A very stressful day for Clemson ended with a deep expiration for the 2020 season and well beyond
As Trevor Lawrence watched from his off-campus apartment after testing positive for COVID-19, Clemson was trailed by no less than 18 points in the first half against unranked Boston College They were trailing by 15 at halftime, the most a top-ranked team have trailed at home at halftime since 1950
But all the angst, worrying and sweaty palms were relieved after an early performance by first-year quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, which calmly led Clemson to a 34-28 comeback victory with a second half. authoritative Uiagalelei, one of the nation’s top quarterback rookies in 2020, has shown why Clemson will be in good hands while Trevor Lawrence doesn’t turn shampoo commercials and tries to topple the Jets
Uiagalelei finished with 341 passing yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, including turning the game in the third quarter with a 30-yard touchdown on a fourth down and hitting Amari Rodgers for an eight-yard touchdown. He finished 30 for 41 passing the day
It was the day for Uiagalelei where promise and potential met reality and results, as the Clemson loyalists suddenly transformed into worrying about the college football playoffs in 2020 to feel good about themselves. 2021
“What sets me apart the most is his poise and maturity,” said Jason Negro, head coach of St John Bosco High School in Bellflower, Calif., where Uiagalelei played in high school. « He was absolutely unfazed at the time It seems he started college football for 25 to 30 games in his career, not his first start »
It’s unclear if Lawrence will be back for the game at No 4 next week, which is considered one of the season’s flagship games. How Clemson positions his statements and the fact that Lawrence’s symptoms could have started before his test on Wednesday makes his return for Notre Dame likely likely But as we know, predictions during COVID-19 may seem naive in retrospect
Although no one is in Lawrence’s category in college football, Uiagalelei has shown the first reasons he might one day enter the rare air of the sport He has shown elite arm strength, a touch polite and the moment has never been too great for him
Perhaps the best indicator of Uiagalelei’s future is his response at his lowest point of the day He made a first-year mistake at the end of the first quarter, giving the ball too high to Travis Etienne, resulting in a fumble at the goal line Brandon Sebastian of British Columbia returned the 97-yard fumble for a touchdown and a 21-7 lead at Boston College
From there, Uiagalelei didn’t flinch Clemson scored in his next five drives and took the lead early in the fourth quarter on a 17-yard run by Etienne
“It was a 14 point swing,” Negro said of the fumble “It didn’t derail his confidence That’s what I was most proud of, you have to stay balanced because he did very good job responding after this situation It was a great thing «
Uiagalelei got some big help throughout the afternoon from Etienne, who is the ACC’s all-time best driver and finished the day with 84 yards on 20 carries. Etienne was also a favorite target out of the backfield, finishing with seven catches for 140 yards
Now we just have to figure out who Clemson really is, which is hard to pinpoint Young Clemson players grew a lot on Saturday, as the defense shut out British Columbia in the second half after the quarterfinal. BC fullback Phil Jurkovec torched the Tigers in the first period
Another of Clemson’s young stars, five-star defensive lineman Bryan Bresee, pressured Jerkovec in the end zone to force a safety 1:18 left This gave Clemson a 34-28 lead and put out the last embers of hope for a British Columbia upheaval
To judge how much playoff-worthy Clemson is after this game, it’s important to remember that the Tigers were missing much more than Lawrence They were also missing receivers Frank Ladson and Joseph Ngata, star defensive linemen Tyler. Davis and Mike Jones Jr and linebacker Jamie Skalski, among others
British Columbia searched for much of the afternoon that they could create another moment like the Doug Flutie uprising in 1984 or David Gordon’s basket at Notre Dame in 1993, the last time BC upset another No 1 team
Instead, today will be remembered as the day we all learned the name DJ Uiagalelei (The shots in the stands of his father, Big Dave, recalled his career as a celebrity bodyguard)
Uiagalelei has arrived, saving Clemson’s day and painting a bright picture for life after Trevor
“It’s a phenomenal performance,” said Negro “Stick and play like he did Especially when Clemson wasn’t playing his best football”
Clemson Tigers football, Trevor Lawrence, Boston College Eagles football, College football, Clemson University, American football, Quarterback, Atlantic Coast Conference
News of the world – CA – Without Trevor Lawrence, Clemson survives Boston College fear
