In upset of No. 15 Notre Dame, Clemson matched a feat it had not achieved in 71 years

Despite nearly blowing a 15-point second-half lead, Clemson stunned the football world on Saturday, knocking off No. 15 Notre Dame, 31-23, in front of 81,000 rabid Tigers fans at Memorial Stadium.

Notre Dame outgained Clemson (329-285), but the Tigers had better numbers where it counted most. Clemson won the all-important turnover battle (3-to-2) against the Irish, but some may have overlooked perhaps the most impressive number on the stat sheet aside from the score. At the final whistle, Clemson had played 60 minutes of football without being assessed a single penalty. 

According to Clemson insider David Hood, it’s the first time the Tigers have played a game without a flag thrown against them in 71 years. The last time they played a spotless contest was in the 1952 Gator Bowl against Miami (FL). 

Conversely, Notre Dame was penalized five times for 40 yards on Saturday. While that might have some crying foul, Clemson has been one of the more disciplined teams in college football this season. Ahead of Saturday’s contest with the Irish, Clemson averaged five penalties per game, tied for 29th among FBS schools. For context, Colorado is the most penalized team at the FBS level, averaging nearly 10 a game. 

Penalties, or lack thereof, weren’t what lifted Clemson over Notre Dame, however. The Tigers came prepared to play on both sides of the ball, which showed in the first half. A fired-up Clemson squad took a 24-9 lead into the halftime break. They held Notre Dame to field goals on each of their first three possession while forcing two turnovers, resulting in 10 points.