Notre Dame remained unbeaten as they took down the Massachusetts Minutemen 62-27. “But when (Everett) Golson announced he was transferring, Kizer worked his butt off this summer”.
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At 6-2, 210 pounds, Watson is lean and lithe by comparison. Come Saturday night, along with Georgia vs. Alabama, Clemson will be the biggest game in the nation. I would like to see more out of freshly healed Zac Brooks, who is our second-best running back this season (he trails Gallman and Deshaun Watson for total yards).
“She got a little bit of pub, so I guess I can throw a little responsibility on her plate”, Elliott said, laughing.
Watson ran the ball only a handful of times in the Tigers’ first two games – romps against Wofford and Appalachian State – but that workload increased against Louisville.
Watson was 21 of 30 passing for 199 yards in the 20-17 victory over the Cardinals with two touchdown passes and two interceptions, plus 54 yards rushing on 12 carries.
A trio of tight ends saw the field for Notre Dame on Saturday – graduate student Chase Hounshell, sophomore Nic Weishar and freshman Alizé Jones – and Kelly said he was pleased with each one’s performance.
“This is another opportunity to show what we have and what Clemson is about”, Watson said. I think we’ve tried to make good use of the time.
Clemson was the preseason pick to win the Atlantic Coast Conference title, with Watson the favorite for player of the year. “We’re certainly putting a lot of work into it. That’s for sure”.
Watson did acknowledge that this is a big game. He’s off to a fast start this season, ranking fourth nationally in completion percentage (74.4) and 18th in passing efficiency (165.3), but is still relatively inexperienced – Saturday’s game will be his eighth career start. A third-string quarterback last spring, he’s suddenly been thrust into the limelight courtesy of Golson’s transfer to Florida State and Malik Zaire’s broken ankle suffered in the second game of the year against Virginia.
He is 6-0 in those games, and winning matters most.
That being said, it will be interesting to see how these lines change as the week progresses.
“Just ice water in his veins kind of guy”, Swinney told reporters about Kizer. He’s never flinched. You can tell he was very well prepared for his opportunity.
But two of the programs he beat in 2014 – North Carolina and South Carolina – were so bad on defense, they hired new defensive coordinators. “He’s an outstanding player and can beat you with his legs, but his presence and poise are the biggest things that stand out to me”.
Notre Dame has played very well in 2015, considering the circumstances, but sooner or later all of their season-ending injuries will likely catch up to them. “He’s not overly superior”.
“Yes, it’s a tough task, but I don’t think it’s impossible”. He was asked after the UMass game if there is anything they can simulate to prepare him for what Saturday night will be like. “He doesn’t do too much, but he does enough for him”. Saturday’s game will be FSU soccer’s Paint It Pink game where we will be raising money and awareness for breast cancer.
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“It’s going to be insane and the energy level is going to be up, so that’s going to help us out”, Watson said. “Of course, for the alumni who remember the game where they played us back in the past and the respect that you will get from playing Notre Dame and beating them…it will be a big win for the program, for all of the people who have supported us”.
