A Blast From The Past: The Fighting Irish

A Blast From The Past: The Fighting Irish

By: Grayson Mann

What a difference two years can make.

On November 7th, 2020, the Clemson Tigers traveled to South Bend to take on the fourth-ranked Irish in a matchup that contained significant playoff implications and conference superiority in a year where Notre Dame was a temporary member of the ACC.

In a season where no games were guaranteed, with teams holding their breath week to week, this matchup was an all-time classic.

The Tigers would fall 47-40 to the Irish in double overtime, with players like Ian Book putting up 310 and a score and freshman sensation Kyren Williams having a career day with 140 yards and three scores. Clemson would head into this game with their current starter DJ Uiagalelei playing in his second game, relieving Trevor Lawrence, who was under Covid protocol then. DJ would throw for nearly 450 yards and two scores, giving Clemson fans plenty of excitement about the future.

Clemson would ultimately get their revenge when it mattered most on their way to their sixth straight ACC crown and another playoff berth.

Whenever the Tigers and Irish go head-to-head, there is always something to look for. Whether the high stakes thriller of November 7th or the goal line stand on the two-point conversion in the hurricane, these two teams matching up is must-see TV.

Now it is 2022, we are no longer holding our breath for games, and both teams have had some significant changes.

To start with the Irish, Notre Dame had a change of leadership near the tail end of the 2021 season, with Brian Kelly taking off for the highly coveted job at LSU with Marcus Freeman taking over as the head coach. Drew Pyne has also taken over as the quarterback for the Irish, leading to five wins in their last six games. Notre Dame won’t be facing Clemson with any aspirations for the playoffs but is playing their best ball as of late.

For the Tigers, DJ Uiagalelei has taken over for Trevor Lawrence, but the Irish are familiar with DJ as he put up an all-time performance in the second game of his career. Just like the Irish, Clemson’s staff faced significant changes, with Tony Elliot and Brent Venables taking the head coaching positions at Virginia and Oklahoma.

With so many moving parts over the last two years between these storied programs, it makes Saturday night a must-watch matchup.

Can the Irish play spoiler to Clemson’s perfect season? Will DJ bounce back and return to his 2022 form? These questions and more will be answered as the Tigers head to South Bend this Saturday to make it nine straight wins on the season.