The top-five matchup between No. 1 Clemson and No. 4 Notre Dame was everything college football fans hoped it would be, and more.
The Fighting Irish overcame several offensive mistakes and a tremendous effort by Clemson's D.J. Uiagalelei to beat the No. 1 team in the land 47-40 in double overtime Saturday night. It was the Irish's first home win over a No. 1 team since the Game of the Century vs. top-ranked Florida State in 1993. The Seminoles ended up winning the championship that year, and Clemson will hope to do the same; but that's a storyline for a future date.
Notre Dame needed a complete team effort to beat the Tigers, getting huge plays from its defense, quarterback Ian Book and running back Kyren Williams. The Irish started the game with a bang as Williams ran 65 yards for a touchdown to give thema 7-0 lead. Williams finished the game with 140 yardson 23 carries and three scores.
The Irish jumped out to a 10-0 lead before Uiagalelei could get Clemson's offense on the scoreboard. The true freshman hit receiver Cornell Powell for a 53-yard touchdown, and from thereit was game on. Notre Dame took a 23-13 lead into halftime, but Clemson outscored the Irish 10-0 in the third quarter — on a B.T. Potter 46-yard field goal and a 10-yard touchdown connection between Uiagalelei and Davis Allen — to tie the game 23-23 heading into the fourth quarter.
After the teams tradedfield goals, Travis Etienne (18 carries, 28 yards, one score) scored a 3-yard touchdown to give Clemson its first lead of the game, 33-26, with 3:33 remaining in regulation. A Notre Dame turnover on downs with 2:10 remaining nearly spelled doom for the Irish, but the defense forced a three-and-out to get the offense the ball back one last time. Book and Co. made good on the opportunity, driving 91 yards in 1:26 to tie the game 33-33.
Clemson (Uiagalelei 1-yard touchdown run) and Notre Dame (Williams 3-yard touchdown run) traded scores in the first overtime, setting up the Irish to play offense first in the second overtime period. Williams scored his final touchdown of the game on another 3-yarder, setting Clemson up for the tying score. Two sacks and an incompletion gave the Tigers an insurmountable fourth-and-24 from the ND 39. A series of laterals on the final play of the game fell well short of the line to gain, and Notre Dame finished the incredible upset.
Book finished the game completing 22 of 39 passes for 310 yards and a score; Uiagalelei completed 29 of 44 passes for 439 yards and two touchdowns, adding a score on the ground. In all, Notre Dame outgained Clemson 519-473.
Sporting News tracked scores, updates and highlights from the game. Check out the biggest plays from what looks like the 2020 Game of the Year:
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Notre Dame vs. Clemson score
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | OT | 2OT | Final | |
| Clemson | 7 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 40 |
| Notre Dame | 10 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 47 |
Notre Dame vs. Clemson live updates, highlights
Double overtime: Notre Dame 47, Clemson 40
11:42 p.m.: GAME OVER. NOTRE DAME WINS. Uiagalelei's pass is completed well short of the line to gain, and a series of laterals is snuffed out by the Irish defense. Notre Dame knocks off No. 1 Clemson and wins 47-40!
— Notre Dame on NBC (@NDonNBC) November 8, 2020DOWN GOES NO.1!
Notre Dame upset No.1 Clemson in double overtime 😱 pic.twitter.com/1UqRaUIbRL
11:41 p.m.: Timeout, Clemson
11:41 p.m.: Allen drops Uiagalelei's passaround the original line of scrimmage. It all comes down to this: fourth-and-24 from the 39.
11:40 p.m: Another sack by Notre Dame: Daelin Hayes gets there this time, moving Clemson back another 5 yards to the 39. The Tigers have it third-and-24.
11:39 p.m.: Notre Dame defensive lineman Adetokunbo Ogundeji sacks Uiagalelei for a loss of 9 yards. Clemson has it second-and-19 from the 34.
11:38 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, NOTRE DAME. Williams knocks it again for another 3-yard touchdown, and the Irish have a 47-40 lead.
11:37 p.m.: Timeout, Notre Dame
11:37 p.m.: Williams gets nothing on first-and-goal. Irish have it second-and-goal from the 3.
