Right now, Clemson finds themselves in a very unfamiliar position. For the first time in 12 years, the Tigers lost two games in a row. They are 4-4 overall right now, making it the first time they will lose at least four regular-season games since 2010. The program that has been the perennial powerhouse of ACC football is now 2-4 in conference play and sitting at 10th in the standings. With this has also come a ton of questions from fans and critics alike. Some are ready to put Dabo Swinney, a two-time national champion with the program, in the hot seat. Others think it is time to move on from true sophomore quarterback Cade Klubnik who just won the ACC Championship game MVP awards a season ago. The worst part is this is all happening leading into one of the toughest games of the year for Clemson.
Notre Dame Incoming
This weekend Notre Dame will be arriving in Death Valley. It will be Clemson’s first home game since beating Wake Forest just before the bye week. The Fighting Irish are coming in at 7-2 on the year. They are ranked 15th in the College Football Playoff rankings. The Marcus Freeman led program looks every bit like a top-15 team too. Notre Dame is 3-1 against ACC opponents most recently routing Pitt 58-7. In the offseason, Freeman brought in former Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman. It has been one of the best acquisitions of any team who used the transfer portal this season. Hartman this season has completed 149 of 228 passes he’s thrown so far for 2,126 yards, 18 touchdowns, and only five interceptions.
Hartman this season has continued to improve from his time at Wake Forest. Which says so much about how well he is playing as he was great for the Demon Deacons. One thing he was not able to do as a Demon Deacon though is beat Clemson. In his time at Wake Forest Hartman played the Tigers 4 times. He is currently 0-4 against Clemson. In his last meeting against the Tigers though he threw for six touchdowns and no interceptions. This will just be the second time in his career Hartman has actually entered Death Valley. Last time he played on the road at Clemson he completed 27 of 43 passes for 312 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
With Hartman leading the charge Notre Dame has one of the hardest offenses to stop. They not only are very good at passing the ball but also running the ball. Running back Audric Estime could be the best in the nation. He already has 901 rushing yards this season and 12 touchdowns. The Clemson defense is going to have to play their best game to slow down this balanced Notre Dame offense.
Protect the Ball
If Clemson wants a chance to win this game they must cut out the turnover. Every week we mention them because it has been the most glaring issue with this team. So many of the narratives that have come of this turbulent season for Swinney’s team start with this problem. This Clemson team has 15 turnovers already this season. Off of those 15 turnovers 64 points have been scored against the Tigers. Just last week Clemson gave the ball up two times to NC State which cost them that game.
These turnovers have caused them too many losses. This Notre Dame team entering Death Valley is not one to give the ball up to either. They are 10th in average points scored per game in the FBS averaging 40 points a game. It will not be easy with the Tigers facing another defense that is very good at getting turnovers too. The Irish have 18 takeaways this season. If the Tigers want a win though they must figure out how to keep possession of the football.
Importance of This Game
While a loss this week won’t hurt Clemson much more than it already has been, it is an important game for the program. With so many questions surrounding the program and its future, a win against a top-15 team this week would be huge. It would be a much-needed confidence booster for coaches, players, and fans alike. Critics and displeased fans are getting loud right now. Even Swinney who usually is able to keep himself composed and positive to be able to drown out the doubters can no longer block them out.
Winning this week will be a tall task. If Clemson continues the trend of turning the ball over and beating themselves, they will not have a chance. If they can finally avoid the constant blunders though, they could get the biggest win of their season.
