Notre Dame hosts their biggest opponent since opening night at Ohio State when Clemson comes to South Bend tonight.
The Irish are coming off a win against a ranked opponent when they travelled to Syracuse and dominated the Orange, 41-24.
Notre Dame ran for 246 yards with Audric Estime leading the charge with 123 yards. Just as important, the Irish ran the ball 56 times and only threw the ball 19.
The 8-0 Tigers come into the game ranked 5th in the initial College Football Playoffs. Like a lot of Notre Dame’s opponents, Clemson has a week off before playing the Irish. Funny how that works.
Despite being yanked against Syracuse, DJ Uiagalelei is expected to start tonight for Clemson. DJ is completing 64.1% of his throws with 1,803 yards, 17 TDs and four interceptions.
Keys for Notre Dame:
Be unbalanced: Most coaches will tell you they have to be balanced on offense. If the Irish want to win, the formula will need to be similar to the win against Syracuse. That will be a tough task against the Clemson defensive line but if the Irish want to control the clock and the flow of the game, they have to be heavy on the run side.
Make Plays on the outside: Michael Mayer has been terrific for the Irish but Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has had two weeks to scheme against the best pass catching tight end in the country. That means when the Irish want to throw the ball, the guys on the outside must make plays. Lorenzo Styles or Branden Lenzy must be ready to make plays.
Get off the field: Notre Dame is tied for 29th in the country in Defensive 3rd Down percentage. Getting the defense off the field on time is paramount. If Clemson is able to stay in front of the chains and extend drives it could be curtains for the Irish.