11:35 p.m.: Book hits Skowronek at about the 5, and he gets 2 more yards to make it first-and-goal Notre Dame at about the 3.
11:35 p.m.: Book scrambles again for a gain 13 down to the 12-yard line. Third-and-3 upcoming.
11:34 p.m.: Clemson true freshman Myles Murphy hits Williams in the backfield for a loss of 5. The Irish will have it second-and-15 from the 25.
11:32 p.m.: Book scrambles for a big gain down inside the 5, but a Notre Dame holding penalty offsets the gain. Luckily for the Irish, Clemson's Joseph Charleston pushed Book down well after he was out of bounds. So that gives Notre Dame a first down at the 20 because of the personal foul.
11:29 p.m.: Notre Dame again starts with Williams, but he goes backward a yard. Perhaps more importantly: Clemson's Bresee is down again, as is Jones.
Overtime: Clemson 40, Notre Dame 40
11:26 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, NOTRE DAME. Officials confirm the play. Doerer kicks the extra point and ties the game at 40. MORE FOOTBALL!
11:24 p.m.: Williams gets the 3-yard touchdown but officials will probably review it, all things considered. If it stands — does Notre Dame go for 2?
Kyren Williams punches it in 💪 #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/wTDaDDKVlP
— Notre Dame on NBC (@NDonNBC) November 8, 2020
11:23 p.m.: Book connects with McKinley on the crossing route for 5 yards. The Irish have it second-and-goal from the 3.
11:22 p.m.: Notre Dame gives Book all kinds of time, and he finds Mayer on the comeback down to the 8. Irish have first-and-10 from there; Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee is down on the play but can walk off under his own power.
11:21 p.m.: Williams takes it for 2 yards on the first-down play. Second-and-8 upcoming.
11:19 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, CLEMSON. Officials confirm the call, and the Potter extra point makes it 40-33, Clemson.
11:17 p.m.: One play later Uiagalelei takes it in himself for the 1-yard touchdown. And, wouldn't you know it, officials are reviewing this one too.
11:14 p.m.: Another weird situation. Officials review the play to ensure Powell actually had a touchdown. The review confirms the call. But then officials take a second look and rule Powell's knee was down before he crossed the plane, giving Clemson the ball first-and-goal from just outside the goal line.
11:11 p.m.: Well, that didn't long. Uiagalelei fakes the handoff and hits Powell on the post route for a 25-yard touchdown to start overtime. The play is under review. (Not a touchdown, but here's the play):
D.J. UIAGALELEI FINDS CORNELL POWELL FOR THE TD💥 pic.twitter.com/FxE8hsK8fC
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) November 8, 2020
11:11 p.m.: Notre Dame wins the toss and elects to go on defense first.
Regulation: Clemson 33, Notre Dame 33
11:08 p.m.: Uiagalelei takes a knee, and we're heading to overtime!
11:08 p.m.: Clemson has the ball at its 27 with 16 seconds left. The Tigers have two timeouts, so don't be surprised to see a couple of shots.
11:08 p.m.: Doerer hits the extra point to tie the game33-33 with 22 seconds left. What a game.
11:06 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, NOTRE DAME. Book gets his first touchdown of the game with a 4-yard touchdown connection to Davis with 22 seconds left! A field goal will tie the game at 33.
— Notre Dame on NBC (@NDonNBC) November 8, 2020WOW 🤯
Ian Book finds Avery Davis for the touchdown! The Irish tie it with 22 seconds left in the game! #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/rnMxpQVdck
11:06 p.m.: Book's third-down pass attempt is knocked down at the line of scrimmage. Third-and-goal from the 4 upcoming with 27 seconds remaining.
11:05 p.m.: The Irish have it second-and-goal from the 4 with 30 seconds remaining. after Book throws the ball out of bounds.
11:03 p.m.: Book hits the long ball! He finds Davis streaking upfield between two safeties. The Irish are driving inside the Clemson 10-yard line with just under a minute left.
AVERY DAVIS 😱 #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/qRJjOSAZLK
— Notre Dame on NBC (@NDonNBC) November 8, 2020
11:02 p.m.: Williams gets the first down — and out of bounds — at the Notre Dame 43.
