Clemson At First Glance: Offensive Players Notre Dame Fans Need To Know
Clemson will have a much different look when it takes on Notre Dame in the ACC Championship game, at least from a personnel standpoint. There are three players on offense that will have the biggest impact on the game, and they are players Fighting Irish fans need to know about.
#16 TREVOR LAWRENCE, QUARTERBACK
2020 Stats: 173-250, 69.2%, 2,431 yards, 20 TD, 3 INT / 121 rush yards, 6 TD
Notre Dame fans might not want to hear this, but the Clemson offense will be better with Lawrence at quarterback, that shouldn’t even be a discussion. Yes, D.J. Uiagalelei threw for a lot of yards, but yards don’t equal winning plays, and Lawrence has been brilliant when it comes to making winning plays.
The simple fact of the matter is this, Lawrence is the nation’s best quarterback, and I don’t believe it’s overly close. Not only does he have supreme talent - great size, a big arm, athleticism - he’s also a very smart and savvy quarterback. His decision making is elite, his ability to anticipate players coming open is tremendous, and his accuracy is as good as it gets.
Lawrence is able to make throws that only one or two other quarterbacks in the country can make, and the fact he’s a mobile quarterback that can do damage with his legs makes him even harder to defend. He can take any mistake by the defense and turn it into a big play with both his arm and his legs.
The only game Lawrence has lost as a starter was last season’s national title game, when Clemson lost to an all-time great LSU squad.
#9 TRAVIS ETIENNE, RUNNING BACK
2020 Stats: 758 rush yards, 5.1 YPC, 12 TD / 41 catches, 512 yards, 2 TD
Etienne won the ACC Offensive Player of the Year award in each of the last two seasons when he rushed for 3,200 yards and got into the end zone 49 times. Etienne went for 8.0 yards per carry and was a home run threat every time he touched the football.
Clemson’s run blocking woes this season have limited Etienne’s opportunities to match his past rushing success. Things started off okay in the first four games, when Etienne had his only two 100-yard games of the season (Wake Forest, Miami), and he averaged 7.0 yards per carry. Over the next six games, however, Etienne was held to just 61 rushing yards per game and 4.0 yards per carry.
Those struggles were more about the line than they were Etienne, and the talented senior back still found ways to make an impact. In just 10 games, Etienne has already set career highs with 41 catches for 512 yards and he returned the only punt he fielded this season for 44 yards, and he has a kick return for 40 yards.
Etienne is still a dynamic weapon and must be accounted for. Yes, it’s been a season-long struggle for him, but this is a talented player with a long track record of playing well in big games.
#3 AMARI RODGERS, WIDE RECEIVER
2020 Stats: 61 catches, 845 yards, 13.9 YPC, 6 TD
Senior Cornell Powell made the longest plays in the first game, but in my view it was Amari Rodgers that did the most damage. Rodgers has been Clemson’s best weapon all season, and he is dangerous because he can do damage in different ways.
Rodgers can be a chain-mover when the need is there. He can stretch the field when the need is there. He can do damage after the catch. The ability to attack the defense in so many different ways makes Rodgers hard to defend, but it was his ability to make plays after the catch that did the most damage against Notre Dame.
The veteran wideout has been very consistent for Clemson this season, catching at least five passes in eight of the team’s 10 games. What impresses me about his game is he seems to be at his best in the biggest games. Rodgers caught six passes against Virginia, seven against Miami, seven against Boston College, 10 against Pittsburgh and eight (for 134 yards) against Notre Dame.
Rodgers can move all around the offense, which makes him even harder to game plan for.
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