Clemson vs. Notre Dame Prediction: Tigers playing for keeps in storied venue

Clemson takes on Notre Dame in South Bend this time after last meeting in the 2020 ACC Championship Game.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Fri Nov 04 12:00:07 GMT-04:00 2022

It’s time for big-boy football, in one of college football’s most storied venues, and the weather might be a factor. Who could ask for anything more?

No. 4 Clemson travels to South Bend to take on Notre Dame in a late-season matchup that, while not having the ACC title game implications like it did two years ago, still has plenty of meaning for a Clemson team wanting to make the College Football Playoff.

NO. 4 CLEMSON (8-0, 6-0 ACC) at NOTRE DAME (5-3)

WHEN: SATURDAY, NOV. 5, 7:30 P.M. ET
WHERE: NOTRE DAME STADIUM (77,622), NOTRE DAME, IN
TELEVISION: NBC (Jac Collinsworth, Jason Garrett, Zora Stephenson)
RADIO: Clemson Athletic Network (Don Munson, Tim Bourret, Reggie Merriweather)
SATELLITE RADIO: SiriusXM 133 or 193, Internet/App 955

CLEMSON/NOTRE DAME SERIES HISTORY

OVERALL: Clemson leads series, 4-2
HOME: Series is tied, 1-1
ROAD: Series is tied, 1-1
NEUTRAL: Clemson leads series, 2-0
LAST MEETING: Dec. 19, 2020 (34-10, W)
STREAK: Clemson, Won 1

NOTABLE

*After meeting only twice in Clemson's first 119 seasons of play, Clemson and Notre Dame will meet for the fifth time in eight seasons when the Tigers and Fighting Irish renew acquaintances. In its most recent contest, Clemson recorded its 38th consecutive home victory, setting the ACC record and tying the 1919-27 Fighting Irish for the 10th-longest home winning streak in FBS history. Those Irish teams under the guidance of College Football Hall of Famer Knute Rockne were a combined 78-7-3 at all venues in the seasons comprising that streak. But Clemson has supplemented its historic home streak with the nation's best road record since 2015. Clemson's 34-4 road record in that span gives the Tigers a national-best .895 road winning percentage, and Clemson's 34 road wins since 2015 are three more than any other FBS program and five more than any other Power Five program.

*Head Coach Dabo Swinney is attempting to improve to 27-12 against the only 17 programs in college football history to win 765 or more games all-time, including Ohio State (3-1), Alabama (2-2), Notre Dame (3-1), Oklahoma (2-0), Nebraska (0-1), Georgia (1-2), LSU (1-1), Auburn (4-1), West Virginia (0-1), Texas A&M (2- 0), Virginia Tech (6-0) and Pitt (2-2).

*Clemson is playing a sixth night game in the first nine games of a season for the first time since 1949. Clemson's six night games this season (including Saturday) are already tied for fourth-most in a full season in Clemson history.

*Clemson attempting to improve to 27-4 in night games since the start of the 2018 season. A win would move Clemson to 46-7 at night since 2015.

*Clemson is attempting to improve to 44-19 in games following regular season open weeks since 1953. Clemson would improve to 17-2 in such games under Dabo Swinney.

*Clemson is attempting to earn its 100th victory against Power Five opponents since 2013. Clemson's 99 victories in that span against Power Five teams are the most in the country.

*Clemson is attempting to even its all-time record on NBC at 4-4.

WHEN CLEMSON HAS THE BALL

This is a game where starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei and his receivers both have to play well. The Irish aren’t world-beaters in run defense, ranking 49th nationally, and they are better than average in pass defense at 36th. But Irish defensive coordinator Al Golden has to see that Clemson’s offense has leaned on the running game in recent weeks and he will use his big defensive line and linebackers to try and take that away, forcing Uiagalelei to beat them down the field.

That hasn’t exactly worked wonders for the Clemson offense in recent weeks.

But Clemson’s offensive line has been better and was the difference against Syracuse, and the Tigers will find enough holes running the ball and those will help open up the passing game. And while everyone’s attention will be on one tight end in particular – Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer – expect Davis Allen and Jake Briningstool to have big games.

