#Notre Dame upends No. 1 Clemson in double overtime thriller

There should be no doubt. Notre Dame isn’t a product of a soft schedule. The Irish just may be a viable championship contender.

Perennial powerhouse Clemson would attest to that after this heavyweight bout that screamed out for a rematch in the ACC championship game.

Notre Dame (7-0) was the significantly better team in the first half, left at least 10 points on the board, and still prevailed over Trevor Lawrence-less Clemson (7-1) in an instant classic, 47-40, in double overtime in South Bend, Ind.

The Tigers, minus Lawrence because of his positive COVID-19 test and three defensive starters, saw their 36-game regular season winning streak snapped. Their 28-game ACC streak came to a close, too, as Notre Dame defeated the top-ranked team in the country for the first time in 27 years.

“We’re not celebrating because we showed the world or we changed the narrative,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said over Zoom. “We’re celebrating because we proved something to ourselves.”

After forcing the extra sessions with a last-minute scoring drive in regulation, fourth-ranked Notre Dame pulled the upset on the strength of Kyren Williams’ third rushing touchdown of the game, this one from three yards out. Consecutive sacks of true freshman quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei keyed the accompanying defensive stop, as the Irish now take over the top spot in the ACC as a one-year honorary member.

The crowd of roughly 10,000 Notre Dame students, faculty and parents of players stormed the field afterward, social distancing be damned.

“As you expect, the locker room was turnt. Even the field after the game was live,” said Williams, who ran for 140 yards on 23 carries. “There was a lot of music [in the locker room], everybody was dancing, jumping.”

As long as Clemson wins out, and defeats Notre Dame in the ACC title game, a spot in the playoff shouldn’t be an issue. By then, it should be healthier and Lawrence likely be under center. He will return to practice Monday.

“We can’t be 11-0,” coach Dabo Swinney said. “That’s the only thing we can’t be.”

Though disappointed, Swinney called it an “epic game.” After trailing 23-10 late in the first half, Clemson went ahead for the first time on Travis Etienne’s three-yard touchdown run with 3:33 remaining, capping a gutty 12-play, 74-yard drive. The big moment came on fourth-and-1 from the Clemson 35-yard-line, when Uiagalelei drew Notre Dame offsides. Brilliant in defeat, Uiagalelei threw for 439 yards and produced three touchdowns in his first road game.

“This team is special,” said Book, who threw for 310 yards and a touchdown, and ran for 68 more. “We’re just resilient.”

Notre Dame turned the ball over on downs, but Clemson couldn’t pick up a first down, and Etienne going out of bounds on a third down completion saved the Irish an important timeout. Starting at their own 9-yard-line, they needed just 1:26 to go 91 yards in eight plays. Quarterback Ian Book found Avery Davis on a 53-yard pickup, and connected with the wide receiver again on a four-yard touchdown pass with 22 seconds left, leading to overtime.

“This team is special,” Book said. “We’re just resilient.”

He was an apt example, rebounding after his fumble deep in Clemson territory negated a golden chance for Notre Dame to go ahead late in the third quarter. The Irish drove to the Clemson 7-yard-line when, on a keeper, Book neared the goal-line on a third-and-1 run. But as he passed the 5-yard-line, backup linebacker Jake Venables — the son of Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables — stripped him and Baylon Spector recovered.

“This will come down on your shoulders and you’re going to win the game,” Kelly told Book after the turnover.

Despite entering undefeated, there were questions about the legitimacy of Notre Dame’s unblemished record, considering none of the Irish’s first six opponents entered Saturday with a winning record. But they knocked off the five-time defending ACC champions on Saturday, overcoming a late deficit and some missed chances in the red zone, showing they belong with the likes of Alabama, Ohio State and Clemson.

Afterward, Kelly and his players tried to put the win in perspective, pointing to the four regular season games that are remaining. Still, it was one of the biggest wins in recent Notre Dame history, its first win over the No. 1 team in the country in close to three decades.

“That’s a game that’s literally going to live on forever,” Davis said. “We just made history.”