do my part to make sure that happens. As the coaches always tell us, focus on your job, do it to the best of your ability, and good things will happen. I just want to know who else plans to do their job today? Who else wants to show everyone that we will no longer be a losing team? Who wants to set the table for things to come?” David asked.

“You heard the man,” Coach Thomas said.

The team loudly agreed.

“Then let’s go out there and do it,” Coach Thomas said.

Willy gathered the offensive line, and they led the team to the field. An ABC TV guy held them up in the tunnel. Over the PA system, they heard, “The USC Trojans take the field!” The TV guy stepped out of the way, and Willy led the team out of the tunnel to the cheers of a packed house.

The USC marching band began to play Fight On as the team ran toward their sideline.

David took it all in. This was why he’d come to USC—to play in games that mattered, and this was a big one. If they could somehow upset number three Notre Dame, it would be a turning point for USC and give them something to build on for next year. It would tell the football world that the old USC was back, that they would be in the hunt for the College Football Playoff. Once there, David didn’t plan to leave until they won the National Championship.

It was all right there in front of him, and he had the vision to see their success today and in the future. Notre Dame was in for a long day, in his opinion.

Up in the booth, Brett and Tom announced the game.

“David Dawson is more than just a quarterback. Let’s go to the sidelines to Kelly Ann Colman for an update,” Brett said.

The camera switched to Kelly Ann on the USC sideline.

“Thanks, Brett. As you said, David Dawson is more than just a quarterback. He’s also an actor who’s been featured in several films and has won an Academy Award. David has most recently had a guest-starring role in a highly rated soap opera, The Young and The Wild. At USC, he’s minoring in film and has been producing a weekly vodcast called Trojan Inquirer, covering both sports and filmmaking. This week, he had an assignment to do a documentary, which we’ll show you now.”

When the video was over, Kelly Ann followed up. “I talked to David about why he added the last part. He said he had a message for high school players: college ball is much harder, and every college player was once the star of their high school team. So when they come to college, they must find a way onto the field. He said it came down to making what he called ‘winning football moves.’”

Brett was the color analyst and had been a quarterback in the NFL.

“I agree with what he’s saying. I think the hardest thing I had to learn was that I wasn’t going to win on talent alone; I had to put in the work in the weight room, the practice field, and the film room,” Brett said.

USC received the opening kickoff and ran it out to the twenty-two-yard line. David led his team out to start.

“We have some new starters for USC at receiver, running back, offensive line, and, of course, at quarterback. In fact, the Trojans are starting four freshmen today. You don’t often see that, and certainly not at a Power Five program like USC.

“Dawson brings his team to the line of scrimmage. He’s in the shotgun as Notre Dame brings up a safety who looks to be in a run blitz. Dawson fakes the handoff and finds Callaway on a quick slant for an eight-yard gain,” Tom said.

“That was too easy. Dawson simply counted the men in the box and ran an RPO to a wide-open receiver. It was a simple pitch and catch,” Brett said.

“USC is hurrying up to the line to prevent Notre Dame from making any personnel changes. Dawson has moved under center.”

“Second and two opens the playbook. I wouldn’t be surprised if they take a shot downfield,” Brett said.

“Collins comes in motion, and on the snap, Dawson fakes a handoff to Diaz and finds his tight end on a flare-out. The Irish defense closes fast, but not before Hammer fights his way to a two-yard gain and a first down,” Tom said.