This game, like so many other ND games, closely resembled my love life; so many good ones that just slipped away. Except… this one didn’t. Your Fighting Irish just won their biggest game in 27 years with this battle that turned out to be everything we expected and quite a bit more. Did anybody see that coming? Yeah, quite a few people did, in fact. This team is really good and just getting better. I don’t care who was out for Clemson, ND had a few players out too and they had a hard pause to practice/training during the year that Clemson didn’t have. Clemson has more depth on their team with higher rated players and draft classes over the past several years. The best ND starters were better than the best Clemson starters. Period. I learned that
@thomasna is really the nom de plume for Brian Kelly after reviewing his game plan (
https://notredame.forums.rivals.com/threads/how-to-attack-venables-defense.159461/). Look at that at tell me that wasn’t exactly what happened in this game. Thanks for the insight coach! There were so many great moments and great posts I’ll do my best to capture what I saw/read, but while this may be a highlight of ND football, it is by no means the pinnacle. That is yet to come.
Uiagalelei/Lawrence- Stop. Don’t even get started with the “If Lawrence was playing things would have been different” BS. He was the Lawrence of his class. He had more experience that Lawrence did when he stepped in as Clemson QB and led them to a NC. He shredded the ND secondary for 439 yards and 2 TDs. Those 439 yards were the most against any ND defense… ever… topping Carson Palmer’s 425 in 2002. I call that a Two-fer… we win a game and a USC record gets broken. No this game wouldn’t have been altered one bit by the QB. This was decided by the
@alperry grunts on both lines, and the absolute domination of the Clemson ground game by ND. Although not a true running play, the Jack Lamb takedown of Etienne after the 2nd ND FG epitomized how dominant ND was against Clemson’s ball carriers.
It Was Over When- Skowronek dropped the ball on 4th and 7 with 2:10 left in the game. I knew it was over then. I’ve seen this movie before. Another close game had slipped away. Except… it didn’t. A great defense and a timely timeout gave ND the Irish a chance to put it back it the hands of a money QB, a dominant O-line, and an overlooked former QB turned receiver who has been making noise lately to send this game into OT. I’ll do my best to tie these thoughts together in the next few paragraphs.
Brian Kelly- We’ve seen a lot of BK incarnations over the years, but THIS was the one we thought we were getting in 2009 and, I say this very honestly, he still hasn’t peaked. His timeout at 2:06 in the 4th was brilliant and gave the D a chance to get the ball back, and they delivered. The man has evolved and become a better coach. Very few people in any profession have that ability. This was BK from a talk show a couple of months ago (Using quotes but basically paraphrasing some parts): “Consistently, double digit wins puts you, then, in a position where you can recruit at the highest level… You have to break through and win one of those games… I had a similar situation in the other programs I’ve been at… but we finally broke through. And we’ll break through at ND.” You broke through, Coach. You got the signature win. The best is yet to come. (Rivals competitor. PM me for source).
Defense- Ladies and Gentlemen, ND has a defense. Finally. I know I’ve said it before but this is your proof in a big game. Sure they gave up a lot of passing yds, but they came up with big plays and contained the run all game. Big plays and big players.
Geek Stat: Etienne’s 28 yds rushing were his lowest since Alabama held him to 22 yds in the 2017 NC as a true freshman and his 1.6 ypc were his lowest. Ever. By .8 ypc (previous low was 2.4 in a win against VT as a freshman). They call that dominant where I come from. Their work in the 2nd OT was as good a D as you’re ever gonna see.
Davis- Mentioned this last week but check out @patrickengel’s story on him
https://notredame.rivals.com/news/a...t-home-and-notre-dame-is-better-because-of-it It’s a damn-near positive foreshadowing of how important this guy is/was. His 4thQ play “after it was over” was incredible and we don’t win the game without him.
@thomasna, I mean BK, calling that long pass to Davis with a minute left was a game changer.
It was Over When, Part 2- Clemson gets the ball on the 1st possession of the OT and scores 2 plays in. I’ve seen this movie before. Again. I knew it was over. Again. Except… it wasn’t. Look back on the D and see the next paragraph.
