Clemson Football: Can DJ Uiagalelei lead Tigers past Notre Dame?

On Saturday, Notre Dame will play host to one of the biggest games of 2020. Top-ranked Clemson football will face off against the Irish.

On Saturday, Notre Dame will play host to one of the biggest games of 2020. The top-ranked Clemson Tigers will face off against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a game that is sure to have major College Football Playoff implications.

Clemson may be the favorite going into this duel, but they’ll be without phenom quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The likely first overall NFL draft pick tested positive for COVID-19 last week and will not be eligible to play in Saturday’s contest due to ACC mandates. This will be Clemson’s second game without its starting quarterback, as Lawrence was also out last week against Boston College.

Across the aisle, Notre Dame couldn’t have more faith in their quarterback situation. Senior Ian Book enters what could quite possibly be the most important game of his career, and he’s up to the task. The California-native has not posted jaw-dropping stats this season, but he has been a very consistent and reliable leader for this team.

These two ACC championship frontrunners will likely see each other twice, with the latter likely taking place in the conference championship game. However, the winner of Week 10’s matchup will have the upper hand and seize more control within the playoff picture.

Let’s take a look at what we can expect to see in this Saturday night showdown.

Date: Saturday, Nov. 7
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: South Bend, Ind.
Venue: Notre Dame Stadium
TV: NBC
Live Stream: NBC Sports Live or FuboTV

Keys to Victory

Clemson is favored by Vegas, but many are rightfully concerned about this team following a close comeback win at home against Boston College in Week 9.

While the instinctive scapegoat is Lawrence’s absence, backup quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei had an impressive first start. The freshman completed 31-of-40 attempts, picking up 342 yards and two touchdowns — not too shabby for his first start. Obviously, his second start will be a much more hyped up game with there being much more pressure. It may take some time to get adjusted, but Uiagalelei shouldn’t have too much trouble handling the spotlight.

In recent years, Notre Dame has had trouble in big games. One prime example of this was their 2018 College Football Playoff blunder against Clemson in a 30-3 loss. However, they have a strong shot at getting revenge when they host a Clemson team that will be without both Lawrence and Xavier Thomas (for the first half). Thomas’ absence, due to a targeting ejection, is something the Fighting Irish offense will have to take advantage of.

Brian Kelly’s defense is very stout, giving up on average just 10 points per game. What should worry Notre Dame fans is the offense. While they may be averaging 34 points a game, there have been times where this offense has struggled. The most notable example of this would be their 12 point performance against Louisville. The Irish will be facing the strongest defense they’ve seen so far, and they’ll need to snag points every chance they get.

With last week being an outlier, Clemson has looked fantastic. Sure, they struggled, but it was against a good 4-2 Boston College team. Compounding this was the issue of having to adjust to a new quarterback leading the offense. Getting the run attack, led by Travis Etienne, going will be key in taking pressure off of Uiagalelei.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of the Action Network

Point Spread: Clemson (-5.5)
Over/Under: 52

Prediction

While Clemson may have looked rough in week nine, it’s hard not to believe that they’ll come out ready to fire. Even without having to deal with Lawrence, Notre Dame has to play a nearly perfect game in order to come away with a win.

This will be Uiagalelei’s proving grounds. If he can go into such a prolific game and succeed, it will send a strong message that Clemson’s dominance won’t be going anywhere after Lawrence’s departure. We’ll see two strong defenses face off, both seeing the best offenses they’ve faced to this point.

Book will need to be the consistent leader we’ve grown accustomed to seeing. This is a duel where the turnover battle could very well decide the winner.

Ultimately, I see Clemson retaining their status as number one, squeaking out a close win in an exciting broadcast. No matter the result, this game will serve as a great tool to gauge where Notre Dame is at as a program. If the Fighting Irish cannot take down Clemson at home without Lawrence on the field, who’s to say they can do that in a neutral site game with Lawrence in the backfield in the ACC title game.

Despite consistent success, Kelly needs some key wins to keep his job in a secure status. Notre Dame expects championships, and as we’ve seen time and time again, the program could be growing impatient with Kelly and may be looking to move on. A win on Saturday would most definitely help his case, with a seat that seems to get hotter every year.

All eyes will be on South Bend for good reason, as these two juggernauts fight to stay at the forefront of playoff talk.