Tigers roll by ND for ACC title
Keeping an eye on the world of sports during the pandemic:
After a heartbreaking 47-40 double-overtime loss to Notre Dame last month, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney assured his players in the locker room that there would be no trophy handed out that night.
There would be one up for grabs when they got to Charlotte for the Atlantic Coast Conference title game. The Tigers haven’t blinked since, staying focused on their goal. On Saturday they collected the hardware — again.
Trevor Lawrence had 412 yards of offense and three touchdowns, Travis Etienne ran for 124 yards and a score and No. 4 Clemson dominated No. 2 Notre Dame 34-10 on Saturday to win its sixth straight ACC title.
“All we had to do was take care of business after that,” Lawrence said about the loss in South Bend. “We remember fans running off the field and getting in our face. You remember those images and keep those things in your head.”
Lawrence, who didn’t play in the first meeting because the coronavirus, threw long scoring passes to Amari Rodgers and E.J Williams in the first half to help the Tigers (10-1) lock up a spot in the College Football Playoff for the sixth straight season. Lawrence, the game MVP and presumptive No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, overcame an early interception on a tipped ball to complete 25 of 36 passes for 322 yards. He ran 14 times for 90 yards, with a 34-yard touchdown scamper.
“His ability to run really stresses your coverage calls,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said. “... So what you try to do is bring some pressures that eliminate those runs. It just opens up some 1-on-1 matchups that are not favorable.”
The junior quarterback did it all, even throwing a block to spring Etienne for a 15-yard gain on a third-down run late in the second quarter leading to a touchdown and a 24-3 halftime lead. Clemson has won all nine games Lawrence has started by at least 18 points and their average margin of victory in those games is 33.6 points.
“No team in SEC history has ever lost but one game and [not] been in it. The other leagues, I love them all, but if we can’t play in this league and be in the playoff, something is wrong.”
— Texas A&M football coach Jimbo Fisher on why the Aggies should be in the College Football Playoff