Clemson Tigers at Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 3 Biggest Surprises

SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - NOVEMBER 07: Running back Travis Etienne #9 of the Clemson Tigers runs the ball against defensive lineman Kurt Hinish #41 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter at Notre Dame Stadium on November 7, 2020 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Matt Cashore-Pool/Getty Images) /

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Notre Dame held Travis Etienne in check Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /

Clemson Tigers at Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 3 Biggest Surprises

The Notre Dame defense was able to limit the production of Clemson’s Travis Etienne.

The No. 1 priority for Clark Lea’s defense on Saturday night was to find a way to slow down Clemson’s star running back Travis Etienne.

Before the game, I think most Irish fans were resigned to the fact that Etienne was probably going to have a good game, but Notre Dame could not afford to let him have a great game.

If you did not watch the game, and saw that Clemson scored 40 points against Notre Dame, you would probably assume Etienne had a great night.

However, that was not the case.

Instead, the Irish defense completely bottled up one of the best running backs in the country. Etienne finished the game with just 28 rushing yards on 18 carries. He did have a rushing touchdown, but he also had a costly fumble that Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah returned for a touchdown.

Clark Lea and the Irish defense deserve a ton of credit for containing a player like Etienne, who will almost certainly play on Sundays in the near future.

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