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CLEMSON | When a program's success is defined by wins at the playoff level and you find yourself the victim of a complete dismantling at that level, some of the other important developments of a season tend to get washed away.

A year ago, Clemson's highest achievement came in the ACC championship game. And it came in large part as a result of the Tigers figuring out how to keep Notre Dame's quarterback from killing them with his legs.

In South Bend, Clemson couldn't get Ian Book on the ground and his 75 rushing yards were a major factor in Notre Dame's double-overtime victory.

In Charlotte, Book had nowhere to run and was sacked six times in Clemson's resounding 34-10 victory.

As the 2021 defense tries to continue carrying this team and showing that last year's meltdown against Ohio State was an aberration, it faces something Friday it has yet to confront through five games: