Clemson football two-minute execution is costly in a classic.
In a game for the ages, Clemson football and Notre Dame played a 2OT thriller Saturday night that saw Notre Dame win 47-40.
Clemson and Notre Dame played a heavyweight bout Saturday night in South Bend. A game that saw Clemson fall behind by as many as 13 in the second quarter ended up in overtime where the defense that had been on the field for much of the night finally wilted in the late stages.
The story of the game from the Clemson perspective was when the Tigers forced a Notre Dame punt and took possession with 2:09 remaining in the 4th quarter. The Tigers’ inability to run the ball, coupled with some questionable play-calling and a holding penalty that stopped the clock forced Clemson to punt the ball back to Notre Dame with 1:48.
Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book led the Irish on a 91-yard game-tying drive to force overtime.
At the end of the day, the sequence at 2:09 was one of the worst coached and executed displays of football one has ever seen. Clemson had not run the ball all night, however, found themselves in a situation where they had to run it and it did not go well.
Clemson football OC Tony Elliott lost the game with his late-game play calling.
On first down, DJ Uiagalelei carried the ball for a one-yard gain. Then on second down Travis Etienne carried the ball for a five-yard loss. A flag for holding was thrown on second down, which was ultimately declined but stopped the clock. On third down and 14, the Tigers completed a screen pass to Etienne for 5 yards being forced to punt.
If you are going to be a National Championship level team you HAVE to execute in that situation. It ultimately goes back to the offensive line issues that have held this offense back all season.
Yes, the injuries in this game were significant but in spite of all of that, Clemson had a chance to seal the game and they failed. As a result, they left the door open for a gritty Notre Dame team and they took advantage of their opportunity.
The Open Date comes at a perfect time because this one is going to take some time to digest and get over. Also, the players are going to need rest and recovery after a physical game. Hope is not lost. I expect these two teams to see each other again in Charlotte for the ACC Championship in late December.