Eichenberg, Notre Dame Locked In On Boston College

Saturday night will go down in the history books for Notre Dame as the Irish knocked off No. 1 Clemson in double overtime. 

The Notre Dame offense scored 47 points, but they saw it all from Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables as he tested the veteran Irish offensive line. 

Left tackle Liam Eichenberg felt the Tigers blitzed more than any other team, but Notre Dame's experience held up in the biggest moments. 

"It definitely is probably the most they've blitzed us and on top of that, they kind of figured out our pass protection halfway through the game, so they started blitzing us from different directions and different stunts," explained Eichenberg. "They kind of figured out what we were doing and we had to adapt to that. That wasn't great." 

The fifth-year senior credited Jeff Quinn and graduate assistant Chris Watt for preparing the offensive line to handle the multitude of pressures Venables threw at them.

"I would say one of the things that helps the most is seeing it in practice," stated Eichenberg. "At the same time, it does help we have a lot of guys who have experience. You got Jarrett (Patterson), he's the youngest, but this is his second season. It's nice we have experience and the coaches do a good job of preparing us.

"I think the coaches do a good job preparing us. The GAs and everyone on staff give us the looks and the scout team guys do a great job. I think that's where it starts in practice and the scout team guys give us their all. That's huge for the games on Saturday."  

The offensive line did its job as the Irish totaled more than 500 yards of offense, but quarterback Ian Book stepped up when the lights were bright, which didn't surprise Eichenberg. 

"There's a lot of people who doubt Book," said Eichenberg. "It's not great to see. For me, I've played with him for five seasons. It just sucks because I see how hard he works every single day in the offseason, in the film room, on the field and in the weight room - the amount of time he's dedicated and sacrificed to help this team win and for us to take the next step in the right direction. 

"I think Ian is the best quarterback in the country and I'll say that every single day. I think he's the best leader on our team. I believe in him the offensive 100 percent believes in him."

Eichenberg knows Book will get more praise and criticism than deserved, but he has been impressed with how he's taken it in stride. 

"Being the quarterback at Notre Dame is honestly one of the hardest jobs out there in college football, especially with the tradition behind Notre Dame and what they expect from you," Eichenberg stated. "I think Book does a good job of tuning everything out. 

"He listens to the coaches and works every single day and meets with Coach Rees every single day on what to improve or what to see on the field. He has a difficult job, but he sacrifices the most out of anyone on this team." 

Notre Dame is on the cusp of a special season and the next hurdle is a road trip to face rival Boston College this weekend. 

Eichenberg knows the Irish can't have a let down as the Eagles will give them everything they have. 

"If I'm being honest, the game is in the past," Eichenberg said of Clemson. "We need to play BC. BC is a great team. They have a great defense and offense. Phil Jurkovec, he was here and everyone knows that. He's done a great job at BC running that offense. The defense is stout, though and physical. It's not going to be a walk in the park. 

"It's like every game. You have to get out there, play physical and make your blocks. Anybody can win, so we're looking forward to it."