Coming into the matchup with No. 1 Clemson, many wondered if Notre Dame was capable of containing explosive Tigers running back Travis Etienne and producing enough big plays of offense to keep up one of the highest-scoring teams in College Football.
On Saturday, the Fighting Irish were able to exceed expectations in both instances, which is a big reason why they came away with a 47-40 win in double overtime.
Notre Dame Defense Contains Travis Etienne
On Monday, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly, without a hint of hyperbole, proclaimed that Clemson senior Travis Etienne was the best running back in college football.
To be fair, such an assertion has merit. In 2019, Etienne averaged 7.8 yards per rush attempt, which was first amongst all Power Five running backs with at least 50 carries. He was also a first-team All-American in 2018 according to ESPN, a two-time ACC Player of the Year in 2018 and 2019 and the conference's all-time leading rusher.
Behind a far less experienced offensive line in 2020, he was still averaging 101 rushing yards per game with 5.9 yards per attempt. Without many go-to wide receivers, he was just as deadly in the passing game, averaging 72.3 yards per game, 15.1 yards per reception and was his team’s second-leading receiver.
So coming into the game against Clemson, Notre Dame knew it was vital that the defense contained Etienne.
“Obviously, we put a lot of emphasis on him not wrecking the game,” Kelly said.
The result? Etienne finished with 18 rush attempts for 28 yards, good for 1.6 yards per attempt. The last time he had so few rushing yards was when he ran for 22 yards on four carries (4.5 yards per carry) as a freshman in the College Football Playoffs against eventual national champion Alabama. His 1.6 yards per attempt against Notre Dame represents the lowest single-game average of his collegiate career.
A major factor in limiting Etienne was getting to him behind the line of scrimmage. Notre Dame frequently blitzed its linebackers and penetrated gaps with its defensive linemen. Despite finishing the contest with just 28 rushing yards, Etienne actually had 52 yards after contact according to Pro Football Focus, but because many of those hits happened behind the line of scrimmage, even if Etienne broke an initial tackle, he didn't necessarily gain any yards.
Additionally, Etienne was tackled for a loss on five occasions against Notre Dame, accounting for - 19 yards.
“We just tried to contain him,” said senior linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who led the game with nine tackles. “He was everywhere on the field, as you already know. We tried to fill gaps or we tried to at least blitz the gaps when we had to face him. It was just a point of reference where we always listened to Coach [Clark] Lea. He told us all week to just continue to hit your gaps for speed...
“It was just a matter where we had to go full speed every single time and be able to meet him in the backfield, and not let him get going.”
Still, when it comes to a player of Etienne's caliber, he can only be contained to a certain point and the senior running back was still effective in the passing game. He snagged eight receptions for 57 yards, but his 7.1 yards per grab was much lower than the 15.1 yards per catch he was averaging prior to the game.
And that was good enough for a Notre Dame victory.
Irish Produce Enough Big Plays Against Clemson
On the second play of the game, Notre Dame sophomore running back Kyren Williams set an important tone for the Fighting Irish offense. On a run to the left, the offensive line created a sizable hole for Williams, who darted to the second level of the defense. There he met safety Nolan Turner and, after a quick step toward the middle of the field, Williams cut back outside, freezing Turner and broke away from the rest of the Tiger defense for a 65-yard touchdown.
It was the biggest play of the evening for either team.
“It was a point of emphasis this week,” Williams said. “We preached it a lot, 'It's going to be a dogfight, so we've got to punch them in the mouth first before they punch us.'”
After that, Williams had two more runs of 15 yards, but the rest of the big plays from quarterback Ian Book using his arm or his feet. Book had three runs of 10 yards or more, including a 25-yard scamper in the second half.
But the biggest plays the fifth-year senior quarterback made came through the air, as he threw five passes of 15 yards or more, including two for more than 45 yards.
The first came on a ball thrown deep down the middle of the field that forced wide receiver Javon McKinley to dive in order to make the over-the-shoulder catch. It resulted in a 48-yard reception.
Of course, the biggest play of the game came in the final two minutes when Book hit wide receiver Avery Davis in stride on a post route that brought Notre Dame to the Clemson three-yard line. Three plays later, the pair connected again for the game-tying score.
“I didn't know the ball was going to come to me,” Davis said. “I knew I had a chance to get it though. Once I saw the coverage they were in, I realized I was in a one-on-one situation, so then I knew it was coming to me, and I wanted to capitalize on the opportunity.”
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