11:02 p.m.: Book tries to find Mayer in the zone but Derion Kendrick jumps the route and nearly intercepts it.
11:01 p.m.: Book scrambles 9 yards to the 28 and manages to get out of bounds with 1:26 remaining.
11 p.m.: Book finds McKinley for a 10-yard gain to the 19.
10:57 p.m.: Boneheaded mistake by Etienne: He takes the swing pass out of bounds, giving Notre Dame the ball back at its 9 with 1:48 left in the game and two timeouts.
10:55 p.m.: Etienne is slung back for a 3-yard loss, but Clemson is called for holding. Notre Dame should decline the penalty and have Clemson face third-and-14 from its 43. That leaves two minutes left in the game and it doesn't appear the Irish will be charged a timeout.
10:54 p.m.: Timeout Notre Dame, 2:06
10:53 p.m.: Uiagalelei takes it for a 1-yard keeper.
10:52 p.m.: TURNOVER ON DOWNS, NOTRE DAME. Book has Skowronek for the first down, but he drops the pass. Clemson takes over at its 47 with 2:09; Notre Dame can use its three timeouts, however, and get the ball back.
10:52 p.m.: Officials call Clemson's Jones for pass interference on Skowronek, but some jawing by Swinney appears to have been enough to get officials to pick up the flag.
10:51 p.m.: Book finds Mayer again on the shallow cross but it's bottled up for a 3-yard gain. Looking at four-down territory anyway.
10:50 p.m.: And it is.
10:47 p.m.: Book finds Davis on the sideline for a 12-yard gain to midfield, but it's called incomplete on the field. That should be overturned on review.
10:46 p.m.: The Irish again do a good job of picking up Clemson's blitz, allowing Book to find Mayer for a 13-yard gain to the Notre Dame 38.
10:45 p.m.: Notre Dame gets the ball back at its 25 with 3:33 remaining. Irish need a touchdown here.
10:41 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, CLEMSON. Etienne pounds in a 3-yard touchdown to give Clemson its first lead of the game, 33-26, with 3:33 left in the game.
— PFF College (@PFF_College) November 8, 2020
10:41 p.m.: Powell takes the tunnel screen 14 yards down to the Irish 3 after shedding several Notre Dame tacklers.
— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) November 8, 2020Grown man play by Cornell Powell.
This right here is Clemson Football.#ALLIN 🐅🐾 pic.twitter.com/tS0F4MXgRU
10:40 p.m.: Etienne gets his best rush of the game: 13 yards, down to the Irish 17. They're pounding the Notre Dame defense with time winding down.
10:39 p.m.: Owusu-Koramoah is called for pass interference on Brannon Spector, giving Clemson a first down at Notre Dame's 30.
10:37 p.m.: More unreal poise from Uiagalelei, who avoids the pressure in the pocket long enough to hit Rodgers for a 16-yard gain and a first down. Tigers driving at the Notre Dame 36.
10:35 p.m.: Uiagalelei sheds a sack and scrambles 9 yards to near midfield.
10:34 p.m.: Clemson draws Notre Dame's defense offside and gets the first-down conversion. Bad mental error there. Tigers driving at their 41.
10:33 p.m.: Clemson comes up short, but the officials are reviewing; if it stands as called, however, the Tigers offense looked like it was going to attempt the conversion.
10:31 p.m.: Notre Dame stuffs a third-and-1 run by Etienne, but officials are bringing out the chains. Could be a massive play by the Irish defense.
10:28 p.m.: A 50-yard punt by Bramblett gives Clemson the ball back at its 26 with 9:14 left in the game. This is the first Tigers drive all game where any score gives them the lead.
10:26 p.m.: Book throws a long 50/50 ball, but Skowronek can't gain control of the ball inbounds. Notre Dame to punt.
10:25 p.m.: Snap infraction makes it third-and-15 Notre Dame after two Book incompletions.
10:20 p.m.: FIELD GOAL, CLEMSON. The Tigers answer with a field goal of their own. Potter hits the 30-yarder to tie it 26-26 with 9:42 left in the game.
