Notre Dame better in Texas, nonetheless loses again in semifinals
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Ian Guide had Notre Dame inspiring with a likelihood to procure within a touchdown of No. 1 Alabama when his interception shifted the momentum in the 2d half of their playoff semifinal.
A pair of plays later, the Irish quarterback change into out of the sport after 310-pound defensive handle Christian Barmore fell on top of Guide on a 14-yard sack.
The relocated Rose Bowl change into a rather extra enjoyable day mosey back and forth to Texas for the fourth-ranked Irish than their blowout loss to Clemson in the semifinals two years previously, nonetheless the discontinue consequence matched six outdated trips to the playoffs or Unique one year’s Six bowls since 2000.
Friday’s 31-14 loss to the Crimson Tide on the house of the Dallas Cowboys build Notre Dame’s practical margin of defeat at 23 aspects in these seven losses, two years after a 30-3 loss to Clemson in the Cotton Bowl in the identical stadium.
The game change into moved to Texas due to COVID-19 restrictions in California.
Coach Brian Kelly bristled on the advice that the Irish flopped on a enormous stage again, and didn’t love the advice that his team wasn’t shut again.
”I in actuality invent now not are seeking to continue to head down this course,” Kelly talked about. ”We’re going to withhold getting right here. I’m sorry in the event you invent now not love it or if the nationwide media would not love it. We’re going to return to work. We’re going to withhold recruiting and we’ll build ourselves aid in this assign again.”
Notre Dame (10-2), a three-touchdown underdog, change into on the least in the sport in the third quarter no topic Alabama taking a immediate 14-0 lead. The Irish were using down 21-7 when Guide belief he had tight discontinue Michael Mayer initiate as he scrambled.
The underthrown pass change into intercepted by Christian Harris, and John Metchie had a 40-yard take and dawdle on the following play to location up a touchdown.
”He appropriate wanted this present day build a minute bit bit extra on that, extra or much less floated it a minute bit bit,” Kelly talked about. ”Then again it be one in every of these the assign he is attempting to manufacture a play. And I rapid him, I talked about, ‘Listen, I invent now not fault you at angry about attempting to manufacture that play.”’
On the following Irish possession, Guide ended up in the scientific tent after Barmore’s sack, changed by freshman Drew Pyne. By the level Guide purchased aid into the sport after the winningest quarterback in the college’s storied history overlooked the rest of that possession, the Irish trailed 31-7.
Guide, a graduate scholar who also lost the semifinal to Clemson two years previously, carried out 27 of 39 for 229 yards with but one more 55 yards speeding and a 1-yard touchdown. Kyren Williams also had a 1-yard win.
”It is our goal to take a nationwide championship and we didn’t have that,” Guide talked about. ”Rather quite a lot of us are executed. It is up to those guys now. I belief them and I opinion on them being aid right here and I will most likely be looking at.”
Notre Dame gave up TD drives of 79, 97 and 84 yards on Alabama’s first three possessions, none of these marches lasting longer than 2: 36.
However the defense change into better the rest of the vogue, making the sport in actuality feel extra aggressive than two years earlier when Clemson led 23-3 at halftime in a sport that wasn’t belief about with regards to as one-sided as this one coming in.
While there are techniques to measure development for the Irish, the bottom line change into a 2d straight loss to total the season, coming off a 34-10 loss to Clemson in the ACC championship sport. Notre Dame beat the Tigers 47-40 in November whereas Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence change into sidelined due to a obvious COVID-19 take a look at.
”I invent now not have a special scream at Notre Dame,” Kelly talked about. ”I’ve it is advisable to sight on the rankings that everybody played in opposition to Alabama and Clemson. Each person’s purchased the identical scream. Each person can withhold announcing, you understand, Notre Dame is now not dazzling ample. You realize what? That you just must a scream because we’ll withhold successful games and withhold getting aid right here and we’ll interrupt thru.”
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