Phil Mafah, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. star in Clemson win over No. 12 Notre Dame

Phil Mafah showed what he could do with the opportunity to be the leading ballcarrier.

by Ryan Kantor - Contributor - Mon Nov 06 08:09:41 GMT-04:00 2023

“The fun is in the winning.”

The old quote from Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has never rung so true. The Tigers entered without an ACC title berth or playoff spot on the line but played for pride and left it all on the field. The fans did the same. Instead of being lugubrious as their 4-4 Tigers took the field as underdogs, they were energized and made an impact.

The Tigers were without a bevy of key contributors on both sides of the ball. RB Will Shipley, WR Antonio Williams, OG Marcus Tate, OT Collin Sadler, S Jalyn Phillips, S Sherrod Covil, CB Sheridan Jones, and DE Justin Mascoll were all announced as out prior to the game (in addition to those already out for the season or recent weeks). Several players rose to the occasion. Trent Howard filled in for Tate at left guard and was more than serviceable. Khalil Barnes and Kylon Griffin proved ready at safety. Barnes made several big plays, while Griffin had a fourth-quarter interception that nearly iced the game. Avieon Terrell played a larger role in the cornerback rotation and held up well. The secondary was excellent against the pass overall, holding former Wake Forest QB Sam Hartman to 146 passing yards, no passing TDs, and two INTs as he fell to 0-5 in his career against Clemson.

Nobody stepped up more than running back Phil Mafah. After Will Shipley was concussed against NC State, Mafah nearly led the Tigers back (and might have done so if he had been given a crack at the endzone on the Tigers’ penultimate drive). He entered this game as the starter, and despite playing behind a struggling offensive line plagued by injuries, he made running lanes where there really weren’t any. He broke arm tackles and fell three, four and five yards forward. Notre Dame’s normally stingy defense had no answers.

Cade Klubnik and the passing game struggled, totaling just 109 yards through the air (4.2 yards/attempt). Wide receivers had just 74 yards and a drop that caused an interception. Despite that, Phil Mafah was able to put the offense on his back and bring them into halftime with a 24-9 lead. He wasn’t perfect. He bungled a pitch but recovered the fumble and then lost another fumble late in the game that gave Notre Dame life. Nevertheless, 186 rushing yards with two rushing TDs is outstanding. Mafah had 36 carries and proved he deserves his fair share of carries even when Shipley comes back.

While the rushing attack made a surprisingly big contribution to Clemson’s win, it was the defense that shined brightest. Excluding a touchdown that came after an interception returned to the 2-yard line, they allowed just 16 points. While defensive scores by Florida State and NC State cost the Tigers, it was Clemson’s defense that found the endzone in this game. A first-half pick-six by Jeremiah Trotter gave Clemson a 24-6 lead. Trotter’s season started off somewhat disappointing, but he’s been getting better and better and had a stellar game against Notre Dame. In addition to the pick-six, Trotter had two sacks and a team-leading 11 tackles.

While this win won’t propel Clemson into the rankings, a New Year’s six bowl, or anything of the sort, it brought fun back to Death Valley and gives hope for not only a strong finish but also a major rebound season in 2024. It also delivered an epic and fitting Dabo Swinney quote:

"If Clemson's a stock, you better buy all you freakin' can buy right now!"