Saturday’s Player of the Game was not a tough choice, especially for anyone who watched the action unfold. The best player on the field was hungry to atone for a missed opportunity a season ago and did just that in Clemson’s 43-24 win over Georgia Tech on Saturday.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson brought his best to the ball field in a rainstorm that felt like child’s play compared to what the Tigers faced a week ago. That consistent downpour kept Clemson from opening up its playbook. It kept an eager coaching staff from unleashing some of its playmakers—including its top one—on the Fighting Irish.
The Yellow Jackets were not so lucky.
Watson completed 70 percent of his passes—an efficient 21-for-30—for 265 yards and two touchdowns. He also managed 16 yards on the ground, but he only carried it six times, opting instead to buy extra time in the pocket to look downfield for open receivers.
Watson’s pinnacle came on his team’s third drive of the game and spanned the first and second quarters. After throwing back-to-back incompletions that forced Clemson to settle for a field goal on a previous possession, and a teammate’s fumble scuttled another scoring chance, the sophomore went to work.
With Clemson ahead 10-3, Watson found his tight end Jordan Leggett for a 12-yard pickup on a third down play. He then proceeded to throw four passes to three different receivers to set up a short touchdown run by Wayne Gallman.
The next drive required Watson to throw a pass down the seam to Germone Hopper that dropped perfectly into his arms and underneath the over-the-top safety to convert a third down with a 32-yard gain. He then threw completed passes on consecutive plays, including a ball down the sideline for a wide-open Leggett to score a touchdown from 29 yards away.
Counting a completion on the drive beforehand, Watson completed nine straight passes for 152 of his 265 yards—all in a span of ten minutes. That was all it took to put the knife into the heart of Georgia Tech, as Clemson enjoyed a 26-3 lead when that stretch ended.
Watson is fueled by lots of things, but he had a little extra in this game. It was against the Yellow Jackets last season that he injured his knee on the game’s second series against the conference foe from his home state. He watched as his teammates could not secure the victory he began to build toward, and he yearned for an opportunity to atone.
On Saturday, he got that opportunity, and he made sure to make the most of it. At its highest point, the Clemson lead was 30 points—40-10 early in the third quarter—which should be satisfying to some degree. Watson was the catalyst, and thus, the Player of the Game.