Clemson Football vs Notre Dame: Defensive Grades

“The players are different”, he said. “It makes us work with more of a sense of urgency”.

Clemson kept the pressure on its next series. Which defensive identity was the true one from past year: the one that helped lead the team to a 6-0 start, or the one that surrendered 44.5 points per game during the last four regular season games?

Irish coach Brian Kelly spoke with captains Jaylon Smith, Nick Martin, Sheldon Day and Matthias Farley during a postgame meeting.

It can be said that Clemson’s offense, which achieved only two first downs in the entire fourth quarter, deserves as much blame for allowing Notre Dame to get back into the game, as it failed to keep the defense off the field.

“The biggest disappointment was the fourth quarter”, Swinney said. “That has nothing to do with being exhausted”. A year ago, the Irish started the season 6-0 before losing a tough road game at Florida State when an apparent go-ahead touchdown with 13 seconds left was called back because of a pass interference penalty.

Tech’s defense likewise let a lead slip last week. We gave up 12 big plays of 16 yards or more, which is uncharacteristic of us.

“All of it”, Venables said. “We just need to find a way to beat Georgia Tech this weekend and build on the positives that we’ve had through the first four games”.

Notre Dame amassed 225 of its 437 yards in the game’s final 15 minutes, facilitating a 19-point outburst that put the Fighting Irish in position to tie the game in the waning seconds.

“There are advantages on both sides”, he said.

“Jay’s not going anywhere”, Swinney said.

To a few outside observers, it is finally time for Notre Dame to earn the ring that has eluded one of the sport’s top programs. “People will think we don’t have a good team so we have to go out there and prove it”. If there is any truth to this story, however, it would be another in a long line of recent instances of coaches crossing the line with their treatment of players.

“We’re not a national championship team”. Swinney said it is also possible that Norton and/or Guillermo could see playing time at guard. “But having played against Georgia Tech will be a benefit to them”.

Hyatt grew up in Suwanee, Ga., roughly a 30-minute drive from Georgia Tech’s campus. “Last year, it was a huge honor, and to be able to have that opportunity again this year is really cool”. “They always have great talent”, Niumatalolo said. “It’ll just be fun to see him out there”.

If someone, anyone within the organization had the common sense and then the courage to do so, the Irish wouldn’t have lost every game in November of 2014 and would have had a chance to win in overtime against Clemson Saturday night.

“He has a motor that doesn’t quit”, Hyatt said of Saint-Amour. The Clemson coach stuck his head into the room and smiled wide.

Since taking charge of the Tigers in October 2008, Swinney has been targeted by a “freedom from religion” group, claiming the coach has violated the separation of church and state by allegedly promoting Christian culture at the South Carolina public university. “No plan to redshirt him, not sure when he’s going to be back, nothing else to say”.

Late in the first half, sophomore quarterback DeShone Kizer heaved a deep ball to Robinson for what might have been a touchdown, but the junior could not hold onto the ball.

Navy has won eight straight games dating to last season.

But the sentiment seemed to summarize his feelings about this team four games into what’s setting up to become an interesting season.