Notre Dame has a tall task ahead of them on Saturday against Clemson, but the Tigers are coming into the game missing some big-name players.
Notre Dame goes into their Saturday night matchup with the Clemson Tigers sitting as the No. 4 team in the country, this after getting out to a 6-0 start to the 2020 season. After beating all unranked teams to start the campaign, they get their biggest test in the No. 1 Clemson Tigers, who come into the game without the best quarterback in the country.
Trevor Lawrence had to miss the Tigers 34-28 victory against Boston College this past weekend due to him coming down positive with COVID-19, and after the game, head coach Dabo Swinney stated that he would not be playing against Notre Dame. That means D.J. Uiagalelei will make his second collegiate start against the Fighting Irish, and he certainly did not play like a guy making his first start this past weekend.
Uiagalelei threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns against the Eagles, bringing his team back from a 28-13 halftime deficit. His opponent this Saturday, Notre Dame, is a much more talented squad than Boston College, and they will have the luxury of playing inside Notre Dame Stadium.
This is the only currently-ranked team Notre Dame has on their schedule to date, so a win Saturday could go a long way in them being considered for the College Football Playoff.
For Clemson, there are some big-time players out this weekend, and that could play a factor in what teams leaves Notre Dame Stadium with the win.
Lawrence and 3 defensive starters out for Clemson
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is the biggest name who will not take the field on Saturday against Notre Dame, but he certainly is not the only starter the Tigers will be without in this top-5 matchup. Being without Lawrence is tough enough, as he is not only the best quarterback in the country, but also the potential No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, though Uiagalelei did a tremendous job filling in against BC.
Clemson will also be without three full-time starters on the defensive side of the ball against Notre Dame, including two linebackers and a defensive tackle.
In addition to Lawrence, linebackers James Skalski and Mike Jones will be out, as will defensive tackle Tyler Davis. Those are three key pieces on Clemson’s talented defense, and while it won’t have the same impact as Lawrence not playing, the loss of those players is huge against a Notre Dame offense that can score in bunches.
The last time these two teams got together, Clemson was eliminating Notre Dame from the College Football Playoff, beating the Fighting Irish 30-3. Clemson could eliminate Notre Dame from the CFP talk with that kind of win on Saturday, but based on what we saw against BC, this game has the potential to go down to the wire.