Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1067075
22 FEBRUARY 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED what we've been doing all season, and we weren't able to do that." IRISH DOWNPLAY IMPACT OF JULIAN LOVE INJURY Junior cornerback Julian Love was a vital cog to the success of the Notre Dame defense all season, but he went down with a head injury in the latter part of the first quarter and did not return until early in the third. Clemson threw for 229 yards in the second quarter to take control of the contest. Losing Love, who will be making a decision on whether or not to turn pro, certainly did not aid Notre Dame's chances in winning, but head coach Brian Kelly insisted the result did not come down to the absence of a single player. Clemson freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence was 13-of-15 pass- ing for 229 yards with three scores in the second quarter when Love was sidelined, and completed 14 of 24 passes for 98 yards with the junior on the outside. "Again, we have to be good enough that we can overcome the loss of one player," Kelly stated. "Clemson was able to overcome the loss of a great defensive lineman [ju- nior tackle Dexter Lawrence]. "We have to be able to overcome the loss of a really good player, and that's the bottom line. When you're in this game, you've got to be able to overcome the loss of key players, and that means from a coaching stand- point and a playing standpoint. "The players have got to make plays, and coaches have to put players in a position to make plays. And that's just being real. So this is about coaching and players. In these games, when you lose key players, coaches have got to step up and play- ers have got to step up." MILES BOYKIN UNDECIDED ABOUT FUTURE Although it was a relatively tough night for the overall Notre Dame passing game, senior wide receiver Miles Boykin had another solid eve- ning with five catches for 69 yards on nine targets. Like several Irish upperclassmen, Boykin's focus will now turn to his future. He must decide whether or not to go pro or return to South Bend for a fifth year. The Illinois product was not ready to make a decision after the loss to Clemson. "I've got to get back and talk with my family and the coaching staff, and decide from there," Boykin ex- plained. "It will definitely be a tough call. If I were to leave this place it would tear me apart. "I love my teammates, I love this school and ... it's a business and I want to win a national championship." Boykin finished the 2018 season with 59 receptions for 872 yards and eight scores. ✦ CLEMSON VS. NOTRE DAME QUARTER-BY-QUARTER COMPARISON Clemson 1st Qtr. 2nd Qtr. 3rd Qtr. 4th Qtr. 1st Half 2nd Half Total Time of Possession 6:33 9:35 5:31 11:10 16:08 16:41 32:49 Third-Down Conversions 2-5 4-5 1-3 2-5 6-10 3-8 9-18 Fourth-Down Conversions 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-1 0-0 1-1 1-1 Average Field Position CU-25 CU-23 CU-18 CU-33 CU-24 CU-26 CU-25 Notre Dame 1st Qtr. 2nd Qtr. 3rd Qtr. 4th Qtr. 1st Half 2nd Half Final Time of Possession 8:27 5:25 9:29 3:50 13:52 13:19 27:11 Third-Down Conversions 2-4 1-5 2-5 0-3 3-9 2-8 5-17 Fourth-Down Conversions 0-0 0-1 0-0 1-1 0-1 1-1 1-2 Average Field Position ND-33 ND-29 ND-26 ND-11 ND-31 ND-20 ND-26 PLAY CHART (NO. OF PLAYS) Yards CU ND Nega ve 6 9 0-5 43 36 6-9 12 13 10-19 9 9 20-29 3 2 30-39 1 0 40-49 2 0 50 or more 2 0 RED ZONE EFFICIENCY (INSIDE 20-YARD LINE) No Poss. TD FG Score Clemson 3 1 0 2 Notre Dame 1 0 1 0 BIG PLAYS (25 YARDS OR MORE) Clemson • 1-10 CU48 T. Lawrence pass complete to Ross for 52 yards and a touchdown • 3-7 CU39 T. Lawrence pass complete to Ross for 34 yards to the ND27 • 3-14 ND42 T. Lawrence pass complete to Ross for 42 yards and a touchdown • 1-10 CU34 T. Lawrence pass complete to Renfrow for 32 yards to the ND34, with a penalty roughing the passer penalty on Notre Dame moving it to the ND19 • 3-1 CU38 E enne rush for 62 yards and a touchdown Notre Dame None Senior wide receiver Miles Boykin, who had five receptions for 69 yards versus the Tigers, will determine in January whether or not to make himself eligible for the NFL Draft. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA