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Some will place the blame on Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer for the team’s upset loss to the Clemson Tigers on Saturday, but they’d be wrong in doing so. While quarterbacks usually receive the brunt of the blame, the Fighting Irish wouldn’t have been in the game if it wasn’t for his heroics.
Sure, Kizer threw an interception and fumbled twice, but he also carried the Notre Dame offense and nearly kept their undefeated season alive. He completed 19 of his 34 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns while also adding 60 yards and another touchdown on the ground. He put the Irish offense on his shoulders when C.J. Prosise couldn’t get it going in the running game, and kept the score close against an excellent Clemson defense.
Unfortunately, Kizer came up short on a fourth-down conversation to tie the game at the end, bringing Notre Dame’s record to 4-1 on the season. It’s the easy route to take to say that Malik Zaire might have played better and earned a win, but Kizer has quickly taken a less-than-ideal situation and turned it into an excellent opportunity to show his stuff on an enormous stage.
With Zaire out for the season, Kizer can continue to prove his worth for the Fighting Irish. Despite Satuday’s loss, next weekend’s matchup with Navy offers the perfect opportunity to regain confidence and momentum before a showdown with the rival USC Trojans. Considering the way he’s played this season — 862 yards, seven touchdowns, three interceptions, 63.6 completion percentage — Kizer still has plenty of potential to unlock.
It’s a disappointing loss for Notre Dame, but there’s a silver lining. Kizer has proven in two starts that he’s ready to be the leader for the Irish offense, and we saw a prime example of that during the loss of Clemson.
With Kizer at the helm, the future looks bright for the Fighting Irish.
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