Let’s do this again because it’s just so damn fun to write... on Saturday night, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish took down the #1 ranked Clemson Tigers, 47-40 in double overtime. It’s a mouthful, and I’m sure there are 100 ways to say it with a little more brevity — but I want to savor the flavor of this one.
So let’s talk about a few things.
SAY THEIR NAMES
I was spitting mad for most of the week. What little national content I consumed had some of the most generic and lazy analysis you could ever offer up. I’ve seen better discussion about two MAC teams.
One of the more egregious sins committed this past week was anytime they talked about the Notre Dame defense. They basically just said, “the defense,” while neglecting to say the names of Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Kyle Hamilton, Daelin Hayes, and others. It was like these were just some guys.
I mean — what the shit? I know the defense doesn’t have a bunch of guys with eye-popping stats all over the place, but that’s because they get teams off of the field with relative ease. The defense is good, the guys on this defense are good, and people should know about them. Besides the three studs mentioned earlier, other guys had themselves a night against Clemson. Shayne Simon (out of nowhere), Isaiah Foskey, and Kurt Hinish are just another three that are a big reason why the Irish beat the number one team in the land.
So say their damn names.
SANITARIUM LIBRARY
Ian Book played like a madman and I have the receipt to prove it.
Ian Book was a madman tonight
— BUM CHILLUPS AKA SPENCER HALL (@edsbs) November 8, 2020
If you can’t take the word of someone who despises Notre Dame, then you are a part of the problem. Book had an incredible game with 310 yards in the air and 64 yards on the ground, but it was that 91 yard drive with 1:48 left in the game that elevated him to “madman” status. Yeah, yeah... he still had to navigate two overtimes and there was that fumble — but it was those 91 yards that Notre Dame just doesn’t get at the end of a big game that stand out like a maskless Brent Venables.
Ian Book made a giant statement on Saturday about his place in the pantheon of Notre Dame quarterbacks. In the one category that truly matters (wins) he may leave the school this year as the best ever. Now, finally, we can add “BIG WINS” next to his name as well, without having to make some type of weird argument as to why.
CATCHY
I wish we would of kept track of all of the hand-wringing over Notre Dame’s wide receiver situation this season. In particular, I’d like to know how many times writers made mention that guys like Javon McKinley, Ben Skowronek, and Avery Davis weren’t nearly good enough to help the Irish out in the passing game to win against a team like Clemson.
It was one of the more prevailing themes about Notre Dame football FOR WEEKS. With the absence of both Braden Lenzy and Kevin Austin due to injury, there was no way Notre Dame would be able to stretch the field — especially with Ian Book at quarterback.
It wasn’t just the numbers either. Javon McKinley made one of the more incredible catches in recent memory, and it was Avery Davis streaking down the seam for that 53 yard pass on the final drive in regulation to tie the ball game.
WHAT A GRAB JAVON MCKINLEY!!! #NotreDame #ClemsonVsNotreDame @NDFootball pic.twitter.com/7W7VVEhocT
— Inside The Draft (@Jacobkeppen) November 8, 2020
PUT SOME RESPEK ON THEM NAMES!
There were several other items on the agenda, but I think they will be discussed throughout the week with other things — so that’s it. I hope everyone is still enjoying the win, because you absolutely should be.