After a double-overtime upset to number one ranked Clemson, fans at Notre Dame rushed the field, sparking concerns of a COVID-19 spread.
Last night, number four ranked Notre Dame squeaked by a win against number one ranked Clemson. The final score was 47 to 40, with the Fighting Irish scoring in double overtime.
In all the excitement, fans packed into the stadium but didn’t maintain social distancing, and many fans removed their masks.
People on Twitter called out the fans for potentially putting the whole team’s season at risk.
This is Notre Dame’s first win over a top-ranked team since 1993, Sports Illustrated reports on the overtime victory.
The loss, however, may be due to the Clemson Tigers quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, having to sit out for a second week due to a positive COVID-19 test. Many people came to Notre Dame’s defense, saying that the fan actions were justified since Lawrence was seen on the sidelines during the game with a mask on.
True Freshman Quarterback
True freshman DJ Uiagalelei replaced Lawrence during last night game. Although the young quarterback is only a few months out of high school, he can hold his own. Uiagalelei was a five-star recruit in high school and the number ten overall player in the 2020 recruiting class. In addition, he is the top-ranked pro-style quarterback according to 247 Sports’ composite ranking.
At only his second career start at the collegiate level, he made history last night. According to a senior writer at ESPN, Adam Rittenberg, Uiagalelei has nothing to be ashamed of.
“Clemson QB D.J. Uiagalelei’s 426 passing yards mark the most EVER against Notre Dame, surpassing former USC quarterback Carson Palmer’s mark of 425 in 2002.”
Notre Dame’s Perfect Record
This loss brings the Tigers record to 7-1, while the Fighting Irish continues their perfect season at 7-0.
Next week, Notre Dame is set to take on unranked Boston College, while Clemson takes on Florida State on the 21st. Florida State is currently 2-5 so far for their 2020 season.
We will have to see if the virus spreads to any players, which would be detrimental to both team’s schedules.
