DALLAS (FWAA) Brandon Wimbush threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more, and Josh Adams added three touchdown runs as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish blew out rival USC, 49-14. It was the first win over a ranked USC team since 1995 for the Fighting Irish and earned them the Football Writers Association of America National Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Oct. 21.
The announcement came on "Off Campus with Mark Packer" on ESPNU Radio on SiriusXM. Each Monday during the season, the FWAA National Team of the Week will be unveiled during the program, which airs weekdays from 4-7 p.m. ET.
Notre Dame (6-1) turned all three USC turnovers into touchdowns and held a 28-0 lead at the half, holding USC to minus-4 rushing yards on 12 attempts in the first half. Adams had an 84-yard touchdown run and finished with 191 yards on 19 carries, posting his fifth 100-yard rushing game of the season. Adams moved up to sixth in career rushing yards at Notre Dame with 2,735.
Wimbush tallied 106 yards for his third 100-yard rushing game. The Irishs 377 rushing yards are believed to be the most for Notre Dame against USC since 1950. Notre Dame·s 49 points scored were the most for the Irish in the series since a 49-19 win in 1977.
"The turnovers were key for us in the first half and being opportunistic, which really weve been all year offensively," head coach Brian Kelly said. "We want to be unique. Unique means this is not the crown jewel for us. We want more. This was a great victory and we·re excited about the win, beating a very good USC team, but our guys want to be unique. So there·s more out there for them."
This is Notre Dames fifth time to win the FWAA award and first since 2012.
The other National Team of the Week nominee for the weekend of Oct. 21 was:
UCF (6-0): The Knights are 6-0 for the first time in school history following a 31-21 road win at Navy. With the game tied 14-14 in the third quarter, Adrian Killins broke loose on a 79-yard run to put UCF ahead for good. Killins ran for a career-high 122 yards and two touchdowns and McKenzie Milton passed for 233 yards.
The Football Writers Association of America has named a national team of the week since the 2002 season. Members of the 12-person FWAA All-America Committee – plus one fan vote from Twitter – decide the weekly honor.
Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,400 men and women who cover college football.
The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key
executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas
that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team.
For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson
at tiger@fwaa.com.