Notre Dame, Ian Book edge Clemson for first place in the ACC

Just like that, Clemson is back in the game after outscoring Notre Dame 10-0 in the third quarter.

D.J. Uiagalelei led the Tigers on a 13-play drive, Clemson's longest possession of the evening, and pulled his team level on a 10-yard strike to Davis Allen. The freshman is up to 306 yards passing with a pair of touchdowns. He's gone over 300 yards passing in each of his first two career starts.

Notre Dame was held to just 10 plays in the quarter and still nearly took the lead before Clemson's Jake Venables stripped Ian Book as he tried to stretch a first down into a go-ahead touchdown late in the period.

And so it all comes down to this, 15 minutes for sole possession of first place in the ACC.

If No. 1 Clemson is going to remain unbeaten, it'll have to overcome a double-digit deficit for the second week in a row. 

After Notre Dame and Clemson traded short field goals, momentum shifted in favor of the Fighting Irish. ND scored 13 of the next 16 points, capitalizing off of back-to-back Clemson turnovers to take a 23-13 lead into the locker room.

Travis Etienne fumbled for the second straight game as linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah took hold a mishandled pitch in stride for a defensive touchdown. Owusu-Koramoah also stripped wide receiver Amari Rodgers on the ensuing drive, which led to a field goal after teammate Nick McCloud recovered the ball.

Etienne has struggled to get going with just six yards on nine carries, compared to Notre Dame's 144 rushing yards for the half. The senior running back nearly returned a missed field goal from the back of the end zone on the final play of the half.

Clemson outgained Notre Dame in the quarter, but will need to turn those yards into points if the Tigers expect to mount a comeback. Clemson erased a 28-13 deficit at home against Boston College last week. The Tigers only trail by 10 this time, but a comeback in Notre Dame Stadium could be a more daunting task.

We're about to find out if Clemson can be knocked off its perch as the ACC's best — by a team that's playing in a conference for the first time ever.

It's a top-4 meeting that will say a lot about the College Football Playoff situation, even if there's a chance Clemson and Notre Dame can easily meet again in the ACC title game.

It'll also say a lot about Tigers freshman QB DJ Uiagalelei, who's making his second career start with star Trevor Lawrence out because of COVID-19.

It's also a huge moment for Notre Dame senior QB Ian Book. When the Irish played Clemson in a CFP semifinal in 2018, he had only 160 yards and an interception in a 30-3 rout.

The calm before we... 𝑺𝑯𝑨𝑲𝑬 𝑫𝑶𝑾𝑵 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑻𝑯𝑼𝑵𝑫𝑬𝑹 🌩️#GoIrish x #BeatTigers pic.twitter.com/qsQW5WYu15

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) November 8, 2020

It's a top-4 matchup between the two highest-ranked teams in the ACC — and both hope to make it to the College Football Playoff this season.

Here's how you can watch:

• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• Date: Saturday, Nov. 7
• TV channel: NBC. However, during Joe Biden's scheduled 8 p.m. address, coverage will move to USA Network. After NBC News' special report ends, the game will return to NBC.
• Streaming: NBC Sports
• Location: Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana

Click or tap here for a complete list of Week 10 TV information.

SOUTH BEND ... SEE YOU NEXT WEEK FOR A TOP-5 SHOWDOWN 🤩 @ClemsonFB | @NDFootball pic.twitter.com/SPeznDAI3h

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) November 1, 2020

Clemson has been ranked No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches Polls since the preseason. However, the Tigers' advantage over No. 2 Alabama has shrunk considerably.

With star QB Trevor Lawrence out after testing positive for COVID-19 and a close 34-28 rally against Boston College, Clemson finished only two points ahead of the Tide in the AP Poll. As you can see below, the Tigers have a larger lead in the Coaches Poll.

Here is this week's Top 25 schedule:

Friday, Nov. 6

• No. 9 BYU at No. 21 Boise State | 9:45 p.m. | FS1
• No. 11 Miami at NC State | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN

Saturday, Nov. 7

• No. 1 Clemson at No. 4 Notre Dame | 7:30 p.m. | NBC
• Rutgers at No. 3 Ohio State | 7:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
• No. 8 Florida vs. No. 5 Georgia (Jacksonville, Florida) | 3:30 p.m. | CBS
• Houston at No. 6 Cincinnati | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN
• No. 7 Texas A&M at South Carolina | 7 p.m. | ESPN
• Purdue at No. 10 Wisconsin — CANCELED
• Stanford at No. 12 Oregon | 7:30 p.m. | ABC
• No. 23 Michigan at No. 13 Indiana | 12 p.m. | FS1
• No. 14 Oklahoma State at Kansas State | 4 p.m. | FOX
• South Alabama at No. 15 Coastal Carolina | 8 p.m. | ESPNU
• UMass at No. 16 Marshall | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN+
• Baylor at No. 17 Iowa State | 7 p.m. | FS1
• No. 18 SMU at Temple | 12 p.m. | ESPN+
• Kansas at No. 19 Oklahoma | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN
• Arizona State at No. 20 USC | 12 p.m. | FOX
• West Virginia at No. 22 Texas | 12 p.m. | ABC
• No. 25 Liberty at Virginia Tech | 12 p.m. | ACC Network

Despite the rich histories of the programs, Clemson and Notre Dame have met only four times previously. However, they did play only two seasons ago in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Clemson leads 3-1, taking the last three.