ACC Championship Game – Page 3

ACC Championship Game: Third-Quarter Analysis

At first, it seemed that Notre Dame wouldn’t allow the situation to get any worse. It turned out things haven’t gotten any better.

At first, it seemed that Notre Dame wouldn’t allow the situation to get any worse. It turned out things haven’t gotten any better. The Irish will need the quarter of all quarters to come back against Clemson in the ACC Championship Game. That’s what they’re facing as they trail, 31-3, after three quarters.

Initially, the defense played much better, forcing the Tigers into back-to-back three-and-outs. It even got to Trevor Lawrence behind the line a couple of times. Meanwhile, the offense tried in vain to get out of its rut, gaining little yardage after starting its first two possessions inside the 20-yard line. Ian Book tried his hardest to find open receivers, but they just weren’t there, and he paid for that by getting wrapped up for either negative yardage or no yardage at all.

Perhaps inspired by how much support his defense was providing him, Lawrence decided to take advantage. On third down, he threw a 22-yard pass that E.J. Williams had to make an amazing play on to complete, and he did. Travis Etienne then busted off a couple of a nice runs to get to the Notre Dame 34. Lawrence needed only one yard to pick up the first down, but he ran to the end zone instead, delivering a backbreaker to the Irish.

If you were watching this game and have turned it off already, you certainly can’t be blamed. It’s difficult to watch a team that’s been successful all year get humbled like this on yet another big stage. Still, even if the win is out the window, how it finishes this game could make or break its chances of making the College Football Playoff. Hope for breaking that national-title drought this year might still be alive.

ACC Championship Game: Second-Quarter Analysis

For the first time this season, Notre Dame needs to seriously reconsider its game plan.

For the first time this season, Notre Dame needs to seriously reconsider its game plan. If it doesn’t, Clemson could pull away en route to an easy win the ACC Championship Game. Many hoped that the second quarter would be a rebound to a disappointing end to the first. Instead, things got worse, and the Irish trail, 24-3, at halftime.

Deep in Tigers territory, the Irish realized they would have to take chances early if it wanted to take back control. On fourth-and-3, Avery Davis couldn’t hold onto an Ian Book pass that he should have. The Tigers took the ball over, and Trevor Lawrence immediately completed a 21-yard pass to Cornell Powell. He only needed a few more plays to hit E.J. Williams for a 33-yard touchdown.

When Book returned to the field, he had as miserable a time on a football field as he has all season. On what turned out to be the Irish’s only series, he took back-to-back sacks from K.J. Henry and Derion Kendrick. Although Jay Bramblett had a 51-yard punt, it meant little to Lawrence, who led another solid drive and got to the Irish’s 10-yard line. The Notre Dame defense didn’t let him advance the ball any further, and it was happy to only allow a 27-yard field goal from B.T. Potter.

After another offensive drive that stalled out quickly, Bramblett punted it 47 yards to the Clemson 12. With time running out on the half, the Tigers used a series of runs and short passes to at least get into field-goal range before the half. The drive ended with a 44-yard touchdown run by Travis Etienne. It all happened in 1:49, putting the Irish in a deeper halftime hole than they might have anticipated.

Don’t lose faith yet, Irish fans. So many times this season, we’ve seen this team fall down and pick itself back up, making it stronger than it was before. If that holds true now, we’re about to see the best half of football it’s played all year. As the old saying goes, setbacks are setups for comebacks.

ACC Championship Game: Second-Quarter Analysis

For the first time this season, Notre Dame needs to seriously reconsider its game plan.

ACC Championship Game: First-Quarter Analysis

If Notre Dame wasn’t intimidated by Clemson before, it’s not going to be in the ACC Championship Game.

If Notre Dame wasn’t intimidated by Clemson before, it’s not going to be in the ACC Championship Game. It doesn’t matter that Trevor Lawrence is part of the equation now. The Irish came ready to play. However, that’s not enough as they trail, 7-3, after the first quarter.

The Irish were the first to get the ball and impressed out of the gate. In back-to-back third down situations, Ian Book connected with Michael Mayer for gains of 10-plus yards. The offense got as far as the Tigers’ 28-yard line before Book was sacked on another third down. Charlotte native Jonathan Doerer got the Irish on the board by getting just enough power to hit a 51-yard field goal.

When the Tigers took over on offense, the defense had a few moments in which it bent but didn’t break. Clarence Lewis hurt the unit’s cause by taking a face-mask penalty and putting the Tigers well into Irish territory. It could have spelled early disaster, but Kyle Hamilton came up with an interception before that happened. Talk about picking up your teammate.

The Irish looked like they would pounce on this momentum. Ben Skowronek picked up a 26-yard reception on the first play from scrimmage, and Kyren Williams ran 24 yards to get to the Clemson 10. The offense stalled out, and Doerer came out for what appeared to be a chip shot from 24 yards out. Instead, he hit the left upright, and Irish fans suddenly are worried that three points could make the difference in this game.

With the miss, momentum shifted the other way. This time, something came out of it. After back-to-back runs, Lawrence found Amari Rodgers down field and completed the long pass. Rodgers was off to the races and a 67-yard touchdown after that. How will the Irish respond to that?

Tale of the Tape: Team Stats – Notre Dame vs. Clemson

Whoever wins the ACC Championship Game between Notre Dame and Clemson is guaranteed a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Whoever wins the ACC Championship Game between Notre Dame and Clemson is guaranteed a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Irish can get there by dominating the ground and succeeding at third down on both sides of the ball and as they have all season. It also would help if they can stay on offense for a while as they’re able. No matter how this game plays out, both the offense and defense have been fantastic, and neither unit has been penalized very much, so both the talent and the smarts are worthy of a conference title and the chance to play for the country’s top prize.

