GAME PREVIEW: CLEMSON
it probably remains the most impres-
sive victory of the Kelly era.
• In 2013, the Shamrock Series con-
test versus No. 22 Arizona State in Ar-
lington, Texas, was one of the more
impressive performances of the sea-
son by the Irish. Notre Dame was in
control throughout most of the game
the week after losing at home to Okla-
homa, and only a Sun Devils touch-
down in the closing seconds made
the score look like a more respectable
37-34 in favor of the Irish.
• Last year as a double-digit un-
derdog, 6-0 and No. 5 Notre Dame
entered the cauldron at Tallahassee,
Fla., versus No. 2 and defending na-
tional champion Florida State. The
Irish acquitted themselves well and
remained in the College Football Play-
off hunt entering November with a
controversial 31-27 defeat in which a
Notre Dame touchdown in the closing
seconds was nullified.
Kelly and Co. have had the Irish an-
nually well prepared for the highly
publicized October road games, which
in this case against Clemson might
Head coach Dabo Swinney — who has led Clemson to four straight 10-win campaigns, making it one of
only four schools to achieve that since 2011 — has 16 days to prepare his team for its showdown with the
Irish.
PHOTO COURTESY CLEMSON
