Notre Dame needed two yards to tie the game. It got one.
Linebacker Ben Boulware and defensive tackle Carlos Watkins combined to stop the Irish’s DeShon Kiser at the one-yard line with seven seconds to go to preserve 11th-ranked Clemson’s 24-22 win. Kiser had just found Torii Hunter for a one-yard touchdown with seconds to play to pull No. 6 Notre Dame within two points.
Boulware said the Tigers were not surprised to see Kiser try to run in the two-point conversion.
“We knew what they were going to do,” Boulware said.
Clemson (4-0) had seen the play at least five other times on Saturday, and all five times the Tigers stuffed it.
“We have been watching film on them, even plays they have not run or they could have run we have been preparing for,” Boulware said. “We knew them in and out. That is why we won tonight.”
Clemson held the Irish to 116 rushing yards. They came into the game averaging 284.5 yards a game on the ground. Running back C.J. Prosise, who averaged 150 yards a game, was held to a season-low 50 yards on 15 carries.
“Everyone doubted us, saying we could not match their physicality, we could not stop their run … we just basically proved everybody wrong,” Boulware said.
They especially proved everyone wrong at the end of the game when Kiser ran the ball to the right where he met Watkins and Boulware.
“They bring that little option play with the double slot plus with their running back to the field. They ran it a couple of times tonight so we figured this was going to happen again, and it did,” Boulware said. “They needed two yards to score, and we stopped them. We prepared and put in a lot of work to beat this team and to stop them, and I think we did that tonight, accept for the stupid plays… the big chunk plays.”