In a matchup of two teams ranked in the top-5, the Clemson Tigers and Notre Dame Fighting Irish go into the game with premier running backs.
Looking at the matchup between Clemson and Notre Dame on Saturday night, a lot of the conversation has circled around the quarterback position. With Trevor Lawrence out for the Tigers, they will once again turn to a true freshman at the position in D.J. Uiagalelei, who threw for over 340 yards against Boston College last weekend.
Notre Dame counters with Ian Book, a veteran under center who has the ability to make plays happen with his legs, and his arm. While the game likely hinges on which quarterback can make enough plays, it is the running back situation for each team that is one to definitely keep an eye on Saturday night.
Clemson has arguably the best running back in the country in Travis Etienne, who many believe will be the only running back selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Etienne is a dual-threat back who is the ACC’s all-time leading back, and while he has a longer resume than Kyren Williams, both are as important to the team as the other.
Let us take a look at these two elite backs heading into the marquee matchup of the college football weekend.
Kyren Williams vs. Travis Etienne
We have already discussed what Etienne has been to the Clemson football program, stepping onto the scene in 2017, and becoming one of the better backs in the country ever since. Through his four years at the school, Etienne has average 7.5 yards per carry, and he has already racked up over 600 yards rushing in 2020, good for No. 11 in the country.
Right behind Etienne on that list is Notre Dame star Kyren Williams, the No. 12-ranked back in the country in terms of rushing yards, and someone who is just scratching the surface of his talent. Williams is averaging nearly six yards per carry this season, and has already found the end zone seven times in the first six games.
Rushing being a talented and veteran offensive line, Williams has three 100-yard games this season, including a monster effort against Florida State that saw him rush for over 180 yards and two touchdowns. Notre Dame is going to need that kind of effort on Saturday night.
Ball control is going to be key for the Fighting Irish on Saturday, and the fact that they have a running back that can carry the load will prove crucial if they want to come away with the upset victory. For Clemson, Uiagalelei relied on Etienne in the passing game in a big way in his first start, connecting with his star back seven times, so expect more of the same in this one.