Dabo Swinney and Clemson football have had a season that has brought a lot of heat and questions to the program, and the Tigers responded with a massive 31-23 win over No.15 Notre Dame at Clemson Memorial Stadium in Death Valley.
It wasn’t a perfect day for Swinney and the Tigers, but all that matters at the end of the day is that this team proved that they can still win a big game and did it in front of their home crowd. It was a strong performance from this Clemson team, doing exactly what was needed to pick up the win.
On defense, the Tigers had a strong day but weren’t at their best through three quarters. In the fourth quarter, however, the Clemson defense flipped the switch and absolutely dominated Sam Hartman and the Notre Dame offense. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. was the key to this performance, having arguably the best game of his Clemson career with 11 tackles, 2 sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a pick-six.
For the offense, it was Phil Mafah who had a career day of his own. With Will Shipley injured and unable to suit up, Mafah looked like a superstar in this Clemson offense. It was a monster day for the junior back, who took 35 carries for 188 yards (a career high) and 2 touchdowns.
When it felt like Swinney and his team needed a win the most, they went out and earned a tremendous one. What a win for Clemson in front of their home crowd.