Thrills on the way to the 4th quarter
End of 3Q: Clemson 31, Notre Dame 23
As Notre Dame looks for a possible score that could cut the lead or tie the game, the third quarter ends with Clemson still ahead by eight points. The Fighting Irish avoided some bad breaks, including an offensive pass interference call on third down, and still had a chance to win in the final 15 minutes. The stakes for Notre Dame include a chance at a New Year’s Six bowl game, while Clemson, 4-4, will try to avoid falling below .500 in November for the first time in more than a decade. A win would be significant for the Tigers as their 2023 season is also littered with late-game failures and emerging victorious would be a much-needed turnaround.
Sam Hartman does it with his legs
3Q: Clemson 31, Notre Dame 23
After Sam Hartman got the ball into Clemson territory with a long pass to Rico Flores, he capped off his second long run of the day with a 26-yard touchdown sprint, cutting the lead to eight points. The passing game hasn’t been particularly effective for Notre Dame so far today, but Hartman was able to pay off Clemson in key spots with his running ability.
Clemson strikes back!
3Q: Clemson 31, Notre Dame 16
Cade Klubnik is praised by Clemson’s coaches for his ability to clean up mistakes, and that certainly seemed to be the case after the interception early in the second half. Klubnik led the Tigers 75 yards down the field on 11 plays with two third-down conversions, including Phil Mafah’s touchdown run. With Will Shipley out with a concussion, it’s been a heavy dose of Mafah for the Clemson offense, with the running back now having 128 yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns on the day.
Phenomenal start to the second half for Notre Dame
3Q: Clemson 24, Notre Dame 16
Cade Klubnik’s pass to Beaux Collins on third down on the first possession of the second half is deflected into the hands of Notre Dame star defender Xavier Watts. Watts’ interception return started the offense at the two-yard line and Audric Estime wasted no time in scoring the score to cut Clemson’s lead to eight points. It’s Estime’s 13th rushing touchdown of the season and it puts Notre Dame right back in the game while also putting more pressure on Clemson’s injury-ravaged offense to deliver a long scoring drive.
HALFTIME: Clemson 24, Notre Dame 9
After a week that included Dabo Swinney’s back-and-forth with a disappointed fan and more injury setbacks for Clemson’s offense, the Tigers found themselves in the best possible spot against No. 15 Notre Dame after 30 minutes. The Tigers’ lead is 15 points attributed to big defensive stops when Notre Dame was in scoring position, as well as a pick six and a fumble punt. Sam Hartman and the Fighting Irish offense outrebounded Clemson, 187-164, but a failure to finish drives in the end zone led to its largest halftime deficit of the season. The stars so far have been the running backs, with Notre Dame’s Audric Estime (14 carries, 82 yards) and Clemson’s Phil Mafah (11 carries, 87 yards, one touchdown) both rushing for 80 yards in the half.
Another big stop for Clemson’s defense
2Q: Clemson 24, Notre Dame 9
Notre Dame got inside the Clemson 30-yard line on three different drives in the first half here, including two trips into the red zone, but the Fighting Irish only had nine points to show for it, thanks to the Tigers’ stout defense there field becomes smaller. Notre Dame running back Audric Estime was a force between the 20s (14 carries, 82 rushing yards), but the Clemson defensive front does a good job of applying pressure with their backs against the wall.