Notre Dame football preview vs. No. 5 Clemson: Everything you need to know
Michael WanbaughSOUTH BEND — Setting the table for Notre Dame's highly-anticipated home matchup with No. 5 Clemson Saturday. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. EST at Notre Dame Stadium.
Notre Dame (5-3) vs. No. 5 Clemson (8-0)
- When: Saturday at 7:30 p.m. EST
- Where: Notre Dame Stadium (77,622), South Bend, Ind.
- TV/Radio: NBC, WSBT Radio (960 AM), WNSN (101.5 FM)
- Line: Clemson opens as a 3½ -point favorite
- Series: Clemson leads 4-2
- Last meeting: Clemson won 34-10 in 2020 in the ACC Championship game at Charlotte, N.C.
Preview coverage
▶ Notre Dame has a chance to do something special in a season that has been anything but
▶ With No. 5 Clemson coming to South Bend, here are 5 keys to a Notre Dame upset
▶ Four players to watch when fifth-ranked Clemson football arrives to face Notre Dame
Irish Items vs. Clemson
☘ Saturday marks the seventh overall meeting between Clemson and Notre Dame and the fourth in the past five seasons. The Tigers lead the series — dating back to 1977 — 4-2.
☘ Clemson won the last meeting, 34-10, Dec. 19, 2020 in the ACC championship game in Charlotte, N.C. The Irish won the last regular-season contest, 47-40 (2OT), Nov. 7, 2020 when the Tigers were ranked No. 1 and Notre Dame fourth. Both teams advanced to the College Football Playoff that year.
☘ Notre Dame has won 26 straight regular-season games against ACC opponents dating back to 2017.
☘ Saturday is the second time in the series that both teams haven't been ranked. Clemson is ranked No. 5 and Notre Dame is unranked. The other was 1979 when the No. 14 Tigers beat the Irish, 16-10, in South Bend.
☘ This will be the 17th time Notre Dame has played a team ranked No. 5 and is 7-9 in those games.
☘ Notre Dame is tied with South Carolina for blocked punts this season with five. The Irish have three blocks in their last two games against Syracuse and UNLV.
☘ Clemson is 34-4 in road games since 2015, which is the most wins in the FBS. The Irish ended the Tigers’ 36-game regular-season win streak the last they played at Notre Dame Stadium.
☘ Notre Dame wide receivers coach Chansi Stuckey starred at Clemson from 2003-06, playing quarterback as a freshman before moving to wide receiver at the behest of Dabo Swinney, the Tigers’ WR coach at the time. Swinney is 158-36 since becoming head coach in 2008.
More:Notre Dame receivers are starting to show the Chansi Stuckey Effect
Notre Dame two-deep depth chart
OFFENSE
WIDE RECEIVER
4 | Lorenzo Styles | 6-1, 195 | Soph.
16 | Deion Colzie | 6-5, 211 | Soph.
WIDE RECEIVER
83 | Jayden Thomas | 6-2, 215 | Soph.
29 | Matt Salerno | 6-1, 195 | Gr.
LEFT TACKLE
76 | Joe Alt | 6-8, 317 | Soph.
79 | Tosh Baker | 6-8, 310 | Jr.
LEFT GUARD
55 | Jarrett Patterson | 6-5, 310 | Gr.
73 | Andew Kristofic | 6-4, 300 | Sr.
CENTER
52 | Zeke Correll | 6-3, 308 | Sr.
78 | Pat Coogan | 6-5, 309 | Soph.
RIGHT GUARD
75 | Josh Lugg | 6-7, 316 | Gr.
50 | Rocco Spindler | 6-5, 315 | Soph.
RIGHT TACKLE
54 | Blake Fisher | 6-6, 327 | So.
68 | Michael Carmody | 6-6, 280 | Jr.
TIGHT END
87 | Michael Mayer | 6-5, 265 | Jr.
88 | Mitchell Evans | 6-5, 255 | Soph.
WIDE RECEIVER
0 | Braden Lenzy | 6-0, 182 | Gr.
5 | Joe Wilkins Jr. | 6-2, 202 | Gr.
QUARTERBACK
10 | Drew Pyne | 6-0, 198 | Jr.