10:18 p.m.: Lucky break for Notre Dame: Uiagalelei had Rodgers open on the quick hook but missed him. Clemson will settle for the field goal attempt.
10:17 p.m.: Uiagalelei flips the field on the first play, hitting Powell for a 51-yard pass all the way down at the Notre Dame 22-yard line.
10:16 p.m.: Etienne takes the kickoff from the Clemson 5-yard line and returns it 24 yards to the Clemson 29.
10:13 p.m.: FIELD GOAL, NOTRE DAME. Doerer hits the 45-yard field goal to go 3 for 4 on the night and give Notre Dame a 26-23 lead with 11:37 remaining.
10:12 p.m.: Book has Davis in the end zone with safety Nolan Turner in defense, but he can't control the catch all the way through. The Irish will line up for a 45-yard field goal instead.
10:10 p.m.: Nice play by Mayer, who catches the ball on the underneath route, breaks a would-be tackle by Trenton Simpson and takes it 29 yards to the Clemson's 29.
10:07 p.m.: A silly mistake Clemson's Andrew Booth Jr.: He tackles the Notre Dame punt returner after he called for a fair catch. That gives Notre Dame the ball at its 43-yard line after the penalty.
Third quarter: Notre Dame 23, Clemson 23
10:04 p.m.: Good stop by the Notre Dame defense, which forces a three-and-out on the final play of the third quarter. We're heading into the fourth quarter all knotted up at 23.
10:02 p.m.: FUMBLE RECOVERY, CLEMSON. Disaster for Notre Dame: Book has enough for a third-down conversion, but fumbles the ball at about the 6 after getting tackled by linebacker Jake Venables. Clemson recovers in the end zone for a touchback. One play earlier, Williams had a clear shot at the end zone but tripped over his own blocker's feet.
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) November 8, 2020FUMBLE!
Jake Venables forces an Ian Book turnover in the red zone 💪
The game is tied 23-23 heading into the fourth 👀 pic.twitter.com/hQZFcVHov8
10 p.m.: Book finds Mayer for 7 yards on the crossing route for the third-down conversion. Irish have a new set of downs at the Clemson 16.
9:56 p.m.: Weird situation here. Book hits Skowronek for a 3-yard gain to make it third-and-3 Notre Dame; but Swinney claims the receiver was out of bounds when he pulled the pass in. Officials overturn the call on the field, making it third-and-6. The camera shows the receiver was clearly in bounds, however, prompting a review of the call. It stands as called on the field.
9:53 p.m.: The ruling on the field stands, giving the Irish a big play they desperately needed after giving up 10 points.
9:52 p.m.: And the Irish finally hit the long ball! Ball connects with McKinley for a long gain at the Clemson 30-yard line, but the play is under review.
9:51 p.m.: Notre Dame back at it for only its second drive of the half (Clemson has had the ball for 9:14).
9:47 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, CLEMSON. Uiagalelei fakes the handoff left, takes the bootleg right and finds tight end Davis Allen alone for the 10-yard touchdown. That makes it 23-23 with 4:12 remaining in the third quarter.
Big plays by DJ Uiagalelei to cap a 13-play, 60-yd drive! The true freshman is already 22-for-32 with 306 yards and 2 TD. pic.twitter.com/4oPfU17yyj
— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) November 8, 2020
9:43 p.m.: Uiagalelei takes the shotgun snap and goes over the left guard on the attempt; he's hit in the backfield but manages to power through for a first down just past the 10. The Tigers have it first-and-goal.
9:42 p.m.: Timeout Clemson, 5:10
9:41 p.m.: Decision time now for Dabo Swinney. Uiagalelei hits Braden Galloway, who's down inches short of the first down at the 10-yard line.
9:40 p.m.: Uiagalelei rolls right and throws a nice pass to Etienne with a defender right in his face. The Tigers have a new set of downs after the third-and-5 conversion at the Notre Dame 20.
9:38 p.m.: Two more plays and Clemson has another first down at roughly the 36.
9:36 p.m.: Two plays and Clemson is already across midfield. A big drive here for the Tigers, obviously.
