Clemson at Notre Dame: 5 Things to Watch for in South Bend

Top-ranked Clemson heads up to South Bend this weekend for a matchup with fourth-ranked Notre Dame and All Clemson takes a look at five areas to keep an eye on in one of the seasons marquee games.

The ACC's newest member gets a shot at knocking off the conference's premier team this weekend in South Bend.

Fourth-ranked Notre Dame hosts top-ranked Clemson this weekend in one of the seasons marquee matchups. The Tigers head up north attempting to get their highest-ranked road win in school history, while Notre Dame is looking to get just their second top-five win in the past two decades. 

Five Things To Watch

1. D.J. Uiagalelei: Much of the focus centers around the fact that Trevor Lawrence will not be available and that the freshman will be making just the second start of his young career in one of the sports most storied venues. Uiagalelei shined in his first start last weekend against Boston College, throwing for 342 yards, third most for any freshman in school history in their first career start. The moment never looked to big for Uiagalelei, but it was at home, against Boston College. The Tigers will need a similar performance to come away with a win. 

2. The Trenches: This is where this football game will be won. Notre Dame features one of the best rushing attacks in the country and has one of the most experienced and most talented offensive lines in the country. Whether or not the Tigers defensive front can win the battle up front will determine whether they can come out with a win. They must make Ian Book uncomfortable and they must do it without Tyler Davis. Same goes on the offensive side of the ball. The Clemson offensive line must win that battle and give Travis Etienne some room to run. They also absolutely must slow the Irish pass rush down and give their freshman quarterback time to make plays in the passing game. 

3. Notre Dame Tight Ends: The Irish have a number of tight ends they can use, but it is freshman Michael Mayer that can really cause problems for the Clemson defense. Mayer leads Notre Dame in pass receptions so look for the Irish to try and take advantage of the fact that freshman Trenton Simpson will be starting in place of Mike Jones Jr. at the SAM. Brent Venables has done well scheming against teams with versatile tight ends this season and it will be interesting to see what the Tigers defensive coordinator comes up with this week.

4. Clemson Wide Receivers: With Uiagalelei getting the start, the Tigers wideouts must step up in South Bend. On paper this Notre Dame secondary is really good but given the competition they have played to this point they are still largely untested. Amari Rodgers, Cornell Powell and Frank Ladson Jr. must consistently win their one-on-one matchups and help their young quarterback out by making some plays.

5. All The Pressure On Irish: Clemson is considered one of the top two or three programs in the country. Notre Dame aspires to be mentioned in the same breath as the Tigers, Alabama, and Ohio State. Losing to an undermanned Clemson team without Trevor Lawrence will be a huge setback for a program chasing their first national title since the Lou Holtz era. If the Irish can't beat an extremely shorthanded Clemson team, at home, it is hard to imagine they could pull it off in a rematch in Charlotte when the Tigers are closer to full strength.

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