notre dame 47, clemson 40 (2ot) | monday, november 9, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
One for the history books No. 4 Irish beat No. 1 Tigers in overtime thriller for first win over top-ranked team in Kelly era
Photo courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics
Irish graduate student wide receiver Javon McKinley dives to make a fingertip catch during Notre Dame’s double-overtime, 47-40 win over Clemson on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium. McKinley had a team-best five receptions for 102 yards, including a 45-yard grab that put the Irish in a position to retake the lead near the end of the third quarter.
Where were you when Irish eyes were smiling? Hayden Adams Sports Editor
I like Mike Tirico on the Notre Dame NBC broadcasts, but he just couldn’t do that game justice. Nobody could. Not even the dulcet tones of Morgan Freeman — one of the most iconic voice artists ever — could capture what it was like to be there when Notre Dame knocked off No. 1 Clemson. No announcer could evoke the same kinds of feelings of angst, stress, nerves, joy, excitement, hype, letdown, hype again, letdown again, relief, bliss and a host of other emotions as embodied by the mass of students who, admittedly, did not adhere to social distancing protocols while storming the field. Hey, I’m not gonna make excuses for that, but it begs the see ADAMS PAGE 3
By JIMMY WARD Associate Sports Editor
On perhaps the most influential day in American history, Notre Dame beat a top-ranked opponent in Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers. It was the first time the Irish hosted a No. 1 ranked opponent in 15 years and the last time they got a victory over the best in the nation since 1993. The double-overtime slugfest thriller had no dull moments. The Irish got off to a quick start as the first legal play saw sophomore running back Kyren Williams take it 65 yards to the house to give the Irish an early 7-0 lead just seconds into the game. Clemson would make an error on the following kickoff and muffed the kick, their first drive would start from their own six-yard line. After a quick first down, the Irish were able to halt the Tiger offense and get the ball back with great field position. But the next time their offense would reach the endzone was not until 22 seconds
remained in the game. Irish senior placekicker Jonathan Doerer would hit a 24-yard field goal to cushion the Irish lead, 10-0. Clemson struck back with a 53-yard touchdown but Doerer went four for five on field goal attempts with a 45-yard long to keep the Irish in it throughout the night as their offense struggled to find the endzone. But Clemson’s junior kicker B.T. Potter went 4-4 to keep the game neck and neck. The Notre Dame defense absolutely shut down Tigers senior running back Travis Etienne and the rush game overall holding Clemson to 34 net rush yards on 33 attempts. On the flip side Irish sophomore running back, Kyren Williams rushed for 140 yards on 23 carries and found the endzone on three separate occasions. Etienne led the Tigers with 28 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown. Irish defensive coordinator Clark Lea executed his gameplan to perfection and forced freshman quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei to air it out
for 439 yards and two touchdowns. It was expected that both Lea and Tigers defensive coordinator Brent Venables would force their opposition to throw the ball but the contrast of success was shocking, to say the least. While Notre Dame’s offensive line seemed to be able to will their way down the field, Clemson struggled immensely to even get the ball back to scrimmage on run plays. The Irish would get down inside Clemson’s ten again on their next drive but failed to convert on third down and Doerer banged home a 27-yarder to give the Irish a 13-7 lead over the Tigers. Etienne would field the subsequent kickoff and was met early by junior linebacker Jack Lamb, the Tigers would start this drive from their own 12. Clemson worked the ball down the field but were forced to settle for a field goal. Notre Dame would punt on their next possession but the Irish defense and one player, see VICTORY PAGE 2
Win will define legacy of Kelly, seniors By JIMMY WARD Associate Sports Editor
In 2015 a lot of leaders on this 2020 roster had either just committed or had just been recruited by Notre Dame. That same year the No. 12 ranked Clemson Tigers, led by Dabo Swinney, defeated the sixth ranked Irish in a nailbiter dubbed the “BYOG” game — “bring your own guts,” as Swinney put it in his mayhem-filled postgame interview. A recruit today would look at that game and say to himself, “Hey, I might be more successful if I went to a different school, a school more accustomed to winning in big games.” But this group decided to stick with their gut decision, and after putting in the work for four or five years, these seniors and graduates have see SENIORS PAGE 3