CLEMSON —It all started with what Dabo Swinney called a PPO – a Punt-Pass-Option.

“PPO, Baby! I made it up about three years ago,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said after the Tigers’ 31-23 victory over No. 12 Notre Dame Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

With Clemson leading Notre Dame by eight points, the Tigers appeared to be going for fourth-and-four from the Irish’s 41-yard line. However, when he rolled to his right for what appeared to be a pass play, Klubnik instead punted the ball.

Not only did he punt it, but he punted it high, just enough for wide receivers Tyler Brown and Adam Randall to get under it and down it successfully at the Notre Dame four.

“We (practice) it every week,” Swinney said.

“If it is open throw it, if not, punt it,” the Clemson coach continued. “It is a punt-pass-option. It is going to be the new trend in college football. They have been waiting for me to call for three years. They looked at me like, ‘Is he is really calling that?’ I was like, ‘Yeah!’”

It turned out to be the play of the game. Klubnik’s punt changed field position and allowed Clemson’s nationally ranked defense to smother the Irish’s offense.

Notre Dame (7-3) got the ball six times after Klubnik’s punt. The Irish’s average field position on those six drives was its own 10-yard line, as they started four of those six drives at their own 7 or worse.

The Irish had no drive after that last longer than 20 yards and that was on their last possession of the game.

“That was another message to the team – playing a complete game and finishing,” said linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, whose second-quarter pick-six gave the Tigers a 24-6 lead at the time. “I feel like we went out there and did that. We got some good stops and got the ball back to the offense.

“We played good complimentary football.”

The Tigers (5-4) held Notre Dame to 60 total yards of offense over the final 18 minutes of the game. The Irish made just three first downs, punted four times, were picked off on the next to last series and then turned the ball over on downs on their final possession.

“We made plays all around and created havoc,” Trotter said. “I am really glad we were able to do that, I am really proud of my guys.”

And to think, it all started with a PPO.

“I was kind of shocked (Swinney) called it,” Klubnik said. “I finally got to call it. It was good. It was fun!”

It also worked to perfection and allowed the Clemson defense to smother Notre Dame the rest of the afternoon.

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