Notre Dame's Embarrassing Loss to USC Makes QB Controversy Very Real

LOS ANGELES — Brian Kelly walked into the Coliseum hoping his offense could win a shootout. He walked out with a quarterback controversy on his hands. 

That alone should give you an idea as to how ugly Saturday was for Notre Dame. The 49-14 loss was the worst of the Kelly era, transporting Irish fans back in time to a Trojan program reminiscent of the Pete Carroll era, when a visit to the Coliseum felt like a death sentence from the opening kickoff.

The patchwork defense the Irish brought to Los Angeles never really had a chance to stop Cody Kessler or the Trojan offense. And that was before six more members of the defense's two-deep went down. 

But the real story of the game is the the quarterback position. After a dreadful first half by Everett Golson, Kelly turned the keys to the offense over to sophomore Malik Zaire. And the sophomore provided a spark, providing a rare glimmer of hope and turning the next month of bowl preparation into a crossroads for the position.  

"Today we thought we had some things early on that we didn’t execute on," Kelly said after the game. "And that’s why we made a change at the QB position."

USA TODAY Sports

Golson's afternoon was a nightmare. Notre Dame punted on its first four possessions. And then it got worse. Golson threw an interception that went right through Corey Robinson's hands, leading to the Trojans' fourth touchdown.

Then Golson held on to the football too long looking for an open receiver and was stripped from behind by J.R. Tavai as the ball went right into the arms of Hayes Pullard. Seven plays later, another Kessler touchdown pass, and the rout was on. 

That ended Golson's afternoon, finishing his stat line at an abysmal seven of 18 for 75 yards, with the two turnovers running the tally up to 22 on the season. Golson barely completed more passes than Kessler threw touchdowns. 

From there, Zaire got his chance. And it didn't take long to see what the offense could look like. On his first throw, Zaire hit Chris Brown for a 49-yard gain. The next play he scampered off the right side on a zone-read keeper, capping off a three-play, 64-yard drive with a touchdown in just under a minute. 

After giving up 35 straight, the touchdown didn't mean much with the game essentially already over. But it showed the type of spark Zaire was capable of providing, something desperately needed for a team playing for pride at that point. 

"The only message I wanted to convey was that we need to play with a lot of heart and that we need to have a no-quit attitude," Zaire said after the game. "I felt like we were in the game until the clock hit zero. We cannot quit. And we need to play with a lot of heart even when the scoreboard says something different."

That's likely music to ears not just of Irish fans but Kelly as well. And after declaring "all jobs available" after the loss, Zaire's aggression as Golson continues to fade away has the Irish in a very interesting spot. 

Of course, putting Zaire's performance into proper context is important. With the Trojans able to score at will against the depleted Irish defense, Zaire wasn't facing the Trojans at their most tenacious. And his final stat line—nine of 20 for 170 yards, along with six rushes for 18 net yards—isn't necessarily a job stealer.

But there's no disputing that Zaire shook things up, to the point that Kelly wasn't able to make any statement about the quarterback position after the game.

"I really don’t have an answer for you," Kelly said. "We tried to get a spark offensively, and I think Malik gave us that spark."

That's all Zaire could ask for. And after only seeing the field in garbage time or in his adventures as a holder, postgame Zaire sounded like the type of confident football player who wants to take this chance and run with it.

"Everything in life is about getting an opportunity," Zaire said. "When the opportunity came I didn’t even look at it as this was a make-it-or-break-it point, but it was an opportunity for me to go out and help the team win a football game."

Notre Dame didn't win. And with the Irish defense as undermanned as it currently is, even the most modest of bowl games will be an uphill climb. 

But Zaire's ability to do something offensively turns the next month into an unlikely quarterback competition that seemed preposterous just a month ago. And that suits Zaire just fine. 

"Everyday’s a competition for me. Everyday’s a competition with myself to get better and to be a better leader for this team," Zaire said. "I just want to be a part of this team and be a great leader and help us win games."

That makes things quite interesting for Kelly. Because while Golson has been plagued by turnovers, he's also been productive. But against the 111th-best pass defense in the country, the veteran quarterback shrunk in the moment, a shell of the player we saw earlier this season.

So with just a bowl game before the Irish officially look to next season, the one position that looked settled in early October is now a battle.  

Not exactly the finish people saw coming. 

*All quotes obtained firsthand.