9:32 p.m.: Clemson forces Notre Dame to three-and-out after Book can't connect with Avery Davis on the long attempt. The Tigers will take over at their 40 after a 31-yard punt.
9:30 p.m.: Notre Dame back at it but the Irish go backward 3 yards on the first play of the half.
9:26 p.m.: FIELD GOAL, CLEMSON. Potter knocks it through for the 46-yarder. That brings the score to 23-16, Notre Dame, with 12:15 in the third quarter.
9:25 p.m.: Notre Dame sends a timely blitz, and Uiagalelei throws it away. It looks like intentional grounding but officials don't call it. It's third-and-9 from the 30.
9:22 p.m.: Uiagalelei connects with Powell for 11 yards to the Notre Dame 30, but guard Matt Bockhorst is down on the play.
9:21 p.m.: Notre Dame sold out to stop the run on third-and-short, but Uiagalelei hits Rodgers by himself on the sideline. The receiver takes it all the way to the Notre Dame 41 after the 15-yard gain.
9:18 p.m.: We're back at it. Clemson gets the ball at its 35 out of halftime.
Halftime: Notre Dame 23, Clemson 13
(All times Eastern)
9 p.m.: Some halftime stats:
First downs: Notre Dame 11; Clemson 9
Third-down conversions: Notre Dame 5 of 9; Clemson 2 of 6
Total yards: Notre Dame 245; Clemson 225
Passing yards: Clemson 220; Notre Dame 101
Rushing yards: Notre Dame 144; Clemson 5
Penalties: Notre Dame 3 for 25; Clemson 2 for 16
Time of possession: Notre Dame 19:07; Clemson 10:53
8:58 p.m.: MISSED FIELD GOAL ATTEMPT, NOTRE DAME Doeren's kick is dead-on accurate, but it doesn't have the leg. Etienne fields the kick and nearly returns it for a touchdown. But the holder, Jay Bramblett, stops him from taking it all the way. Exciting way to end the half.
Travis Etienne was this close to returning a field-goal attempt for a touchdown. 😳 pic.twitter.com/OyBqL9v4QP
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) November 8, 2020
8:56 p.m.: That's the Irish's last timeout. From here this looks like a 57-yard field goal try. The field goal team is coming on.
8:56 p.m.: Timeout, Notre Dame, 0:03
8:55 p.m.: Timeout, Notre Dame, 0:17
8:54 p.m.: Notre Dame nears midfield with 22 seconds remaining in the half. Looking for a last-second field goal, by the looks of things.
8:53 p.m.: Book gains 9 yards on the quarterback draw. Trying to get a quick score here?
8:51 p.m.: FIELD GOAL, CLEMSON. The Tigers can't convert on third down (Uiagalelei tries to hit Etienne underneath zone coverage, but the pass is broken up). But Potter blasts his own 45-yard field goal to make it 23-13 Notre Dame with 1:13 remaining in the half.
8:50 p.m.: Next play, Uiagalelei goes right on the fake quarterback power before pulling up to hit Etienne out of the backfield for a 22-yard gain to the Irish 28.
8:48 p.m.: Braden Galloway makes a 27-yard reception on the first play of the drive to get Clemson out to the Notre Dame 48.
8:46 p.m.: FIELD GOAL, NOTRE DAME. Doerer nails it to make it 23-10, Notre Dame, with 2:41 left in the half.
8:45 p.m.: Timeout, Clemson, 2:46
8:45 p.m.: Notre Dame can't get a first down on third-and-22, but it does give itself a 45-yard field goal attempt.
8:43 p.m.: Skowronek is called for a blindside block, backing up the Irish 15 yards to the 40. Not a great start early for the Irish there.
8:41 p.m.: FUMBLE RECOVERY, NOTRE DAME. The play stands as called on the field, making that another fantastic play by Owusu-Koramoah (and a second straight turnover by Clemson). Notre Dame takes over at Clemson's 25-yard line.
— Notre Dame on NBC (@NDonNBC) November 8, 2020THE IRISH CAME TO PLAY 😤
Notre Dame force another Clemson fumble. #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/Gnku07ARy3
8:40 p.m.: Officials on the field rule that Rodgers catches a pass and fumbles the ball before Notre Dame defensive back Nick McCloud recovers. The play is under review.
