Quick Hits: Freshmen and backups come through as Tigers win with backs against the wall

Jeremiah Trotter returns Sam Hartman's pass for a touchdown (Photo by Merrell Mann).

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sat Nov 04 16:27:04 GMT-04:00 2023

CLEMSON – It wasn’t quite “Win one for the Gipper,” but Clemson’s football team had its back against the wall Saturday, and somehow the Tigers beat the breaks and defeated Notre Dame.

The legend at Notre Dame says that coach Knute Rockne, in his worst season at South Bend in 1928, decided to tell his team about George Gipp at halftime as the Irish prepared to play Army. He said that Gipp, on his deathbed, told Rockne, ”Sometime, when the team is up against it -- and the breaks are beating the boys -- tell them to go out there with all they got and win just one for the Gipper. I don't know where I'll be then, Rock", he said, "but I'll know about it - and I'll be happy."

Clemson entered Saturday’s nooner missing a starting corner (Sheridan Jones), two starting safeties (Jalyn Phillips and RJ Mickens), a starting running back Will Shipley, a starting wide receiver Antonio Williams, another starting cornerback didn’t start (Nate Wiggins), a starting defensive end in Justin Mascoll, a starting right guard in Walker Parks, and started a patchwork offensive line against the No. 11 defense in the country.

The Tigers were also on a two-game losing streak; some wondered if the team would become bowl-eligible by the end of the season.

In other words, the team was up against it, and the breaks were beating the boys, but running back Phil Mafah and a defense playing a bevy of true freshmen led the way as the Tigers knocked off the Fighting Irish to gain momentum heading into the final three games of the season.

Clemson’s M.O. this season has been to outgain and, in some ways, outplay the opponent but commit catastrophic turnovers that turned the tide. On Saturday, Notre Dame outgained Clemson 329-285 but committed three turnovers to two for the Tigers. One of those was a pick-six that gave Clemson a 24-6 lead in the second quarter.

Mafah tied a Clemson record with 36 carries and gained a career-high 186 yards for a Clemson team that wasn’t called for a penalty (Notre Dame was called for five). That was Clemson’s first penalty-free game on record since the 1952 Gator Bowl against Miami (Fla.).

But it was the defense that stood tall down the stretch – Clemson’s offense failed to gain any traction after going ahead 31-16 early in the second half, and the Tigers played a game of patience and field position. On four different occasions – including a pooch punt by quarterback Cade Klubnik – the Tigers punted and pinned the Irish inside their own ten or worse.

After the Irish scored to make it 31-23 midway through the third quarter – a one-score game – Clemson’s defense held Notre Dame to just 62 yards on 24 plays. The final six possessions for the Irish ended in four punts, an interception, and a turnover on downs.

One Notre Dame drive took 7:01 off the clock and ended with a field goal, but only three more drives covered more than five plays. That seven-minute drive stood as a quarter of the time of possession in the entire game for the Irish.

On the final play of the day for Notre Dame, quarterback Sam Hartman was flushed from the pocket, and his desperation heave fell incomplete. Clemson had four freshmen on the field at the time – defensive end TJ Parker, safeties Kylon Griffin and Khalil Barnes, and corner Avieon Terrell.

It wasn’t a legendary win, but it was a much-needed win.