Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr had one of his toughest games during his breakout season against the USC Trojans in South Bend last year. Carr went 16 of 26 for 136 yards, resulting in one touchdown and one interception in the storied rivalry game that was soon canceled for the foreseeable future.
The Fighting Irish have played against the Trojans since 1926, and since 1946, the rivalry game has been a fixture in the calendar, except for the 2020 COVID-19-affected year.
Why CJ Carr Wants Notre Dame to Renew USC, Michigan Rivalries
During Wednesday’s segment of the “Triple Option” podcast, Carr advocated for the Fighting Irish to resurrect their rivalry games against the USC Trojans and the Michigan Wolverines.
“Over social media, there was a lot of buzz about the USC games and I think Michigan’s supposed to be coming back at some point in the future,” Carr said. “Both of those teams, I think, this program would love to play.
“I grew up watching Michigan – Notre Dame and they’re very similar programs, I think. I think they need to be playing each other every year.”
The Michigan versus Notre Dame rivalry dates back to 1887, when the first iteration of the game was played in Notre Dame’s first game in South Bend. It has been an on-and-off series over the years, going on a hiatus after the 2018 and 2019 home-and-home series, which ended with a 45-14 Michigan win in Ann Arbor.
While the status of the USC versus Notre Dame rivalry game remains in limbo, the Wolverines will face off against the Fighting Irish in Ann Arbor in 2033 as part of a renewal of their home-and-home series, which will culminate in a game in South Bend in 2034.
While speaking to reporters before the Alamo Bowl against the TCU Horned Frogs in December, beleaguered USC coach Lincoln Riley called out Notre Dame for ducking their rivalry game.
“We took Notre Dame at their word that they would play us anytime and anywhere,” Riley said. “That proposal was rejected. Not only was it rejected, five minutes after we got the call, it was announced that they had scheduled another opponent (BYU), which I’ll give them credit. That might be the fastest scheduling act in college football history.”
The issue of the tenuous college football calendar affecting teams’ College Football Playoff prospects has led to a sharp increase in historic rivalry games being put on the back burner as elite programs seek favorable schedules to protect their playoff hopes.
