Notre Dame Football: 3 takeaways from thrilling win over Clemson

2. DJ Uiagalelei was ready for primetime

When it was announced that Trevor Lawrence would be out for this game, there was some worry if Clemson would skip a beat or not without the future No. 1 pick. It would have been very tough for Lawrence to play that much better than DJ Uiagalelei did tonight.

The true freshman played outstanding in a high pressured environment. Uiagalelei finished 29 for 44 with 439 yards and three total touchdowns. He put on a clinic in terms of traits you look for in star quarterbacks. He had great decision making, mobility, and accuracy. The 53-yard touchdown connection with Cornell Powell was a major momentum boost early on.

The final drive was a lesson to learn for the young freshman. Taking those sacks really put them in a bad spot to convert and throwing that final pass short of the stick was not gonna get it done.

Despite coming up short, for him to lead Clemson on two separate drives to take the lead in just his second start shows that he is a confident young man with a boat load of talent.

Another player who has stepped up big time with DJ coming into the fold is Cornell Powell. With Trevor Lawrence at quarterback, Powell had 14 catches for 152 yards and two touchdowns. In the past two games, Powell has had 17 catches for 266 yards and a touchdown.

The depth in the Clemson program has been on full display over the past two games. The future continues to be bright for Dabo Sweeney and his crew. They should be fine going forward, and run the table in the regular season to set up a rematch with Notre Dame in the ACC Championship.