Clemson earned its third trip to the national championship game in four years on December 29, 2018. The second-ranked Tigers scored three touchdowns in the second quarter to cruise to an easy 30-3 victory over No. 3 Notre Dame in the 83rd Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The Tigers got two touchdown receptions from Justyn Ross, while Tee Higgins made the catch of the game as he tipped the ball to himself and then made a one-handed catch while getting his feet down in the back of the end zone.
The Higgins’ touchdown was a 19-yard score that came with two seconds left in the half. It gave Clemson a 23-3 lead at halftime.
Ross’ two touchdowns came on big plays. He gave Clemson the lead for good when he hauled in a 52-yard touchdown pass with 12:50 to play in the half. The freshman later caught a 42-yard touchdown which gave the Tigers a 16-3 lead with 1:44 to play before halftime.
He led Clemson with six receptions for 148 yards. Higgins had four catches for 53 yards.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence completed 29-of-37 passes for 327 yards and three touchdowns. Clemson racked up 261 yards in the decisive second quarter. The Tigers finished the game with 538 yards overall.
Running back Travis Etienne went 62 yards on a third-and-one play in the third quarter to give the Tigers a 30-3 lead at the 2:04 mark. The run allowed the sophomore to set a new single-season rushing record at Clemson. He broke Wayne Gallman’s mark of 1,527 from the 2015 season.
Etienne rushed for 109 yards against the Irish, just the second running back in 2018 to go over 100 yards against Notre Dame.
The game was tied, 3-3, early in the second quarter when Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book threw incomplete to Miles Boykin on a fourth-and-three play from the Clemson 34.
The Tigers needed just three plays to take advantage as Lawrence found Ross down the sideline, as he high pointed the pass, broke a tackle and ran the ball in for a 52-yard touchdown.
Clemson had just 45 yards of offense in the first quarter but exploded for 261 yards in the second.
The Tigers’ defense held the Irish to 248 total yards and just 88 yards on the ground. Book finished the game 17-of-34 for 160 yards, one interception and a fumble. He also was sacked six times.
Clemson’s Greg Huegel started the scoring with 40-yard field goal with 8:35 to play in the first quarter.
Clemson advanced to play Alabama in the national championship game.
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