CLEMSON FOOTBALL

Kirk Herbstreit: Trevor Lawrence
Kirk Herbstreit is very impressed with freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence

Kirk Herbstreit: Trevor Lawrence "was inserted for Alabama"


by - Senior Writer -

Kirk Herbstreit thinks Trevor Lawrence was given the reins to the Clemson offense for this moment.

For the third time in four seasons, the Alabama Crimson Tide and Clemson Tigers will square off in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Kickoff from Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., is set for 8 p.m. ET, Monday, Jan. 7.

For Clemson, the player that might have the most impact on the game is Lawrence, the Tigers’ freshman quarterback. Lawrence has been terrific this season and will be making his 11th career start vs. Alabama. He hasn't thrown an interception since Nov. 10 at Boston College and has 2,933 yards with 27 touchdown passes on the season.

Lawrence took over for Kelly Bryant after four games, leading to Bryant’s subsequent transfer to Missouri. Herbstreit thinks the Clemson coaching staff had this moment in mind when they named Lawrence the starter.

"You’ve got to be able to avoid costing yourself the game by turning over the football. Trevor Lawrence was inserted for Alabama,” Herbstreit said. “I think (Clemson) was envisioning going up against this Alabama team with Trevor Lawrence’s ability to stretch the field. This is the matchup we've been waiting for, and we're excited about it."

Head coach Dabo Swinney disagrees with that assessment.

“Alabama had zero impact on our decision (at quarterback)," Swinney said. "Our decision was based on the present moment. We don’t make decisions based on potential. We make decisions based on performance here. After four games, Trevor’s performance made the change. When you start making decisions based on potential, you starting losing your team and you're gambling on things working out in the future."

Lawrence made his first postseason start last week in the Cotton Bowl against Notre Dame, and all he did was win offensive MVP honors, and Herbstreit took notice.

“I don’t think the big stage is going to make (Lawrence) uptight or nervous," Herbstreit said. "He plays with unprecedented poise. The big thing will be the way Tosh Lupoi and Nick Saban create ways to disguise pressures. They do a very good job of showing one thing pre-snap and then going to another. If there’s one area you’ll see Dabo Swinney and his offensive staff come up with a plan, it'll be to make sure those late blitzes don’t affect him.”

Alabama head coach Nick Saban says Lawrence looks like a veteran player.

“Well, he certainly doesn't look like a freshman, that's for sure. I mean, he's got a lot of poise and does a really good job of executing their offense,” Saban said. “He's very instinctive in terms of making the reads that he needs to make and doesn't make a lot of mistakes in terms of where he wants to throw the ball, and he's got a great arm, and he's very accurate. He's got some really good skill players, and they've made a lot of explosive plays because of it. But he's also done a good job of taking what the defense gives in terms of making a read sometimes. They have great balance, so their ability to run and throw I think is what makes them effective, and he certainly does a great job of executing it for them.”

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Subject (Replies: 30) Author
spacer TNET: Kirk Herbstreit: Trevor Lawrence "was inserted for Alabama"
TigerNet News®
spacer I do agree that
ColumbiaTiger66
spacer Isn’t the goal still to beat everyone you play?
NorthwestPurple®
spacer Dabo disagrees***
TigerzzRoar®
spacer Re: Dabo disagrees***
Tattooguy21®
spacer Re: Dabo disagrees***
vlastimil_hort
spacer Hint: look at the logo...
gr82h8floridast8
spacer Re: Hint: look at the logo...
Tattooguy21®
spacer Re: Hint: look at the logo...
gr82h8floridast8
spacer Re: TNET: Kirk Herbstreit: Trevor Lawrence "was inserted for Alabama"
EEtigerstripe
spacer That was controversial, this is not.
Smiling Tiger®
spacer Re: That was controversial, this is not.
rhettfla
spacer Herbie is saying what Dabo cannot state publicly.
apextiger
spacer thanks Captain Obvious
El Tigre 1
spacer Re: thanks Captain Obvious
lhaselden
spacer I believe Dabo
Neal in NC®
spacer i think we could have won all the in season games with
tigerfan28173
spacer Indirectly that's true, because Alabama is the only team
BengalBilly
spacer TL has liquid Hydrogen in his veins***
Neal in NC®
spacer Re: TNET: Kirk Herbstreit: Trevor Lawrence "was inserted for Alabama"
Eagle03®
spacer Re: TNET: Kirk Herbstreit: Trevor Lawrence "was inserted for Alabama"
keith75
spacer Re: TNET: Kirk Herbstreit: Trevor Lawrence "was inserted for Alabama"
Eagle03®
spacer Dabo said bama was a . . . . .
crawdad64
spacer Dabo said bama was a . . . . .
crawdad64
spacer Sounds good but he was inserted to
josephg®
spacer Re: Sounds good but he was inserted to
ddclemson
spacer Re: Sounds good but he was inserted to
89ChemEAlum
spacer Re: Sounds good but he was inserted to
Obed®
spacer No more than anyone else on our schedule.
ClemsonTiger1988®
spacer Re: TNET: Kirk Herbstreit: Trevor Lawrence "was inserted for Alabama"
Deanster®
spacer Re: TNET: Kirk Herbstreit: Trevor Lawrence "was inserted for Alabama"
westerntigerfan