Clemson rolled into South Bend looking to keep their record unscathed and stay ranked in the top spot with a win over Notre Dame. It started out really rough for the Tigers when the Fighting Irish jumped out to a 10-0 lead. Like many have seen though, this Clemson team never gives up and they proved it again when they not only came back but took the lead twice in the second half before losing 47-40 in double overtime.
This was the Tigers first regular season loss since way back in 2017 when they on the road to Syracuse. This was also a game that many believe was a preview of the ACC Championship Game. The biggest difference is you would think Clemson would have most of their players back by that time and it could have a playoff berth on the line.
Weekly Stock Report:
Offensive Line: The Tigers offensive line was whipped badly by Notre Dame. There was absolutely no room to run the ball. They then allowed two sacks on Clemson’s final drive in double overtime. What made it even worse was that on one of those plays they let a guy come through almost untouched. This group is not physical, especially, when it comes to run blocking….. Stock Way Down
Quarterback: D. J. Uiagalelei showed again why many feel that Clemson’s future at the quarterback position is being left in very capable hands when Trevor Lawrence leaves. He had a huge night as he got the second start in his very young career. Uiagalelei went 29 of 44 for 439 yards. It was the third most passing yards in school history and the most against Notre Dame ever. He proved that the big stage was nowhere near too big for him….. Stock Up
Cornell Powell: Powell had another huge night and emerged early as target that was going to be able to help Uiagalelei along with the Tiger offense. He ended the night with 161 yards on six catches along with a touchdown. The touchdown was a 53 yard pass that brought Clemson within 10-7 early in the first quarter. The fifth year senior has shown the talent level we all knew was there over the past two weeks….. Stock Up
Second Bye Week: This Clemson team couldn’t seem to get to this bye week soon enough. During most seasons teams don’t get but one bye week but with this seasons schedule the Tigers get two. This one will help out a bunch in getting some of the many players that have been out due injury or have been banged up some much needed rest….. Stock Up
Special Teams: One group that has not been very special this season has been special teams. Tonight that group was just that. Clemson placekicker B.T. Potter went 4 of 4 on field goals with a long of 46 yards. Tigers punter Will Spiers had three punts and averaged 41.7 yards….. Stock Up
Turnovers: For the second straight game two Clemson stars gave up the ball at critical times. Travis Etienne mishandled a pitch that bounced right to a Fighting Irish defender who took it in for a touchdown. Then Amari Rodgers had a drive ending fumble on another drive for the Tigers. Clemson lost the turnover battle 3-1. This is something that you just can’t do when playing good teams….. Stock Down
And from elsewhere from across the country…..
Virginia Tech: Liberty place kicker Alex Barbir hit a career-long 51-yard field goal with one second left in the game. The kick lifted No. 25 Liberty to a 38-35 victory over Virginia Tech. This kick came just after the Hokies had blocked a 59-yard attempt with 8 seconds left that saw the Hokies return it to the end zone for what looked to be the game-winner, only to find out that Tech had called a timeout before the attempt. Fuente is working on getting fired during a Covid season….. Stock Down
Southern Cal: No. 20 USC scored two touchdowns in the last three minutes of the fourth quarter to complete a stunning comeback and avoid an upset by Arizona State. The comeback gave the Trojans a 28-27 win in the Pac-12 opener for both teams. Southern Cal came back from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit. This was the first time the Trojans have come back from a deficit of 13 points or more in the fourth quarter since the 2017 Rose Bowl against Penn State….. Stock Up
UofSC: It was another bad day for the Gamecocks. They got drilled by Texas A&M 48-3. At home. The last two games have been very troubling as the South Carolina offense hasn’t looked very good. Their defense is giving up an average of 50 points a game over that span. Gamecock players and coaches began to hear it from their fans during the game. What made this loss worse was that South Carolina had an extra week to prepare for the Aggies and still looked horrid. Starting Gamecock QB Collin Hill had a miserable game, going 8 for 21 for 66 yards with a pair of interceptions. This loss also means that South Carolina still has never beaten the Aggies. See ya Coach Boom….. Stock Down
Former Clemson Tiger Terrence Oglesby has a new ACC Basketball Preview out now available for purchase. Click here to order your copy today. Use the coupon code “clemsonjunkies” for 10% of of your purchase! Also be sure to check out his weekly Let It Fly show on Facebook or Twitter!
