Notre Dame Football ACC Championship review: 3 studs, 3 duds

Notre Dame football vs. Clemson: 3 Studs

Here are the 3 studs for the rematch between the Irish and the Tigers.

Trevor Lawrence

Trevor Lawrence made the difference for a Clemson team that only rushed for 34 yards in the first contest, as the zone-read runs with Lawrence and Travis Etienne negated Notre Dame’s physical advantage upfront. Of course, Lawrence is a great passer, but it was his 90-yards rushing that made all of the difference. Those yards were more than the Tigers total in the first game, and they helped springboard Etienne to 124 yards of his own. Passing, he finished with 322 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Michael Mayer

There were not a lot of bright spots for the Notre Dame football team on Saturday. However, Michael Mayer continued to prove why he is one of the best tight ends in the country despite only being a freshman. He caught five passes for 51 yards, as he appeared to be one of the only players who could get open against a stifling Tigers defense.

Brent Venables

First-year offensive coordinator Tommy Rees got the best of the veteran defensive coordinator Brent Venables in the first meeting by racking up 47 points and 518 yards. On Saturday, Venables suffocated Rees and the Notre Dame offense in the rematch, as they had answers for Clemson’s defense.

Clemson’s rush lane discipline was elite, preventing Book from making the off-schedule plays. Notre Dame’s wide receivers were unable to get open, so Book could not win the game from the pocket.