Book- Let me leave this to a better poster than me:
He led the team 91 yards downfield with under two minutes to go, against one of the best teams in the country, with one of the two best defensive coordinators in the country (yeah, I'm biased). And then he led them to two TD's in OT. In that span of time, he made decisions and he made plays that rank with the best clutch performances I've seen from an ND QB going back to Terry Hanratty. Not saying it was the best -- that would be impossible to categorize, and my rear view mirror looks like the bottom of a whiskey tumbler for some of those games, but certainly among the best. He was like a prize fighter who couldn't be knocked out.
Think back to that last minute of play in the 4thQ, ND down by 7 and you just new this was gonna be yet another “moral victory.” Every receiver, Davis included, is well covered. Book is under pressure, rolls to his right and forward. The defender on Davis comes out of coverage and rushes toward Book. Book sees the opening and throws a strike to Davis for the TD. I’ve been looking back on a lot of Book throws over the last year and he consistently puts the ball where only his guys can get it or it’s incomplete. The guy is just a winner. More succinctly,
For all the disbelievers? Bite me.
If you want to see how great he performed in this game, check this out:
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Skowronek- I had to come back to him to finish my thoughts, right? He absolutely clawed his way to a 1st down in the 2ndQ. Sure he missed 3rd and 7 (absolutely should have been PI) and dropped 4th and 7 in what I thought would be the end. Then he missed a couple in the OT frames before coming up big for 10 yards in the final OT to set up a TD. Redemption sure, but I love when a a guy who wasn’t a ND guy (NW grad transfer) becomes a ND guy and part of the lore. Train of thought complete. Other thoughts ahead:
Officiating- I’ve never seen worse officiating. Ever. Two plays and one incident come to mind. 6:06 of the 2ndQ how was that not PI and then at 2:15 of the 4thQ there is a PI flag on the pass to Skowronek and it doesn’t stick. I was listening on the radio at that point and those announcers said Swinney should have received an Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty yet neither penalty materialized. Disgusting.
JOK/Hayes- Huge plays from NFL caliber, 1st round D players changed this game. You saw the fumble retuned for a TD and the 2ndOT sacks. Nothing I can say can do justice to those plays.
Tremble- 2 big 3rd and 4 receptions in the 1stQ to get the team rolling and blew up the D on a block when Williams scored the tying TD. He’s just a bad man.
McKinley- BK was right. This guy is a big time receiver. That high point reception around 11:00 in the 1st and the long reception in the 3rdQ were as good a catches as you’ll see in CFB. Throw in a big catch on the tying drive and this guy is an all star.
Mayer- A couple of mis-steps to be sure, (dropped TD pass and off-sides), but this kid is a big time talent. 5-67 including a big 15 yarder in the 1st OT, and he’s a true freshman.
Shayne Sinon- I ripped his last week and I saw him get burned on an easy pass in the 2ndQ but this was the game where he showed what he can be and I was impressed- 4 tackles to include one for a loss and he was everywhere during the game.
Simon came out and played like we hoped he could, picked a great game for a coming out party...
Warts- Nothing's perfect. Some terrible penalties and questionable play calling. Getting away from the run in the 2nd half was ill-advised. Here are a few other good points:
Offside on 4th and inside the 1: FG instead of TD
Dropped pass by tight end in the end zone: FG instead of TD
Touchback after coughing the ball up inside the five: Would be TD
Dabo even said at halftime, Clemson was lucky to be down by only 10.
Post-Game Post of the Game- All encompassing really, covering the conditioning level and the way this game was won in the trenches. So well said: “Body by Balis:”
Man do our guys seem fresh at the end of a game. Our OL is just mailing and wearing everyone down. DL rotation is on point too.
My post game conversation with
@cheta41 was centered around how we seemed to wear Clemson down. God, how things have changed. We used to be the ones worn down at the end.
Around the Horn- CBS Sports Bryant McFadden said ND played “bully ball” with Clemson. Tom Luginbill said ND beat Clemson in the trenches (true) and that Clemson was athletically superior to ND (he watched a different game than I did). EJ Manuel said ND commanded the line of scrimmage on both sides. Heather Dinich says BK has far more credibility. I say ND is 30-3 in their last 33 games.
Moving On- 27 years ago the Irish defeated the #1 team in the country. At home. And then played BC. Let’s learn from history and not repeat it. At least this one is on the road!
Stay healthy folks.
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