TCI hands out helmet stickers to some of the top performers in Clemson’s 24-22 victory over Notre Dame on Saturday…

Deshaun Watson

Watson’s numbers might not stand out to the naked eye—his 97 yards passing was his lowest total ever as a starter—but he made critical plays at the beginning of both halves. His pair of touchdown tosses early gave Clemson a two-score cushion that it held for most of the game. His cutback scoring run off of a Notre Dame fumble that opened the third quarter supplied Clemson with its final score of the day. Those plays alone accounted for virtually all of the scoring, and Watson also added 93 big yards on the ground for the Tigers.

Wayne Gallman

Gallman outrushed Watson by five, but his workhorse mentality has been a godsend to this Clemson offense that is otherwise without a true identity right now. The Wayne Train amassed 98 yards in the game by steadily getting tough yardage between the tackles. His biggest run came in the early stages of the fourth quarter, when he scampered 33 yards after showcasing some nifty back-and-forth juke moves to bounce a run to the outside. That run set up a field goal that ultimately won the game for the Tigers.

B.J. Goodson

Goodson had his moments of struggle, particularly in coverage. However, he made a pair of fine defensive plays down the stretch that swung momentum in the Tigers’ favor. The first one was an interception on the opening play of a Notre Dame drive with 6:41 to play in the game on a pass down the seam. After a missed field goal gave the Fighting Irish new life, Goodson emerged to pounce on a loose football after Jayron Kearse stripped Chris Brown near the goal line. Clemson’s defense forced four turnovers in the second half, and Goodson was involved in half of them.

Cordrea Tankersley & Mackensie Alexander

It would be too simplistic to credit one of these cornerbacks without doing the same to the other. Both were matched up with ballyhooed receiver Will Fuller throughout the game, and the combination held one of the nation’s best wideouts to just two catches for 37 yards. It was Fuller’s second-lowest yardage output since the start of last season. Both players should be commended for meeting and exceeding Fuller’s challenge on Twitter earlier in the week.

Ammon Lakip

Some might say Lakip did not help much in terms of the depth of kickoff, and those who do would be statistically correct. After Clemson totaled just four touchbacks in 21 kickoffs in its first three games, Lakip only managed one in his five tries on Saturday. However, he also caused a fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half with a big hit. That turnover led directly to Clemson’s final touchdown of the game. Lakip’s presence, though not explicitly felt in terms of kicking the ball into the end zone, was certainly felt in other areas during play.