Brian Kelly: Talent Difference Between Notre Dame, Clemson Not 'Overwhelming'

On the heels of a 30-3 loss to Clemson in the 2018 College Football Playoff semifinal Saturday, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly didn't see a huge disparity in talent between the two teams. 

Per ESPN.com's Jake Trotter, Kelly felt like the difference in the game came down to coaching and execution on offense. 

"I do not feel like there was an overwhelming difference in terms of talent," Kelly said. "If we coached better and we made plays that we have been making all year, we would have had a pretty good darn football game going into the fourth quarter."

Despite what the final score indicates, the Fighting Irish kept the tally close for most of the first half. They were down 9-3 with two minutes remaining in the second quarter. 

Trevor Lawrence threw two touchdowns in the span of one minute, 42 seconds to put Clemson up 23-3 at halftime. 

A turning point came when Notre Dame cornerback Julian Love left early in the second quarter before he returned in the second half with what Kelly said was a head injury. Lawrence hit Justyn Ross for 52 yards and Clemson's first touchdown right after Love departed. 

The Irish struggled to move the ball against Clemson's defense. Quarterback Ian Book's 160 yards marked his lowest total since he took over as the starter Sept. 22 against Wake Forest. 

Even though Kelly believes the talent difference between Notre Dame and Clemson isn't significant, all that matters is the Tigers advanced to the College Football Playoff Championship Game on Jan. 7.