However, the Tigers have been even better on both offense and defense. They can match up to almost every strength the Irish have, and we saw that when these teams first met. Their success on fourth down could make the difference as more chances are taken in games like this. All of their offensive firepower in that arsenal makes that a real likelihood.

ACC Championship Game: Clemson-Notre Dame FIW Staff Predictions

Can Notre Dame shock the college football world for the second time this fall? Staff predictions for the ACC Championship are out!

Here we go.

Just hours from now we’ll be gathering to watch Notre Dame attempt to do something they’ve never done in the long history of their storied football program: Win a conference championship.

It won’t be easy as Clemson enters the ACC Championship Game on Saturday as a ten-point favorite.

So do the Irish have a shot or do they need to worry about just keeping it close and not letting their College Football Playoff hopes take a hit, too?

Here’s how the Fighting Irish Wire staff sees this one going;

Clemson’s (other) key returner for Notre Dame game

Trevor Lawrence will play against Notre Dame this time but there is another Clemson Tiger who is healthy and could make life tough for ND.

When Notre Dame and Clemson squared off on November 7 we were all aware that the Tigers were playing without Heisman Trophy candidate Trevor Lawrence.

I’m not trying to say there won’t be a difference with Lawrence playing this time around but it’s not like D.J. Uiageleilei struggled as he threw for 439 yards and a pair of scores in that first meeting.

That said, Lawrence’s athletic ability and is a significant step up compared to Uiageleilei.

However, that’s not the Clemson player who didn’t play in the first meeting that has me most concerned as they return this time around.

Sophomore defensive tackle Tyler Davis missed the first Notre Dame-Clemson game this year, as well as four other games for the Tigers as he sprained his knee in the season opener and later dealt with an ankle injury.

Davis has played the last two games for Clemson, recording 33 snaps against Pittsburgh before participating in 36 plays against Virginia Tech.

When healthy he’s a force, earning second-team All-ACC honors as a freshman in 2019.

Couple Davis returning with the fact that Notre Dame will be without star-center Jarrett Patterson this time around and the Irish advantage up the gut isn’t nearly as evident.

Handling Davis will be massive in determining if Notre Dame walks out of Charlotte holding an ACC Championship trophy or if they get on their flight home wondering if they’ll be in the College Football Playoff or not.

Notre Dame vs Clemson: ACC Championship Prediction, Game Preview

Tale of the Tape: Leading Receivers – Javon McKinley vs. Amari Rodgers

The top receiver battle between Notre Dame and Clemson for the ACC title comes down to quality or efficiency.

The top receiver battle between Notre Dame and Clemson for the ACC title comes down to quality or efficiency. Javon McKinley falls into the latter category. He’s picked up more yards a catch, but he never even scored a touchdown this year until the Irish’s regular-season finale. That he seems to be picking up momentum at the right time only can mean good things for Notre Dame.

Amari Rodgers and the rest of the Tigers’ offense benefit from having Trevor Lawrence as their leader. Rodgers in particular needs only 155 yards to reach 1,000 for the season, and it takes more than having a quarterback of Lawrence’s stature to get to achieve that. That’s why Lawrence likely will go to Rodgers more than any other receiver. When you’ve gotten as far as the Tigers have and the stakes are high, it’s typically best to stick with what you know, and that’s who Rodgers is to Lawrence.

Notre Dame vs Clemson: ACC Championship Prediction, Game Preview

Tale of the Tape: Leading Rushers – Kyren Williams vs. Travis Etienne

No one on Notre Dame’s offense has been more consistent than Kyren Williams.

No one on Notre Dame’s offense has been more consistent than Kyren Williams. He will need to bring that consistency when the Irish face Clemson for a second time but with much higher stakes involved. The kid clearly has talent, and most games, he’ll put that to use to the tune of 100-yard games. It’s translated into a 1,000-yard season, and not every quality team can boast of having a running back like that in the age of the quarterback.

Then again, Travis Etienne doesn’t have to do too much when the Tigers have Trevor Lawrence. Still, Etienne can be just as effective when he gets his opportunities. In fact, he does just as much damage when he’s being thrown to. The Irish will have to remember that because if they don’t watch him enough, he could pull a rabbit out of his hat and be just as dangerous as Lawrence.

Tale of the Tape: Starting Quarterbacks – Ian Book vs. Trevor Lawrence

It took until the ACC Championship Game, but Notre Dame and Clemson finally will see how Ian Book and Trevor Lawrence match up.

It took until the ACC Championship Game, but Notre Dame and Clemson finally will see how Ian Book and Trevor Lawrence match up. Book is a winner, and he deserves to prove it on a stage that can guarantee the Irish a spot in the College Football Playoff. As we’ve seen, he’ll carry his team himself if he has to either on the ground or in the air. Not every quarterback is as versatile as him, and if he’s going to make it to the next level, a performance that proves it and also leads to win will go a long way in making that happen.

On the flip side, the Tigers have the most prolific college football player in Lawrence. His numbers are a bit misleading because of the time he lost to his COVID-19 diagnosis, so don’t be fooled by the fact that they’re only slightly better than Book’s. If anyone can rise to the occasion when the stakes are raised, it’s him. There’s no bigger X factor in the country, and you better believe he’s not going to hold anything back.