By William Qualkinbush.
Artavis Scott did not hesitate when asked which player has been most impressive during the first couple of bowl practices. He chose to call out his senior quarterback.
“Cole (Stoudt),” the freshman wideout said. “He’s stepped it up big. His whole demeanor has changed, and he’s been way better than what he used to be. His confidence has grown, and I think he’s going to do great this game.”
Stoudt’s situation has been chronicled ad nauseum throughout the 2014 season, with plenty of ups and downs along the way. But according to Scott, the signal-caller has received a jolt from a series of new challenges as Clemson prepares to face Oklahoma in the Russell Athletic Bowl in two weeks.
Newness abounds on offense, where one coordinator has morphed into two and a new quarterbacks coach has joined the staff within the past week. There is also a sense of urgency that comes from players like Stoudt, who are about to play in one final college football game before the real world comes calling—either in the NFL or otherwise.
Plenty of reasons exist for a new level of excitement, and they are all converging on the Clemson practice fields this week. Head Coach Dabo Swinney sees it, and he likes what he sees—particularly from Stoudt, who is preparing for one final hoorah as the starting quarterback for the Tigers.
“He’s had a lot of good preparation,” Swinney said. “I think he knows that he’s the guy and he’s got a chance to go and finish this thing off the right way.”
Swinney says he can feel the energy that has engulfed his football team with the promotion of co-offensive coordinators Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott and the arrival of new quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter.
“He was pretty comfortable out there today,” Swinney said of Streeter, who left Richmond to coach at his alma mater. “I’ve enjoyed watching him coach. He’s going to be a good one.”
According to Scott, not much has changed for the offensive players, other than the new energy they feel. The system and the terminology remain, so he says the transition has been relatively seamless—even given his position coach’s new responsibility.
“We’re still doing the same things,” the Freshman All-American said of life with Jeff Scott as co-coordinator. “He’s not with us as much, but he shows us things we need to work on, things we need to progress on.”
Swinney likes the energy because of what it will allow him to accomplish. He knows, from past experience, implementing a gameplan is difficult to do once a team departs for a bowl game. A packed schedule and the distractions of the destination can prove problematic, so Swinney is pleased that his team has embraced the emotion associated with a new beginning following final exams a week ago.
“We want to go down there and polish,” Swinney said, “dot the i’s and cross the t’s and just continue to take ownership of the plan. Right now is when the bulk of the work has to get done.”