From the first Clemson possession Saturday, the game plan was clear: grow Kelly Bryant’s confidence throwing the football.

The Clemson quarterback did just that, throwing the ball 22 times in just a quarter and a half of action. He led the second-ranked Tigers to a whopping 61-3 beat-down of The Citadel on Military Appreciation Day in Death Valley.

The Tigers have relied on Bryant’s leadership throughout the season but at times have lacked a serious passing threat. Saturday, he showed the ability he has to throw into windows and hit receivers in stride over the top.

Bryant commanded the Clemson offense, running up-tempo and perfecting the deep ball. The boost in confidence will certainly prove beneficial moving forward into the championship phase.

The Calhoun Falls, S.C., native finished the day 17-of-22 for 230 yards and a career-high three passing touchdowns. He looked composed and seemed to find his rhythm as he commanded the air attack.

On the very first Tiger drive, Bryant came out firing, completing 3-of-4 passes. He finished the drive by completing a 53-yard bomb to Deon Cain.

On his second drive, the junior quarterback picked up where he left off, leading an up-tempo attack. The drive was finished off by a 6-yard Travis Etienne touchdown run.

Bryant looked sharp through the air on the third drive, capping it off with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Renfrow, the first for him since the national championship game in January.

Bryant’s fourth drive saw much of the same success as he connected on five passing attempts. The icing on the cake came as he found freshman T.J. Chase on a post route in the back of the end zone for 13 yards.

His final drive set up a 26-yard Alex Spence field goal that gave Clemson a 31-0 advantage. For the remainder of the contest Bryant sat and watched his teammates finish off the Bulldogs.

The junior quarterback did not just rely on the usual suspects Saturday but stuck to his reads, completing passes to 10 different receivers.

In order for Clemson to continue its success, it needs Bryant’s arm to be a serious threat. If Saturday is any indication, the junior quarterback can get it done through the air.

The competition steps up in a week as the Tigers travel to Columbia to face in-state rival South Carolina. In just two weeks, they go to Charlotte for the ACC Championship game against Miami.