18 | Steve Angeli | 6-2, 211 | Fr.
RUNNING BACK
25 | Chris Tyree | 5-10, 197 | Jr.
OR 3 | Logan Diggs | 6-0, 214 | Soph.
OR 7 | Audric Estime | 6-0, 229 | Soph.
DEFENSE
VYPER DEFENSIVE END
7 | Isaiah Foskey | 6-5, 265 | Sr.
9 | Justin Ademilola | 6-2, 253 | Gr.
OR 12 | Jordan Botelho | 6-3, 250 | Jr.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
57 | Jayson Ademilola | 6-3, 285 | Gr.
65 | Chris Smith | 6-2, 310 | Sr.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
56 | Howard Cross III | 6-1, 310 | Gr.
97 | Gabriel Rubio | 6-5, 295 | Soph.
DEFENSIVE END
99 | Rylie Mills | 6-5, 292 | Jr.
31 | Nana Osafo-Mensah | 6-3, 250 | Sr.
WILL LINEBACKER
8 | Marist Liufau | 6-2, 235 | Sr.
24 | Jack Kiser | 6-2, 223 | Sr.
OR 10 | Prince Kollie | 6-3, 220 | Soph.
MIKE LINEBACKER
27 | JD Bertrand | 6-1, 230 | Sr.
44 | Junior Tuihalamaka | 6-2, 240 | Fr.
ROVER
24 | Jack Kiser | 6-2, 223 | Sr.
27 | JD Bertrand | 6-1, 230 | Sr.
CORNERBACK
5 | Cam Hart | 6-3, 198 | Sr.
OR 28 | TaRiq Bracy | 5-10, 185 | Gr.
21 | Jaden Mickey | 6-0, 176 | Fr.
LEFT SAFETY
2 | DJ Brown | 6-1, 200 | Gr.
OR 3 | Houston Griffith | 6-0, 205 | Gr.
RIGHT SAFETY
16 | Brandon Joseph | 6-1, 196 | Sr.
OR 11 | Ramon Henderson | 6-1, 190 | Jr.
CORNERBACK
20 | Benjamin Morrison | 6-0, 179 | Fr.
6 | Clarence Lewis | 6-0, 203 | Jr.
SPECIAL TEAMS
KICKOFFS
92 | Zac Yoakam | 5-8, 180 | Fr.
14 | Bryce McFerson | 6-2, 190 | Fr.
PLACEKICKER
99 | Blake Grupe | 5-8, 156 | Gr.
92 | Zac Yoakam | 5-8, 180 | Fr.
PUNTER
39 | Jon Sot | 5-11, 198 | Gr.
14 | Bryce McFerson | 6-2, 190 | Fr.
LONG SNAPPER
65 | Michael Vinson | 6-2, 228 | Gr.
44 | Alex Peitsch | 6-1, 215 | Jr.
HOLDER
39 | Jon Sot | 5-11, 198 | Gr.
14 | Bryce McFerson | 6-2, 190 | Fr.
PUNT RETURNS
16 | Brandon Joseph | 6-1, 196 | Sr.
OR 29 | Matt Salerno | 6-1, 195
KICKOFF RETURNS
25 | Chris Tyree | 5-10, 190 | Soph.
0 | Braden Lenzy | 6-0, 182 | Gr.
Clemson two-deep depth chart
OFFENSE
LEFT TACKLE
71 | Jordan McFadden | 6-2, 305 | Fr.
70 | Tristan Leigh | 6-6, 315 | Soph.
LEFT GUARD
74 | Marcus Tate | 6-5, 325 | Soph.
50 | Collin Sadler | 6-6, 325 | Fr.
OR 76 | John Williams | 6-4, 305 |Jr.
CENTER
56 | Will Putnam | 6-4, 315 | Sr.
75 | Trent Howard | 6-3, 295 | Jr.
OR 53 | Ryan Linthicum | 6-3, 305 | Soph.
RIGHT GUARD
64 | Walker Parks | 6-5, 315 | Jr.
73 | Bryn Tucker | 6-3, 330 | Soph.
RIGHT TACKLE
78 | Blake Miller | 6-6, 315 | Fr.
