Goodwin owns defensive issues as Irish run all over Tiger defense

Notre Dame had little issue running the ball Saturday.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sun Nov 06 12:20:04 GMT-04:00 2022

SOUTH BEND, IN – Clemson defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin walked out of the Clemson locker room following the Tigers’ 35-14 loss to Notre Dame Saturday night and owned the defensive issues that allowed the Irish to rush for 263 yards.

Notre Dame found success early in the game using stretch plays and runs to the outside, catching Tiger defenders flat-footed or sucked up inside. The loss of gap integrity and failure to set the edge on multiple occasions allowed Notre Dame to run almost at will and control the clock, especially with the Clemson offense suffering woes of its own.

Goodwin was asked if there was one thing he could point to that caused the issues.

"Combination of missed tackles, guys getting knocked out of their gap,” Goodwin said. “There wasn't one thing. A little bit of everything."

The Irish ran it 47 times for those 263 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. Logan Diggs (17-114) and Audric Estime (18-104) each broke the 100-yard mark as the Irish claimed the most rushing yards against a Clemson defense since the Louisville game in 2016. Even quarterback Drew Pyne, not known for his rushing prowess, carried it four times for 21 yards and a touchdown.

The Irish threw the ball just 17 times for 85 yards, and one scoring drive featured 11 plays, 10 of them rushes. The Irish also held a six-minute advantage in time of possession, 33 minutes to 27 minutes for the Tigers.

Of particular concern? Clemson’s vaunted defensive line was knocked off the ball time after time by the Notre Dame offensive line. Goodwin took the blame for the lack of physicality.

"We were obviously not the most physical team,” Goodwin said. “We lost the point of attack. That's 100 percent on me in getting them prepared the right way.

Did the lack of physicality surprise him?

“Yeah a little bit,” he said, “It was a combination of things: guys getting knocked out of gaps, linebackers falling back into the wrong gap, missed tackles as well. We'll own it and move on."

As mentioned, the Irish were able to attack the Clemson perimeter with ease at times.

"Their receivers do a good job of crack blocking and making your corners tackle,” Goodwin said. “NFL run-game mindset where they make their corners be tacklers."

Goodwin said he was disappointed in the effort following an open date, and knows the Tigers will have to be better with Louisville coming to town Saturday.

“We will watch the film and get things corrected,” he said. “Come back to work on Monday.”