SOUTH BEND, Ind. _ Clemson's defense draws a lot of attention _ and deservedly so.
The Tigers are tied for second nationally in scoring defense and fourth in total defense, anchored by All-American linemen Clelin Ferrell and Christian Wilkins. But the Clemson offense also presents plenty of challenges for Notre Dame.
The third-ranked Irish (12-0) play the second-ranked Tigers (13-0) in a College Football Playoff semifinal Dec. 29 in Arlington, Texas. The winner of the Cotton Bowl matchup will face the Alabama-Oklahoma winner for the national championship Jan. 7 in Santa Clara, Calif.
"(Travis) Etienne is as good a running back we've seen since (last year) against Georgia," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said Saturday. "He has that kind of talent."
Etienne ranks fifth nationally with 1,463 rushing yards. And he's not the team's only threat.
"The quarterback (Trevor Lawrence) is really good," Kelly said. "He has great arm talent. He's tall (6-foot-6) and can see the field. The receiving corps is on par with a USC receiving corps. That's a pretty dynamic offensive set."
Clemson is fifth in total offense, averaging 529.8 yards per game, and fifth in scoring offense at 45.4 points per game.
"When you have so many weapons and a quarterback that can get the ball to those weapons, you are forced to make decisions every snap of the game, where you're helping and where you're not," Notre Dame defensive coordinator Clark Lea said. "That's the part of it as we get into the game, we'll have to be on our toes to adjust as we figure out how they want to attack us."
Lawrence, a freshman, has thrown for 24 touchdowns to only four interceptions.
"It's a big moment and a big stage, and he's handled himself so well this whole year," Notre Dame cornerback Julian Love said. "But we're going to do what we do and make him earn it and really make him think every play."
