Three keys to a Clemson football victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Clemson football team is slated to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish this Saturday evening in a game that will determine supremacy atop the ACC late in the regular season.
With just a handful of games remaining following this matchup, the winner of the game will not only basically lock up a bid to the ACC Championship game in December, but will also have the inside track on a CFB Playoff berth.
Here’s a look at three major keys for Clemson football to walk out of South Bend victorious.
Key No. 1: Force ND to beat you on the outside
Boston College had a few athletes who beat Clemson on the outside, but I’m not so sure that’s the case with Notre Dame.
The Fighting Irish have talent, but make no mistake about it: They’re a run-first team that heavily relies on winning the lines of scrimmage. The Tigers need to take care of the running game and force Ian Book to beat them.
Clemson has had coverage breakdowns at times this season, but the Tigers match up really well with Notre Dame’s wide receivers and that’s going to be the defensive game plan coming into it.
Key No. 2: Offensive line play needs to be noticeably better
We’ve all begun to notice that the offensive line has struggled to get a consistent push in the vast majority of games this season. That’s by no means a controversial statement.
As a result, Clemson hasn’t been able to establish much of a running game in most of its matchups this year.
The Tigers need to be able to have some success in the running game Saturday night and that all starts up front. For Clemson football to win this game against a formidable Notre Dame defensive front, the offensive line is going to have to play much better.
The talent is there, in my opinion, but will the execution and scheme follow?
Key No. 3: Hold on to the ball & win the turnover margin
If Clemson wants to beat Notre Dame this Saturday, the Tigers need to do one simple thing: Win the turnover margin.
Find a way to force an interception from Ian Book at some point in the game and make them pay for it. On the other side, don’t turn the ball over.
The best thing the offense can do right now is not turn the ball over and give Notre Dame any kind of momentum. It’s better to punt than to throw an interception or fumble the ball away.
Simply take care of the football and you win the game.
Clemson football and Notre Dame will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. E.T. live on NBC.