After Syracuse, the Tigers close their home schedule – they’ve won 15 straight at Death Valley – against Wake Forest (3-6) before ending at the rival Gamecocks, who have lost two of three games since iconic coach Steve Spurrier’s resignation in mid-October. They will be heavy favorites in all three, particularly if Watson continues to maintain his level of play.
Advertisement
“When I said that to the team yesterday, I got nothing – crickets”, Swinney said. The week after Florida State will always be risky for Clemson, especially after it clinched the division. “You can’t abandon the plan”.
Each game this season has been a step forward for Watson. These include Louisville, #5 Duke, #19 Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, and #6 Virginia once again in early March prior to the ACC Tournament. “See now, I appreciate that”. “I don’t ever go looking for it”.
After Week 10 saw four undefeated teams lose, how does the Heisman chase shake out after Derrick Henry and Deshaun Watson looked great and Trevone Boykin and Leonard Fournette looked human? “You’re going to have years where you have lots of injuries or are really young”, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said of the banged-up Orange. Already he’s fifth in Clemson touchdown passes (35). “I embrace the position that we’re in and we celebrate what we’ve worked for. We celebrate what we work for”, Watson said. “It’s hard to get to this point 9-0 and do the things that we did, so of course I enjoy it and celebrate it”.
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. Watson is pictured on the regional cover of the new Sports Illustrated, only the second Tiger to grace the magazine’s front, following receiver Perry Tuttle in the aftermath of the program’s lone national championship in January of 1982.
“If we’re the underdog it doesn’t give us extra motivation”.
Advertisement
Weve been waiting a long time for this, he said. “If we play to the standard, we’ll be fine”.
