Takeaways as Clemson holds off Notre Dame, ends losing skid

Clemson played inspired football Saturday afternoon against Notre Dame, holding off the Irish for a 31-23 victory to end a two-game losing skid.

The Clemson defense played lights out and the Tigers benefited from three Notre Dame turnovers to earn their fifth win of the season.

“I’m just proud of these players. I mean it was an unbelievable fight. You see the character and the toughness of our team,” Dabo Swinney said. “It’s been a tough year, and we haven’t had a lot go our way. … But these guys have continued to battle. I just think it says a lot about the coaches, coaching staff, our support staff, but most of all about the heart of our guys.”

Clemson led 24-9 at halftime and won despite scoring only seven points in the second half. Here are some quick takeaways from the game:

Phil Mafah needs more touches

Clemson relied heavily on running back Phil Mafah on Saturday and time and time again, the junior delivered. Mafah had the best game of his career, finishing with 186 yards and two touchdowns. He ran hard, showed a solid burst and made his case to be the starting running back moving forward. Mafah entered the game with only one 100-yard game in his career.

Mafah had reached the 10-carry mark only three times on the year prior to Saturday, when he received 36 carries. Even when Will Shipley comes back and is healthy, Mafah should get 10-plus carries every game the rest of the way.

Clemson special teams came up big

The Clemson special teams have been far from special for most of the season as the Tigers have been inconsistent kicking field goals and in the punting game. However, the unit came up big for Clemson on Saturday.

Punter Aidan Swanson had an impressive afternoon, pinning Notre Dame inside the 20 five times. Punt returner Hamp Greene also had a solid day, with six returns for 57 yards. Clemson also recovered a botched punt by the Irish to set up a score as the unit played its best game of the season.

Tigers defense was lights out when it mattered

The Clemson defense completely shut down Sam Hartman and Notre Dame in the fourth quarter. The Irish ran 19 plays for 41 yards, while shutting out the Irish in the final period. The Clemson offense didn’t give the defense much help, losing a fumble and managing only 39 yards of its own in the fourth quarter.

But it didn’t matter as Wes Goodwin’s unit came up with clutch plays later.