Notre Dame's Brian Kelly excited about rematch with Clemson

Kelly has led Notre Dame to a 10-0 record. (Photo courtesy of ACC)

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Tue Dec 08 08:01:03 GMT-04:00 2020

It’s rematch time with Notre Dame, and Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly said his team is excited about the chance to take on No. 3 Clemson and quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the ACC Championship.

The ACC Championship will be held on Dec. 19 matchup at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. Notre Dame won the first meeting this season in double overtime, but that was with backup quarterback DJ Uiagalelei at the helm as Lawrence recovered from COVID. This time around, the Irish have to prepare for Lawrence, but Kelly said it doesn’t matter which quarterback is under center.

“The system is the system that they run. There may be a little bit more activation of quarterback runs, but the scheme up front, we're well aware of what that scheme is in terms of the quarterback run scheme,” Kelly said. “Just being a little bit more locked into some quarterback runs, perhaps, would be the only slight difference."

Kelly said there are few differences in the Clemson that beat Pitt and Virginia Tech and the one that lost in South Bend.

"As we looked at the last couple of games over the weekend, not as many pressures, and it could be maybe because they had their captain out on defense and they wanted to kind of slow some things down,” Kelly said. “We'll be prepared for a little bit of everything from what they do defensively. Again, we've got plenty of time to evaluate what they did against us and certainly what they have shown this past weekend against Virginia Tech."

Notre Dame has had ACC ties over the last several seasons but has remained a football independent. This season, however, the Irish have a chance to play for a league championship.

"I know they're really excited about playing for a championship. This is what they've wanted,” Kelly said. “This has been the impetus for them to make all the sacrifices that they have made to get to this point. Living through this pandemic has been very difficult for them, so this is really what they've been chasing — the opportunity to win an ACC Championship and to win a National Championship. So, exciting? Yes, absolutely. This is this is what they have been shooting for. From the very first time that the university decided to open up campus, this has been their goal. There will be a lot of excitement, there's no doubt about that."

Kelly said that rematches mean an opportunity for playmakers to make plays.

"There's certainly pluses and minuses on that, right? I think you learn the strengths and weaknesses of each team. So, maybe what you lose in terms of tendencies and breaking tendencies, you pickup in getting a better in-depth knowledge of where to attack and having complements off of that,” Kelly said. “I really think it's a push on both sides. I think maybe this really comes down to, and more than anything else this becomes much more of a physical presence and playmakers making plays, and then the fundamentals.

“I think in those three areas, physicality, playmakers making plays, and then the fundamentals of the game, those will be on display for us in terms of how we prepare moving forward, than trying to get too involved in out-scheming. I don't think this game is about who out-schemes who. I think it comes down to those three elements that I just articulated."