Benjamin Morrison Shines In Notre Dame Win Over Clemson
NOTRE DAME, IND – Notre Dame’s secondary was one of the biggest question marks Marcus Freeman had coming into his first season as head coach. The unit was good enough for most of last season, but Oklahoma State torching the Irish for 371 yards in the Fiesta Bowl left a lingering anxiety that carried into this season.
Enter Benjamin Morrison.
The freshman cornerback was not an early enrollee, but he has played at an advanced level since stepping foot on campus for summer workouts. Morrison has had his own growing pains, as any young player will, but his performance in Notre Dame’s 35-14 win over No. 4 Clemson make those lowly moments in the Arizona desert a distant memory.
Morrison had a pair of interceptions in the lopsided victory that collectively sealed his team’s signature win of the season. The first came late in the third quarter when he jumped a short pass by Clemson backup quarterback Cade Klubnik.
"I've been taught here when you're in that situation, always under cut everything,” Morrison explained of his play on the ball. "Knowing I got to help over the top, (I am) supposed to undercut it. I knew if he threw it he would have to pay for it, so I was just praying he was throwing it because the receiver got me off the line. I knew I had to use my speed to catch up. Once I was in the position I was, undercut it and there was the ball.”
Defensive tackle Justin Ademilola had pressured Klubnik on the play, forcing the ill advised pass to the middle of the field. The Morrison interception gave the Irish the ball at the Tiger 14 and Audric Estime scored from two yards out three plays later to give the Irish a 21-0 lead.
The interception was the first of Morrison’s brief career and also the first one fellow freshman Klubnik has thrown.
Clemson returned to starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei on its next series and moved the ball to the Fighting Irish 19. Uiagalelei threw to his right, just in front of the corner of the end zone, on 2nd and 10. It turned into the junior quarterback’s biggest mistake of the game.
Morrison got his head around in time to see the pass coming at him at the 4-yard line, picked off the pass, and then sprinted down the sideline in front of his jubilant sideline. Former Notre Dame recruit Will Shipley and the rest of his Clemson teammates gave chase, but Morrison had a gear none of them could reach as he raced for the end zone to put the game away.
"That was kind of cool because I've been struggling with that position all year long,” Morrison said. "Back shoulder fade, back shoulder fade, just getting my eyes back. So today I was really just focused on the details. Once I had them in the position I wanted to, I could have just played to the man .... but I trusted my abilities and put my head around there. There the ball was.”
Morrison’s play against Clemson had been very good even before his two interceptions. He finished the game with seven tackles and a pass breakup as well.
"Just a mentally tough kid,” Freeman said of Morrison. "(He) got a (pass interference) called against him and comes back and gets an interception; and got a ball caught on him and then comes back and gets a pick six. Credit to his parents. He has a special set of parents. Dad played in the NFL for a while, but also he is a minister and helps him spiritually and mentally stay in the right mindset. His mother is just an incredible woman that has raised a couple gymnasts and it's, to me, a reflection of his upbringing. He's an ultimate competitor that doesn't get shaken. It's really uncommon for a freshman to be like that.”
The win makes Notre Dame bowl eligible at 6-3 and also makes the Irish 4-1 against ranked teams this season. The last time the Irish beat a top-5 team was in 2020 when Morrison was still a junior in high school.
"It means everything just because like I pray for moments like this, dream of moments like this,” Morrison said of his performance in the win over Clemson. “For it to actually come into full circle is a cool feeling, awesome feeling. Grateful; blessed. So my team gets all the credit. The front is crazy. They allow all the pressure, so when you come to a school with a good D-line that forces some inspections, which happened tonight.”
Morrison's performance earned him the defensive National Player of the Week honor from Walter Camp.
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