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Clemson receiver Hunter Renfrow avoids North Carolina defenseman Tanner Ingle in the first quarter.(Photo: Joshua S. Kelly, USA TODAY Sports)
CLEMSON, S.C. – An ACC showdown never materialized. Instead, we watched a team that could turn into a monster. It's not really a surprise that Clemson remains the undisputed top player in a league that is not as good as the last two seasons.
But when the Tigers achieved a full performance, as they did on Saturday, it's clear they deserve their No. 3 ranking and all their playoff projections for college football – and that they could be built, or at least edified to do. pity once they arrive.
Here are three points to remember from Clemson's 41-7 win over No. 15 NC State:
– Trevor Lawrence is not quite awesome yet – but he may be so soon. The real Clemson quarterback looked promising enough to allow Dabo Swinney to face senior Kelly Bryant a few weeks ago – and of course, Bryant then left the team with the intention of transferring. The goal was to elevate the Tigers attack, not to go to the college football playoffs, but in the hope of competing and winning once they did. Lawrence's 46-yard touchdown pass to Tee Higgins is just one example of what he brings to the offensive; better indicators could have been long jets on out-of-the-field routes that he made appear several times effortlessly. Lawrence remains a work in progress, but the finished product can be special.
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– Despite his vaunted reputation, Clemson's defense struggled to cover passes in recent weeks. But against a future NFL quarterback at Ryan Finley, the Tigers were very good. In the first decisive half, when the North American state accumulated only 100 yards – 3.7 per game, with only four first tries – Finley earned 7 of 13 for 58 yards. He launched two interceptions, including one in the red zone that killed a promising attempt to start the third quarter; During this match, linebacker Jalen Williams was dipped into the blanket and crashed the receiver for the football. Finley's statistics also include a huge drop by catcher Kelvin Harmon on what could be a 75-yard touchdown pass. But for most of the afternoon, there was not much time to spare – look at this defensive front – or, importantly, a lot of leeway to take off.
– In the end, NC State's unblemished record of 5-0 did not indicate an elite team. In recent seasons, this series known as the Textile Bowl has had good close and tight games. Given the team records, there was hope that the competition would come back. But the Wolfpack was clearly outclassed since the kickoff. In what appears to be a broken ACC, there are many reasons to believe that the North American state can win many more games.
Conversely, where is the impossibility of staying on the Clemson calendar? The Tigers are at Florida State next week and the Seminoles have begun to recover after this terrible start to the season. Beyond that … hard to find a significant danger, especially if the Tigers can organize more complete performances like Saturday.
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