Imagine this game being played without COVID a completely packed house and Trevor Lawrence would likely be playing. We didn’t quite get that but we still got one heck of a game.
Clemson struggled in the first half again similar to their last game against Boston College and Notre Dame looked tough early, quickly taking the lead and not looking back for the rest of the half.
The excitement really came in the 2nd half of the game. Notre Dame’s lead evaporated quickly. Even without Trevor Lawrence, the Clemson Tigers still looked dominate in the 3rd quarter. The teams would be tied heading into the 4th quarter, then trade field goals, but a touchdown late from Clemson would give them a 7-point lead.
Notre Dame’s next drive came to a quick end. Clemson now had the ball and the lead with under 5 minutes to play. Notre Dame’s defense stood strong and after a strange penalty and Travis Etienne running out of bounds the Irish would keep two timeouts and get the ball back. Ian Book led the Irish down the field and capped off the drive with a touchdown with less than a minute to go to tie the game and eventually send it into overtime.
Clemson started off overtime by scoring on their second play. Notre Dame would quickly answer, sending the game into double overtime. The Irish would start with the ball in the second session. Momentum stayed on their side, taking the lead back. Clemson’s next possession only went backwards as the Irish go on to win the game 47-40 and the fans rushed the field.
Notre Dame continues their undefeated season and climbs to #2 in the AP rankings. Notre Dame’s next game is at Boston College.