CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There is so much that is different about the 2020 college football season.
Games are being played in front of limited crowds, sometimes no crowds at all. COVID-19 is disrupting rosters and game schedules week in and week out. And Notre Dame, one of the top programs in the country, is playing this season in the ACC, instead of as an independent.
But with so much changing in 2020, one thing remains consistent: The ACC still runs through Clemson.
The third-ranked Tigers defeated No. 2 Notre Dame, 34-10, Saturday night at Bank of America Stadium, clinching the Atlantic Coast Conference championship for the sixth consecutive year.
“Of all the teams I’ve had, this team deserved it the most,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said on ESPN in receiving the ACC title game trophy.
Clemson also locked up its sixth straight College Football Playoff berth with the win. The Tigers will learn their destination and opponent Sunday afternoon when the playoff selections are revealed at noon on ESPN.
The win for Clemson avenges November’s loss at Notre Dame. The Tigers lost 47-40 in double overtime on Nov. 7 in South Bend, playing without star quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
The Heisman candidate and several starting defenders who did not play in Round 1 were back Saturday night in Charlotte and made their presence felt.
Lawrence finished with 322 yards passing, 90 yards rushing and three total touchdowns. His 412 yards of total offense is second all time in ACC championship game history.
“It would be a crying shame if the Heisman didn’t attach their name to Trevor Lawrence,” Swinney told ESPN. “If you don’t know that’s the best player in the country, I don’t know what you’re looking at.”
Defensively, James Skalski and Tyler Davis were a part of a Clemson unit that held Notre Dame out of the end zone until the fourth quarter. Skalski and Davis both missed the game against the Irish last month. Skalski had five tackles, including a tackle for loss, while Davis added four tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.
Clemson led 24-3 at the half and controlled the game from the second quarter on. The Tigers had 339 yards of offense at halftime and finished with 541, while holding the Irish to 263.
Tigers star running back Travis Etienne had his first 100-yard rushing game since Oct. 10, carrying the ball 10 times for 124 yards.
Irish QB Ian Book completed 20 of 29 passes for 219 yards, but Notre Dame finished with only 44 rushing yards and averaged 1.5 yards per carry.
Clemson and Notre Dame are both 10-1 on the season. There’s a strong case that both will earn spots in the playoff.
Asked what his message to the world is ahead of the playoffs, Lawrence told ESPN: “We’re back. We’re back again. We’re ready.”
