No. 1 Clemson will take on No. 4 Notre Dame in South Bend on Saturday night, but the game broadcast on NBC will be interrupted when President-elect Joe Biden addresses the nation.
The game—which will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET—is set to move from NBC to USA Network when Biden’s speech begins. USA Network will begin simulcasting the game at 7:55 p.m. ET, and NBC will not leave the contest until Biden steps to the podium.
NBC will return to the game as soon as Biden finishes his speech.
Saturday marks only the fifth matchup between the Tigers and Fighting Irish. Clemson historically has the upper hand, winning three of the last four matchups (1979, 2015, 2018). Notre Dame’s only victory came in 1977.
The Fighting Irish are coming off of a commanding 31–13 win over Georgia Tech when quarterback Ian Book completed 18 of 26 passes for 199 yards and a touchdown. Book is unbeaten at home, going 13–0 with a total of 38 touchdowns and five interceptions in his career at Notre Dame Stadium.
Clemson climbed out of an 18-point deficit during its 34–28 win over Boston College last Saturday. With star quarterback Trevor Lawrence out after testing positive for COVID-19, freshman D.J. Uiagalelei led the Tigers in his first career start. He went 30-of-41 for 342 yards with two touchdowns, and Uiagalelei will start again against the Irish.
Lawrence will be on the sideline at Notre Dame, but he will not be able to play due to COVID-19 protocols.
