Nov 7, 2015; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) passes the ball during the first half against the Florida State Seminoles at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports
The Tigers’ sophomore has gotten off to slow starts in a few games this season, but there’s no denying that he’s proven adept at finishing with a flourish.
“Deshaun didn’t play well in the first half,” Swinney said after Clemson’s 23-13 victory against Florida State last Saturday.
“It’s one thing when you miss 3-pointers, but it’s another when you miss layups. We were just a little out of rhythm. But he came back and showed why he’s the best quarterback in the ACC, and maybe the best player in the country.”
Watson was 9-for-11 for 97 yards in the fourth quarter against the Seminoles. He has completed 24 of 28 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter this season.
Watson’s recent midseason roll, which has seen him complete more than 70 percent of his passes and average more than 300 yards passing per game over the last five weeks, has him in the Heisman Trophy conversation with the Tigers eying a perfect season.
The Tigers are 9-0 and have clinched a berth in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game with three games remaining — at Syracuse, vs. Wake Forest and at South Carolina. They will be heavy favorites in all three, particularly if Watson continues to maintain his level of play.
“I’ve been in situations around here in the past where if we come out and we’re struggling on offense, we don’t finish, so I was proud of his leadership,” Clemson co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said. “I believe in Deshaun. I think he’s earned the opportunity to be talked about.”
NOTES, QUOTES
PLAYERS TO WATCH
–RB Wayne Gallman had a coming-out party last season against Syracuse, notching the first 100-yard rushing game of his career and jump-starting a late-season run that saw him have 100 yards in three of the last five games. He enters this week’s matchup against the Orange having established himself as one of the ACC’s top rushers; Gallman has six 100-yard games this season and 977 yards, positioning himself to become the 14th different 1,000-yard rusher in Clemson history.
–LB B.J. Goodson is making the most of his senior season, playing at the highest level of his career. He’s coming off a 12-tackle, 3.5 tackle-for-loss performance against Florida State that earned him ACC Linebacker of the Week honors. Goodson ranks second on the team in both categories and has posted double-digit tackles in five of nine games this season.
–WR Charone Peake has been an enigma — a senior who has been poised for a breakout season each and every year. Injuries have plagued him, but he’s healthy this year and has yet to record a 100-yard receiving game. Yet Peake came up big in the clutch against Florida State last week, catching two first-down passes on the Tigers’ game-clinching drive. He’ll look to continue that momentum against Syracuse.
