ARLINGTON, Texas — Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly didn’t see any similarities. At least, he didn’t want to admit there were any.

When asked if he would compare Saturday’s 30-3 defeat to Clemson to the 42-14 rout at the hands of Alabama in the 2012 BCS Championship game — the last time the Irish played on this stage — the Notre Dame coach didn’t think they were similar.

“Do I feel like it’s different than that game? Oh, I do. Absolutely,” he said. “I left that game feeling like there was so much work to be done from the inside out, so much development, so much recruiting. This felt so much different, like we gave up four big plays that we characteristically don’t give up.”

Notre Dame was overwhelmed by Clemson, outgained 538-248. It failed to score a touchdown for the first time this season. The game felt over at halftime, with the Irish trailing 23-3. But Kelly doesn’t think Notre Dame is as far away as it was after that Alabama throttling.

“This is a totally different feeling,” he said. “I feel like this football team is on the brink. Where, when I left that game, it was, ‘Boy, do we have a lot of work to do.’”

The absence of Dexter Lawrence, the All-ACC first team selection, suspended for testing positive for the banned substance ostarine, didn’t make much of a difference. Clemson held Notre Dame to 88 rushing yards. His replacement, Albert Huggins, was credited with one tackle in his place. Defensive end Austin Bryant was the star on the defensive side of the ball, with two sacks and three tackles for loss.

“It says a lot about our culture, what we were able to do as a defense,” defensive tackle Christian Wilkins said. “We weren’t going to let our season end because of one man. We still had a game to play and a show to put on.”