Notre Dame vs. Clemson College Football Week 5 Preview, TV Schedule, Prediction

By Justin Tabit
Deshaun Watson Clemson Football 2015
Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

TV Schedule: Saturday, October 3, 8 p.m. ET, ABC

Location: Memorial Stadium, Clemson, S.C.

Line: Clemson (-2.5)

The No. 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish head into Death Valley as an underdog in the Saturday night game that is featured on College GameDay. Notre Dame escaped the month of September with an undefeated record after losing three offensive starters for the season, including starting quarterback Malik Zaire and starting running back Tarrean Folston. DeShone Kizer and C.J. Prosise have stepped up and answered the call in September, but Notre Dame’s most difficult games are still in front of them. Kizer looked good in his first two starts, but going on the road to the No. 12 Clemson Tigers is a different story. Notre Dame will need Will Fuller and Prosise to continue to put up big numbers in order to improve to 5-0.

Clemson entered the 2015 season with high hopes and an ACC Championship goal in sight. After the first three games of the season, quarterback Deshaun Watson has been very accurate with a 74 percent completion rate; however, he turned the ball over two times against Louisville, and he will be going up against a very strong Notre Dame defense. The Tigers have had more than enough time to prepare for the Irish. With more than two weeks since their last game, it’s difficult to determine whether that much time off will be beneficial for the Tigers, or if it will lead to a slow start.

The top-15 matchup in will depend on quarterback play. Watson is one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, and if he plays to his ability, it can be trouble for the Notre Dame defense. Kizer will get his most difficult test of the season, going up against a Clemson defense that has given up an average of 12 points per game. Expect Prosise to have another big game on the ground, as the Irish will try to control the line of scrimmage. As long as Kizer avoids turning the ball over, the Irish depth will pull through with a victory.

Prediction: Notre Dame 37, Clemson 31

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