Clemson will start November with a trip to Notre Dame on Saturday. Fresh off the No. 4 spot in the initial College Football Playoff rankings released earlier this week, a win in their final non-conference tile of the season would keep the Tigers squarely in the playoff mix.
What does Clemson need to do to ensure that happens? Here are three keys:
Stop – or at least slow down – the run
Here’s a telling stat to Notre Dame’s success this season: The Fighting Irish have won every game in which they’ve rushed for more than 150 yards.
The three games in which they haven’t? All losses.
Safe to say Notre Dame is going to lean on its three-headed monster in the backfield until Clemson proves it can stop the ground game, particularly with Notre Dame wanting to take the pressure off quarterback Drew Pyne, who began the season as the backup until injuries vaulted him to the top of the depth chart. Audric Estime, a 230-pounder bruiser who’s averaging 5.6 yards per carry, leads a Notre Dame running game that’s churning out more than 186 yards each time out.
But if you’re Clemson, you have to make Pyne and what’s proven to be an average group of Irish receivers try to beat you (Notre Dame’s pass offense ranks 106th nationally). And it’s not like the Tigers aren’t capable of doing that. While Clemson’s defense hasn’t been the most consistent group this season, the Tigers still own the nation’s No. 7-ranked rush defense, allowing just 87.9 yards per game on the ground.
The Tigers need a good showing from their touted defensive line, but don’t be shocked if defensive coordinator Wesley Goodwin crowds the line of scrimmage even more with linebackers and the occasional safety to provide even more support against what’s easily the best running game Clemson has seen this season.
Don’t let Notre Dame’s All-American go off
Another staple of Notre Dame’s offense is getting the ball to Michael Mayer. And why wouldn’t it be?
At 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, the Irish’s All-American tight end is a matchup nightmare at just about any spot on the field. And Notre Dame will frequently move him around – in line, in the slot or even on the outside – to try to find the best ones. Clemson will be able to counter with perhaps the most athletic group of linebackers Mayer has faced this season, which, whether it’s Trenton Simpson or Barrett Carter (who’s set to return to his Sam/nickel position this week), should help Clemson keep up with him in coverage from a speed perspective.
Still, Mayer figures to get his to an extent. He’s too good of a player not to. He already has 47 catches this season, nearly double the amount of Notre Dame’s next-closest pass-catcher (24). And a big-bodied mismatch like Mayer is a far-from-ideal scenario for any defense in the red zone, where the Irish likely wouldn’t hesitate to throw it up to Mayer in a one-on-one matchup to see if he can come down with it in the end zone.
It would behoove Clemson to keep Notre Dame from making too many trips to the red zone to minimize that possibility. And being able to contain the Irish’s run game up front would allow the Tigers to drop more defenders into coverage, something Clemson would ideally like to mix up against Mayer. The key is to not let Mayer go crazy.
Get good D.J. back
Clemson had turned the ball over just five times all season until that four-turnover fiasco against Syracuse its last time out. So, for now, let’s call that an outlier.
But the Tigers can’t do that again – and certainly not to that extent – if they’re serious about keeping their perfect record intact.
Clemson finished minus-3 in turnover margin against the Orange, winning a game for just the third time in the Dabo Swinney era when the turnover deficit has been that lopsided. The primary culprit was quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, who accounted for three of those turnovers with two interceptions and a fumble.
It looked more like a 2021 performance from Uiagalelei, who chalked up his issues against Syracuse to poor decision-making and being late on certain throws. The Tigers need the Uiagalelei that accounted for 21 touchdowns and just two picks through the first seven games to show back up Saturday. Not the one that was benched in the second half his last time out.
And with more than 450 total yards against Syracuse, Clemson was largely stopping itself with the turnovers. Hold on to the ball against Notre Dame, and there should be more opportunities for points. But a repeat of the Syracuse game in that department would likely result in a different outcome against the Irish.
Photo credit: Matt Cashore/USA TODAY Sports
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