Clemson isn’t just looking to avenge a loss to No. 15 Notre Dame from a year ago — the Tigers, now 4-4, are also trying to turn around a season that is spiraling in the wrong direction. And a high-profile showdown against the Fighting Irish in Death Valley is the perfect opportunity.
The Tigers were ranked No. 5 in the country before a trip to South Bend in 2022 ended in a 35-14 defeat, and though Clemson went on to claim its seventh ACC championship in an eight-year span, the loss contributed to a campaign that had the Tigers omitted from the conversation of serious College Football Playoff contenders.
As these two teams meet for the return trip in 2023, neither is a serious playoff contender but Notre Dame has far more momentum with its 7-2 record and quality wins against the likes of USC and Duke. The Fighting Irish also recorded a victory earlier in the season against NC State, which is the team responsible for handing Clemson its fourth loss of the season just last week.
With two overtime losses preceding the 24-17 defeat at NC State, Clemson believes its not that far off from its program standard, but the absence of results have the Tigers far from where they expected to be for this showdown of modern college football powers. Notre Dame and Clemson are, after all, two of only seven programs to record multiple CFP appearance since the four-team format began in 2014.
Notre Dame vs. Clemson: Need to know
Sam Hartman continues to add to his legacy: With 288 yards passing in a 58-7 win against Pitt last week, graduate transfer Sam Hartman became the sixth FBS player to throw for more than 15,000 yards in a career. Hartman passed Ty Detmer on the all-time passing yardage list with his current 15,093 total, and his 128 career…
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