By Will Vandervort.
Those in the media and even the fans have been wondering who will step up and be the next playmaker for 23rd-ranked Clemson now that Sammy Watkins and Martavis Bryant will be making their NFL debuts on Sunday.
Mike Williams has shown glimpses of being that guy with three catches for 88 yards against Georgia last week and four catches for 83 yards in Saturday’s 73-7 victory over S.C. State.
But the guy who seems to be next in line to make plays in Death Valley is freshman wideout Artavis Scott. After making a great catch against Georgia last week, the 5-foot-10, 190-pound freshman is proving he deserves to be a starter as he came off the bench and caught six passes for a freshman record 164 yards and two touchdowns.
“I think I’m a regular player anyway,” Scott said. “Even though I’m a freshman, I just build and watch everyone and what they have done. As I go in the game, I don’t think of myself as a freshman, I just think of myself as a regular player.”
He did not look like a regular player on Saturday. First he hauled in a 37-yard touchdown pass from Cole Stoudt in the second quarter that gave the Tigers a 24-0 lead at the time.
“Coach (Chad) Morris called it because I had seen the safety in busted coverage and I knew the ball was coming to me,” Scott said. “Cole made a great pass and I was so concentrated on catching the ball, and I knew this was what I wanted. I was excited for my first touchdown catch. I was blessed.”
Scott later caught a pass from Deshaun Watson along the right side, made one defender miss and then spilt the defense for a 69-yard gain to the Bulldogs three-yard line. That play set up a 24-yard Ammon Lakip field goal that gave the Tigers a 44-0 lead in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Scott hauled in an 8-yard scoring pass for 65-0 lead.
“When I saw the play, I knew I had to get into the end zone,” Scott said. “I think I might have gotten robbed on the other end, but I had to get in there, so I just lowered my shoulder and made it happen.”
Overall, Scott made the most of his opportunity and also answered the question everyone has been asking – who will step up and be a playmaker this year.
“Every time I get my chance, I’m going to make the most of it,” he said. “Every time my name is called, I’m going to out there and perform and do what I have to do each week.”
Team Notes
* The 73 points is the most since scoring 82 points against Wake Forest in 1981.
* The victory margin of 66 points is the largest since 1957, when Clemson defeated Presbyterian College 66-0. The margin is tied for the seventh best in school history and tied for the second largest at Memorial Stadium.
* The offense totaled 735 yards, the third-highest single-game total in school history and the most yards ever against a non-conference opponent. It is also just the fourth time in school history in which Clemson has recorded at least 700 yards of total offense. It is the most yards of total offense by Clemson since 2012, when the Tigers totaled 754 yards NC State.
* The Tigers rushed for 268 yards. That is the most rushing yards by Clemson in a game since 2012, when it rushed for 328 yards against NC State.
* Clemson held SC State to just 44 yards of total offense. That is the sixth fewest yards ever allowed by a Clemson team. It is the fewest yards allowed by the Tigers since 1963, when Clemson held Virginia to 41 total yards.
* The Tigers held SC State to just seven rushing yards. That is the fewest rushing yards allowed by the Tigers since the 2008 game against SC State in which the Tigers held the Bulldogs to -10 rushing yards.
* Clemson opened the game with a seven-play, 68-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown. The Tigers have scored on the opening drive of the game in each of the last three games and six of the last eight.
* Clemson had 12 players catch a pass in today’s game. That is the most players to catch a pass in a game since 12 caught a pass against Virginia last season. Additionally, nine different players rushed the ball in the game, the most since the SC State game last season when 10 Tigers carried the ball.
* Clemson totaled 392 yards of total offense in the first half. That is the most yards of total offense in a half since the Tigers had 454 in the first half against Syracuse last season.
* The Tigers are now 29-0 all-time against FCS opponents, including a 3-0 mark against SC State. Clemson has defeated the Bulldogs by a combined score of 179-20 in those three games.
* Clemson is now 73-0-1 when recording at least 500 yards of total offense. The Tigers are also now 65-0-1 when recording at least 200 yards passing and 200 yards rushing in a game.
* Clemson tallied 467 passing yards, the second most in a single game in school history. The record is 468 passing yards against Syracuse in 2013.
* With Jadar Johnson’s 60-yard interception touchdown return, the Tigers recorded their fourth interception return for a touchdown in their three games all-time against SC State.
* Clemson was not forced to punt in today’s game. It is the first time since the 2009 ACC Championship game that Clemson did not record a punt.
* Clemson scored nine touchdowns in the game, with eight different players scoring a touchdown. Artavis Scott was the only Clemson player to score more than one touchdown in the game.
* Clemson backup quarterbacks are now 34-36 passing for 373 yards and seven touchdowns in three games against SC State.
* Clemson’s average starting field position was its own 40 yard line. The Tigers improved their average 21 yards from the Georgia game, in which Clemson’s starting field position was its own 19.
Individual Notes
* Cole Stoudt had a career-best game, completing a career-high 22 passes for a career-high 302 yards. His previous career bests were 19 completions for 144 yards at Georgia last week.
* Freshman Deshaun Watson established new highs in his second career game. Watson completed 8-9 passes for a season-high 154 yards and three touchdowns.
* Vic Beasley recorded his second sack of the season in today’s game, giving him 23 for his career. That moves him into a tie with Adrian Dingle and Keith Adams for fourth place on the Clemson career sacks list.
* Charone Peake recorded his second receiving touchdown of the season on a seven-yard pass from Deshaun Watson in the second quarter. Peake has now scored a touchdown in each of his last three games in which he has played, two of which came against SC State.
* Adam Choice saw his first action in a Clemson uniform in today’s game. The freshman running back carried the ball 12 times for 72 yards and one touchdown. He also added two catches for 15 yards.
* Artavis Scott set the single-game record for receiving yards by a freshman with 164 yards. The previous record was 155 yards, set by Aaron Kelly against Temple in 2006 and Sammy Watkins against Auburn in 2011. Scott caught six passes, including two for touchdowns, the first of his career.
* Mike Williams hauled in a career-high four catches for 86 yards. His 86 yards were two shy of his career high of 88 yards set at Georgia last week.
* Jay Jay McCullough caught three passes for a career-high 61 yards and scored his first career touchdown.
* Wayne Gallman recorded 10 carries for 77 yards in his second career game to lead the Tigers.
* Demarre Kitt recorded his first career reception, a 16-yard pass from Deshaun Watson, in the second quarter.
* C.J. Davidson scored his second rushing touchdown of the season, the sixth of his career.
* Jadar Johnson recorded his first career interception and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown.