Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly … On his message to the team after the loss: "I said I was very disap- pointed in them. We're not here for moral victories. We're too far along in our program for that. We've got to come down here and beat Clemson, and you can't beat Clemson turning the ball over four times and starting tentative on defense. … "I was disappointed for them. Let's be clear in the context here. I don't want this to be taken the wrong way. I was disappointed for them that they did not seize the opportunity that they had. And that was to come down here and play a great team in a very difficult atmosphere and in dif- ficult conditions. "And, very easily, if they take care of the football and start fast, they're going to win the football game in my estimation. But we started slow and turned the ball over four times, and we lose by two." Sophomore quarterback DeShone Kizer … On his play: "Our passing game was very successful all game. In the fourth quarter, we obviously were passing almost every down. That be- ing said, they were dropping quite a bit into coverage. "I learned from the first half that you've got to drop the ball down when they're dropping guys where they are. Some of those drop-downs became big plays." On gripping the ball in the weather: "It came up here and there. I dropped the ball once or twice. There was obviously the fumble in the pocket where I dropped the ball, but throughout my career I've been pretty good throwing in the rain. "Today, I was hit or miss with some balls that should have been completed. As an offensive unit, we knew exactly what we were getting ourselves into coming out here, and we didn't ex- ecute the way we should have." Junior wide receiver Will Fuller … On the weather conditions: "We can make excuses about the weather, but we have to catch the ball. No excuses over here. We've got to catch the ball." On sophomore quarterback De- Shone Kizer: "He did great. He's doing a great job back there staying involved. I know it comes with crazy FROM THE LOCKER ROOM Head coach Dabo Swinney's Tigers held a 4-1 advantage in turnovers against Brian Kelly's Irish, which proved crucial in the outcome. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA