CLEMSON, S.C. – Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly understands too well dramatic rallies that fall short are simply losses.

He watched that unfold Saturday night as the sixth-ranked Irish got off to a slow start, then turned the ball over four times in the second half in a 24-22 loss at No. 12 Clemson.

The Irish (4-1) gave up two touchdowns in the first seven minutes and fell behind 21-3 right after halftime. Yet quarterback DeShone Kizer gave them a chance to win before he was stopped on a two-point conversion run with seven seconds left, putting an end to Notre Dame’s perfect start.

“We’re too far along for moral victories,” said Kelly, in his sixth season.

In the end, Kelly said it was Clemson’s two far-too-easy touchdowns in the first seven minutes along with the turnovers that cost the Irish in this one.

“If they take care of the  and start fast, they are going to win the football game,” Kelly said.

Clemson linebacker B.J. Goodson had an interception and a fumble recovery to choke off two Notre Dame chances in the last seven minutes. Still, the Irish were a play away from overtime — and keeping alive their undefeated season.

“If you told me we were going to turn the ball over four times, I was going to tell you we would lose,” Kelly said. “It doesn’t take a genius (to know) we turned the ball over four times and lost.”

Still, Kizer brought the Irish back one final time with a 1-yard TD pass to Torii Hunter Jr.

But after Watkins stop, Clemson secured Notre Dame’s onside kick try and closed out the victory, moving to 4-0 for fourth time in five years. It also kept Clemson in the mix for the four-team playoff. The Tigers biggest hurdle appears to be against No. 11 Florida State on Nov. 7, which will likely decide the ACC’s Atlantic Division.

The Tigers are thinking about much more.

“We’ve got our eyes on the prize,” cornerback MacKensie Alexander said.

Waterlogged Clemson fans rushed the field when time ran out, celebrating the win over the highest-ranked Tigers opponent since No. 5 Georgia to start the 2013 season. Those title dreams died a few weeks later when undefeated Clemson was stomped by eventual national champion Florida State, which put up the most points ever scored by an opponent in Death Valley in a 51-14 loss.

Another loss was surely on many minds as Clemson saw its 18-point lead sliced to two after Hunter’s TD catch.

This time, though, the defense held strong.

Watson accounted for 190 yards, 93 of those coming on the ground. He had a 21-yard TD run early in third quarter to put the Tigers up 21-3. That’s when Notre Dame’s defense rose up to give its offense a chance to come back.

Kizer had a 56-yard scoring pass to Prosise, Notre Dame’s eighth touchdown this season of at least 50 yards. The Irish closed to 24-16 on Kizer’s 3-yard scoring run to set up the wild final moments.