8:35 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, NOTRE DAME. For the second straight week, Clemson allows a defensive touchdown: Uiagalelei tosses right to Etienne, but Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (who was supposed to be blocked by Rodgers) was already in the area. The ball bounces off Etienne's hands directly into Owusu-Koramoah's hands, and he takes the fumble recovery back 23 yards for a score. It's 20-10, Notre Dame, with 5:53 left in the half.
— Notre Dame on NBC (@NDonNBC) November 8, 2020FUMBLEEEE!
A botched handle from Travis Etienne allows Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah to score 💥 #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/TQlTzr3ltR
8:33 p.m.: Clemson sends a blitz and Notre Dame picks it up. That said, Book can't connect on the long pass with two receivers in the area. The Irish punt for the first time and give the ball back to the Tigers at their 31.
8:32 p.m.: One play later, sophom*ore defensive end K.J. Henry sacks Book for a 7-yard loss — the first sack by either team.
8:31 p.m.: Skowronek gets the catch and breaks four tackles to get 5 or 6 yards after the catch for a first down.
8:30 p.m.: FIELD GOAL, CLEMSON. B.T. Potter knocks the 25-yarder through to make it 13-10, Notre Dame, with 8:32 left in the half.
8:28 p.m.: Clemson can't convert another third down and will attempt the field goal.
8:27 p.m.: (For those of you watching the game live on NBC, the game is now on USA Network).
8:25 p.m.: Uiagalelei avoids the pressure on third-and-12 and finds Rodgers in the open space for the conversion. Clemson is driving at the 13 after the 17-yard gain.
8:24 p.m.: Rodgers gets another big gainer: 34 yards to the Notre Dame 27. The Irish defense is on its heels a little early in this drive.
8:22 p.m.: Amari Rodgers takes the short option route, breaks a tackle and takes it up the sideline for a 27-yard gain to the Clemson 39.
8:21 p.m.: Etienne takes the kickoff out from the goal line and only gets to the 12 before he's smacked. Another long field for Clemson upcoming.
8:20 p.m.: FIELD GOAL, NOTRE DAME. Doerer goes 2 for 2 on the night, nailing the 27-yarder to make it 13-7, Notre Dame, with 13:09 left in the half.
8:19 p.m.: Book rolls right and tries to hit Mayer underneath, but he drops it (could have been a touchdown). The Irish will now attempt a 27-yard field goal.
8:15 p.m.: Timeout, Notre Dame, 13:20
8:14 p.m.: Williams gets a nice 15-yard gain on second-and-7 to net the Irish a fresh set of downs at Clemson's 10-yard line.
8:12 p.m.: Book and Uiagalelei combined to complete 10 of 10 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter. Impressive.
First quarter: Notre Dame 10, Clemson 7
8:10 p.m.: Another third-down conversion for Notre Dame: Book is money again, hitting Tremble for 14 yards and a new set of downs at the Clemson 42. He follows that up with another connection to McKinley for another 14-yard gain to the Clemson 28.
8:08 p.m.: Book hits tight end Ben Skowronek on third-and-4 for a 7-yard gain out to the Irish 38.
8:06 p.m.: Notre Dame gets the ball back at its 25 following the kickoff.
8:04 p.m.: Uiagalelei, by the way, is 5 for 5 for 83 yards and a score through two drives.
8:01 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, CLEMSON. Uiagalelei hits Cornell Powell for a 53-yard touchdown on the deep post. That makes it 10-7, Notre Dame, with 4:11 remaining in the first quarter. That comes one play after Uiagalelei converted third-and-2 with a 14-yard strike to Joseph Ngata.
— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) November 8, 2020TOUCHDOWN TIGERS!
Beautiful, over-the-top 53-yd TD pass from DJ to Cornell!
GO TIGERS!#ALLIN 🐅🐾 pic.twitter.com/QtmoSpuYMl
8 p.m.: Uiagalelei hits Etienne out of the backfield for the second time early; Irish might want to key in on that. The play goes for 7 yards.
