No. 12 Notre Dame at Clemson, Prediction

CLEMSON — When Clemson visited Notre Dame in South Bend on this very weekend last year, the Tigers were the favorites coming and it was the Irish that was struggling.

However, Notre Dame ended up feeding off its large home crowd and stunned the fifth-ranked Tigers with three non-offensive touchdowns in a 35-14 rout. Since then, Clemson is 7-7 in its last 14 games.

This season, it’s the 12-ranked Irish that come in nationally ranked in the polls and as the favorites to win the game against a Clemson team that is struggling on offense and has several key injuries to deal with.

Like Notre Dame last year, no one is giving the Tigers much of a chance to win the game. Can Clemson flip the script in Death Valley on Saturday?

“There is a lot of speculation going on that we are this and we are that, but if we go out and handle our business on Saturday, we can definitely flip the script and flip the narrative about Clemson football,” linebacker Barrett Carter said. “We are focusing on getting one percent better every single day. Hopefully, if we do that, we should go into Saturday and dominate and just show the world what we are about, and that Clemson football is still here.”

Below is a preview of Saturday’s game, along with my prediction.

Notre Dame (7-2) at Clemson (4-4)

Kickoff: Saturday, Nov. 4, Noon

Location: Memorial Stadium, Clemson, S.C.

TV: ABC

Spread: Notre Dame -3

Over/Under: 44.5

Series: Clemson leads 4-3

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Neither team is vying for a College Football Playoff spot. However, Notre Dame can possibly earn a New Year’s Six Bowl invite if it wins out. The Tigers are just looking for some positive vibes after losing two straight games to fall to 4-4 for the first time since 2010.

KEY MATCHUP

Turnovers have killed Clemson all season, and that’s not good news since it has to face a Notre Dame defense that is very opportunistic. The Irish rank third nationally in interceptions (13) and passing defense, allowing 158.6 per game. Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts leads the nation in interceptions this sea[1]son with six and that includes four in the last two games. This is not a great matchup for Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik, who has thrown three interceptions in the last two games and has played with shaky confidence all season.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

With 901 rushing yards this season, Notre Dame running back Audric Estimé has his sights set on becoming the 13th Notre Dame player to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. The junior ran for 104 yards and a touchdown against the Tigers last season in South Bend.

Clemson tight end Jake Briningstool enters the game with a career-high 344 receiving yards this season. He needs 156 yards to post the first 500-yard season by a Clemson tight end since Jordan Leggett in 2016 (736). In the last two games combined, Briningstool has hauled in 13 catches for 219 yards and two touchdowns, including a 50-yard catch-and-run against Miami on Oct. 21.

THIS AND THAT

Clemson enters the game having scored a rushing touchdown in 50 consecutive games at Death Valley, the nation’s longest active home streak. The last team to hold Clemson without a rushing touchdown at Memorial Stadium was Troy in 2016… Four of the five all-time on-campus regular season meetings between Clemson and Notre Dame have been decided by one possession. Clemson won both postseason matchups, a 30-3 win in the 2018 Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas, and a 34-10 win in the 2020 ACC Championship Game in Charlotte, N.C.

FINAL ANALYSIS

I am not sure this is a fair fight. Clemson is plenty good enough on defense to hang with the Irish and should have some success slowing them down. However, Clemson is so beat up on offense, I just can’t figure how it is going to move the ball on what is likely the best defense it has seen and will see the rest of the year. The Tigers were already struggling on offense, but with all the injuries that have piled up on that side of the ball the last two weeks, I just can’t see how it can compete against Notre Dame’s defense.

PREDICTION

Notre Dame 20, Clemson 10

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