Notre Dame Football: 3 reasons the Irish will upset Clemson in Week 10

1. Absence of Trevor Lawrence

Let me preface this by saying one thing: I believe DJ Uiagalelei is a future Heisman Trophy contender. He will get there in a year or two after replacing Trevor Lawrence.

But right now, he’s a true freshman getting his first road start against the No. 4 team in the nation.

Missing Trevor Lawrence is going to be a huge blow for the Tigers in this one not just because they’re down a quarterback who can make every throw on the field, but that leadership in the huddle will be sorely missed. We saw this a week ago.

In fact, Clemson hosted Boston College in Week 9 without Lawrence and while Uiagalelei had a decent game with over 300 yards and led a comeback victory, the Tigers just looked flat. That leadership Lawrence brings to the table hurt big time.

We will see more of that on Saturday, plus the fact that Uiagalelei isn’t fully polished yet. He still thinks he can fit the ball into the tightest windows and that’s going to get him into some trouble.

No Trevor on the road against the No. 4 team in the country which also happens to have an elite defense? Not good for Clemson.