7:59 p.m.: Clemson back at it at its 25.
7:54 p.m.: FIELD GOAL, NOTRE DAME. Freshman tight end Michael Mayer flinched before the fourth-and-inches attempt, backing the Irish up 5 yards and prompting a 24-yard field goal attempt by Jonathan Doerer. He converts it and gives Notre Dame a 10-0 lead with 5:55 remaining in the first quarter.
7:53 p.m.: Decision time for Brian Kelly. It looks like Notre Dame didn't get the third-down conversion but it's fourth-and-short near the 1-yard line.
7:51 p.m.: Notre Dame picks up the blitz again on third-and-4, and Book connects with tight end Tommy Tremble in the flat for an 8-yard completion down to the Clemson 11.
7:49 p.m.: Notre Dame picks up the Clemson blitz on third-and-7 and converts with a 27-yard connection between Book and Javon McKinley. That moves the irish to the Clemson 25.
Javon McKinley GOT THAT 😤 #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/vkIXBSrAyT
— Notre Dame on NBC (@NDonNBC) November 8, 2020
7:43 p.m.: The Tigers waste no time, going with an up-tempo attack early. Running back Travis Etienne runs for 10 yards on the first play, but the Notre Dame defense clamps down from there to force a fourth-and-2 punt at the Tigers 24.
7:42 p.m.: Clemson's Lyn-J Dixon muffs the ensuing kickoff and is swarmed at the Tigers 15. A holding penalty on Clemson backs it up to its 6 to start the first offensive drive of the game.
7:36 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, NOTRE DAME. Two plays is all it takes for Notre Dame to take the lead! Running back Kyren Williams takes it off left tackle for a 65-yard rushing touchdown to make it 7-0, Irish. There's 14:27 left in the first quarter.
— Notre Dame on NBC (@NDonNBC) November 8, 2020WHAT A START FOR THE IRISH 🔥
Kyren Williams takes it to the house 😤 pic.twitter.com/31blbBMG7K
7:34 p.m.: Clemson will kick off to start the game. Here we go.
Notre Dame vs. Clemson start time
- Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
- TV channel: NBC (national), USA Network
- Live stream: NBC Sports app, fuboTV
Clemson vs. Notre Dame will be broadcast live on NBC starting at 7:30 p.m. ET. NBC is the exclusive broadcast partner of Notre Dame football, with Mike Tirico and Tony Dungy on the call. Kathryn Tappen will be the sideline reporter.
Notre Dame football schedule 2020
| Week | Date | Game |
| 2 | Sept. 12 | Notre Dame 27, Duke 13 |
| 3 | Sept. 19 | Notre Dame 52, South Florida 0 |
| 6 | Oct. 10 | Notre Dame 42, Florida St. 26 |
| 7 | Oct. 17 | Notre Dame 12, Louisville 7 |
| 8 | Oct. 24 | Notre Dame 45, Pittsburgh 3 |
| 9 | Oct. 31 | Notre Dame 31, Georgia Tech 13 |
| 10 | Nov. 7 | Notre Dame 47, Clemson 40 |
| 11 | Nov. 14 | at Boston College |
| 13 | Nov. 27 | at North Carolina |
| 14 | Dec. 5 | vs. Syracuse |
| 15 | Dec. 12 | at Wake Forest |
Clemson football schedule 2020
| Week | Date | Game |
| 2 | Sept. 12 | Clemson 37, Wake Forest 13 |
| 3 | Sept. 19 | Clemson 49, The Citadel 0 |
| 5 | Oct. 3 | Clemson 41, Virginia 23 |
| 6 | Oct. 10 | Clemson 42, Miami 17 |
| 7 | Oct. 17 | Clemson 73, Georgia Tech 7 |
| 8 | Oct. 24 | Clemson 47, Syracuse 21 |
| 9 | Oct. 31 | Clemson 34, Boston College 28 |
| 10 | Nov. 7 | Notre Dame 47, Clemson 40 |
| 12 | Nov. 21 | at Florida State |
| 13 | Nov. 28 | vs. Pittsburgh |
| 14 | Dec. 5 | at Virginia Tech |
