“And we’ll talk in the same kind of environment, very similar”. Clemson last won their first four games in 2013.
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Set to make his third career start and first on the road, Irish sophomore quarterback DeShone Kizer expects the jarring experience of “being along for the ride” last season on the Florida State trip to help calm his nerves tonight. “So they’re moving on quickly but never forgetting”.
A lot of eyes this fall have been on the Tigers’ new-look defense, which lost so many pieces: linemen Vic Beasley, DeShawn Williams and Grady Jarrett, linebackers Stephone Anthony and Tony Steward and safety Robert Smith. They are averaging 36.7 points.
It is no secret that Clemson has not been effective in the kicking game this year. He seems to get better every game but, you have to wonder if he is approaching his ceiling. However, Notre Dame still holds a 204-50 shot advantage over their opponents, led by Gilbertson (56) and Jacobs (39). This has to be due to a lack of respect for the level of competition. What’s worse, the ACC has four losses to Group of 5 teams. “They’ve got starters back everywhere”. They have not had the most hard schedule so far. “Just didn’t make a play or two maybe at the end that we needed to”, said Kelly of that Florida State game in 2014.
“I think the leadership on the team is excellent this year”, said Mertz when asked about October. Clemson has favored short and secure underneath passes so far this year. Quarterback Deshaun Watson has been intercepted on his second attempt in two straight games. On these occasions, he’s traded in his helmet for a whistle to coach the Pasquerilla East Pyros women’s interhall football team.
The Notre Dame and Clemson game will be broadcast on ABC’s Saturday Night Football at 8 PM.
But two Beaufort County high school football coaches were on Clemson’s roster when the Tigers and Irish tangled in the late 1970s. Clemson is ranked #1 in “Line Yards Against”, #1 in “Rushing Points per Play”, and #3 in “Power Success Rate”.
The Blue Devils limited the vaunted Georgia Tech running game to 173 yards on the ground last week and forced a couple of turnovers in a 34-20 win. Most of this is credited to long runs though. Clemson has allowed 114.67, 2.92 per carry.
Although Swinney backed off a little on his 12-game complaint, he didn’t equivocate about Notre Dame’s talent this year.
“I would be surprised if the moment was too big for him”, he said. “I would think that it’s a raucous crowd like we have at our stadium”.
Against the pass, Clemson is very good (19). “We had a bunch of young guys playing”. We put CBs on an island and attack aggressively.
[NBC SHOP: Get your Notre Dame gear]. Somehow though, they have been doing this without getting to the QB. They were a ranked team.
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Not available until after week 7 but, c’mon, edge to Notre Dame. Appalachian State by 17. I think this one comes down to the fourth quarter. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not true. We go out to dinner Monday nights. The pace is about to pick up with Notre Dame and ESPN’s College GameDay at Clemson Saturday and Georgia Tech rolling in a week later. Vegas is slightly pro-Clemson. “People were dropping left and right, and they all contributed to the team, so it really motivated us because we know they want to be out here with us”.