ADVANTAGE: SLIGHT TO CLEMSON

WHEN NOTRE DAME HAS THE BALL

Irish quarterback Drew Pyne has completed 61 percent of his throws with 13 touchdown passes and four interceptions. However, over the past three weeks, the junior quarterback is completing just 49 percent of his attempts for 157 yards per game with four TD passes and two interceptions.

The Irish know how to run the football, with three really good running backs leading the way in Logan Diggs, Chris Tyree, and Audric Estime. In fact, the Irish have broken the 200-yard rushing mark four times in the last five games.

Add in Mayer, who leads Notre Dame with 47 receptions, and this can be a dangerous offense. But when Clemson has struggled defensively, it’s been against quarterbacks who can run the ball and extend plays with their legs. That isn’t Pyne’s strength, and that will allow defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin to send everything he’s got at the Notre Dame quarterback.

The Irish will hit some plays, and Mayer is a problem, but is it enough?

ADVANTAGE: CLEMSON

SPECIAL TEAMS

Both teams block kicks. Both teams have dangerous return weapons. Both teams have good kickers. Both teams have punters who are getting better every week.

ADVANTAGE: EVEN

WHAT WILL HAPPEN

This is the kind of game that looks tight on paper, and Vegas agrees this will be one of those games decided by five plays. This is, in many ways, the game the Irish have circled since the loss to Ohio St. in the opener. It’s interesting that many of those traditional programs now look at Clemson as the one game that can make or break their season. And that is the reason the Tigers have struggled at times this season – this is not the complete team of years’ past, and when you’re taking everybody’s best shot week after week after week, close games happen.

But guess what? This team keeps winning those games, and sooner or later, they will put four quarters together. I’ve been told that the open date was good for everybody, and all three phases of the game worked on self-scouting and tightening up the weak areas. The difference, to me, is that what Notre Dame’s offense does well is what the Tigers can stop. And the Clemson offense will find a way to make plays.

FINAL SCORE: CLEMSON 34, NOTRE DAME 20

More TigerNet picks

Mickey Plyler - The Roar 105.5 morning show host - 28-13 Clemson
Nikki Hood - Staff writer - 24-10 Clemson
Brandon Rink - Associate editor - 28-20 Clemson
Tony Crumpton - Associate editor - 27-17 Clemson
Pigskin Prophet - 27-16 Clemson
Ryan Kantor - Contributing Writer - 30-17 Clemson
Ariana Pensy - TigerNet Intern - 37-20 Clemson

PREDICTION TRACKER

Game	Actual	David Hood	Plyler	Nikki Hood	Rink	Crumpton	Prophet	Kantor	Pensy
GT	41-10 CU	38-13 CU	33-9 CU	41-7 CU	33-10 CU	35-13 CU	34-7 CU	39-6 CU	-
Furman	35-12 CU	50-10 CU	51-10 CU	59-7 CU	45-3 CU	45-3 CU	49-6 CU	48-7 CU	-
La Tech	48-20 CU	37-14 CU	51-10 CU	59-10 CU	44-13 CU	45-13 CU	45-10 CU	45-10 CU	38-10 CU
Wake	51-45 CU 2OT	37-27 CU	38-27 CU	34-20 CU	38-24 CU	31-24 CU	37-23 CU	31-24 CU	56-28 CU
NC State	30-20 CU	30-21 CU	31-21 CU	30-17 CU	27-20 CU	28-20 CU	34-17 CU	31-24 CU	37-34 CU
BC	31-3 CU	37-13 CU	37-17 CU	31-14 CU	41-17 CU	35-13 CU	41-16 CU	42-14 CU	42-10 CU
FSU	34-28 CU	27-17 CU	31-17 CU	30-14 CU	31-21 CU	31-20 CU	35-20 CU	31-21 CU	34-13 CU
Syracuse	27-21 CU	35-21 CU	37-16 CU	38-14 CU	37-23 CU	34-17 CU	34-20 CU	31-21 CU	37-20 CU
Notre Dame	35-14 ND	34-20 CU	28-13 CU	24-10 CU	28-20 CU	27-17 CU	27-16 CU	30-17 CU	37-20 CU
Points	-	12	8	12	8	10	10	10	8

* Points: 3 pts for best correct prediction of the week (tiebreaker is Clemson score), 2 pts for picking score exactly, 1 pt for picking the correct winner