77 | Mitchell Mayes | 6-3, 315 | Jr.
TIGHT END
84 | Davis Allen | 6-6, 250 | Sr.
40 | Luke Price | 6-2, 235 | Gr.
TIGHT END
9 | Jake Brinningstool | 6-6, 230 | Soph.
11 | Sage Ennis | 6-4, 235 | Jr.
WIDE RECEIVER
10 | Joseph Ngata | 6-3, 215 | Sr.
8 | Adam Randall | 6-2, 230 | Fr.
QUARTERBACK
5 | DJ Uiagalelei | 6-4, 235 | Jr.
2 | Cade Klubnik | 6-2, 195 | Fr.
RUNNING BACK
1 | Will Shipley | 5-11, 205 | Soph.
26 | Phil Mafah | 6-1, 230 | Soph.
WIDE RECEIVER
0 | Antonio Williams | 5-11, 190 | Fr.
13 | Brannon Spector | 6-1, 205 | Sr.
WIDE RECEIVER
80 Beaux Collins | 6-3, 210 | Soph.
6 | E.J. Williams | 6-3, 190 | Jr.
DEFENSE
DEFENSIVE END
5 | K.J. Henry | 6-4, 255 | Gr.
OR 3 | Xavier Thomas | 6-2, 255 | Gr.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
11 Bryan Bresee | 6-5, 305 | Jr.
OR 33 | Ruke Orhorhoro | 6-4, 295 | Sr.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
13 | Tyler Davis | 6-2, 300 | Sr.
OR 33 | Ruke Orhorhoro | 6-4, 295 | Sr.
DEFENSIVE END
98 | Myles Murphy | 6-5, 275 | Jr.
OR 7 | Justin Mascoll | 6-4, 255 | Gr.
LINEBACKER (NICKLE)
0 | Barrett Carter | 6-1, 225 | Soph.
21 | Malcolm Greene | 5-10, 195 | Jr.
OR 17 | Wade Woodaz | 6-3, 215 | Fr.
MIDDLE LINEBACKER
54 | Jeremiah Trotter Jr. | 6-0, 230 | So.
OR 30 | Keith MaGuire | 6-2, 240 | Sr.
WEAKSIDE LINEBACKER
22 | Trenton Simpson | 6-3, 240 | Jr.
42 | LaVonta Bentley | 6-0, 235 | Sr.
CORNERBACK
6 | Sheridan Jones | 6-0, 190 | Gr.
OR 1 | Andrew Mukuba | 6-0, 185 | Soph.
STRONG SAFETY
1 | Andrew Mukuba | 6-0, 185 | Soph.
9 | R.J. Mickens | 6-0, 210 | Jr.
FREE SAFETY
25 | Jalyn Phillips | 6-1, 205 | Sr.
OR 24 | Tyler Venables | 5-11 210 Jr.
CORNERBACK
20 | Nate Wiggins | 6-2, 185 | Soph.
OR 1 | Andrew Mukuba | 6-0, 185 | Soph.
SPECIAL TEAMS
PLACE KICKER
29 | B.T. Potter | 5-10, 200 | Gr.
38 | Robert Gunn III |6-0, 180 | Fr.
PUNTER
39 | Aidan Swanson | 6-3, 170 | Sr.
29 | B.T. Potter | 5-10, 200 | Fr.
KICK OFFS
29 | B.T. Potter | 5-10, 200 | Gr.
38 | Robert Gunn III | 6-0, 180 | Fr.
LONG SNAPPER (PLACE KICKS)
45 | Philip Florenzo | 6-2, 240 | Jr.
58 | Holden Caspersen | 5-11, 215 | Soph.
LONG SNAPPER (PUNTS)
58 | Holden Caspersen | 5-11, 215 | Soph.
45 | Philip Florenzo | 6-2, 240 | Jr.
HOLDER
81 | Drew Swinney | 5-9, 185 | Gr.
88 | Clay Swinney | 5-9, 165 | Fr.
PUNT RETURNS
16 | Will Taylor | 5-10, 180 | So.
OR 0 | Antonio Williams | 5-11, 190 | Fr.
KICKOFF RETURNS
1 | Will Shipley | 5-11, 205 | Soph.