Notre Dame’s disheartening loss to Clemson came with an introspective acknowledgment by quarterback Sam Hartman, who blamed his poor performance for the Fighting Irish’s defeat. Hartman managed only 13 successful passes out of 30 attempts, accumulating just 146 yards and conceding two interceptions, contributing to another bitter road defeat in ACC play, following an earlier setback at Louisville.

This victory further solidified Clemson coach, Dabo Swinney’s record as the winningest coach in his team’s history, now boasting 166 wins and steering the team from consecutive losses into the win columns. Despite the icy white uniforms the Fighting Irish sported at the game, their performance was far from pristine.

A pivotal part of the game played out in the fourth quarter when Clemson managed to leverage on their defense to stave off the Irish. It seems neither team’s preparation nor a reportedly stern halftime speech by head coach Marcus Freeman were enough to gloss Notre Dame’s offensive efforts characterized by a lackluster first half. Ultimately, it was a combination of Clemson’s strong defensive effort and Notre Dame’s underperformance that sealed the game’s outcome.