By William Qualkinbush.

There is an old football adage that does not speak kindly about the prospect of a team splitting playing time between two quarterbacks.

The “if you have two quarterbacks, you have no quarterback” mantra has been parroted by coaches throughout the ages. Chances are high Chad Morris has heard it in his career, yet he is convinced his Clemson offense is well-suited to break that rule of thumb.

Cole Stoudt and Deshaun Watson proved him right during Saturday’s loss to Georgia, the first game in the Morris era at Clemson that featured a planned appearance by two signal-callers. Both led first half scoring drives, and both faced some adversity when the offense sputtered after halftime. The coach and his two quarterbacks each had a chance to appraise the season-opening performance on Monday, and the returns were positive with regards to both players.

Morris, the offensive coordinator, and Head Coach Dabo Swinney conspired to come up with a plan to feature both players. The senior Stoudt would start the game, with the highly-touted freshman Watson relieving him.

Neither quarterback knew the specifics of the plan going into the game, and Morris said he thought it helped Watson keep his mind sharp throughout the first quarter.

“We decided that we weren’t going to tell him,” Morris said. “We wanted him to be ready at any moment.”

When Watson’s number was called in the early stages of the second quarter, his teammates made sure he knew they were behind him as he made his collegiate debut.

“Actually, they came up to me,” Watson said of his comrades on offense. “They were like, ‘Let’s go. It’s your time. We believe in you, so lead us down for a touchdown.’ I told them I had them. We went out there, they gave me time and protection, and we executed and got a touchdown.”

The impressive drive caught the attentions of a national television audience, but Morris was also impressed with the poise and presence of Stoudt. The starting quarterback for the Tigers played in all but three series and, according to his position coach, seemed calm and confident.

“I thought Cole handled the moment,” Morris said. “He was able to sit back there in the pocket and do some good things as well.”

Both quarterbacks have already carved out their respective niches on the team—both are quiet, but Stoudt is more of a manager, while Watson plays with some flair. Seen largely as a distributor, Stoudt took on a leading role in the short-yardage running game early and often—a role that was vacated when three-year starter Tajh Boyd graduated after last season.

“That’s something that we’ve been working on all summer and in spring,” Stoudt said. “Just because Tajh is gone doesn’t mean we have to get rid of it. We can still run the same plays and everything.”

It also did not take long for Stoudt to show a little fire as the team’s offensive leader. On a fourth-and-short play at the goal line mere minutes into action, he was the first to vocalize his wish that he get the chance to cash in a long scoring drive. The Tigers went for it, and D.J. Howard punched the ball in for the game’s first touchdown.

“Being down there that far, I had a little bit of an edge,” Stoudt said with a grin. “I would have been really mad if we’d kicked it.”

Even as they unconventionally split time, Stoudt and Watson enjoy a good teacher-student relationship. Both understand there will be times when the other will play, but both are also rooting for each other as they continue to improve as individuals in an effort to build up a stronger team.

“We’re real tight, real close,” Watson said. “We know our roles on the team. He’s the leader, he’s the starter, and I’m there to back him up and help him while he’s in there.”