Oct 10, 2020; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; at Memorial Stadium. Clemson Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) and other quarterbacks walk onto the field for warmups before a game against the Miami Hurricanes at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports
NCAABy Sean Keeley on

If you were still somehow on the fence about the ability of Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence (which would be pretty weird at this point, to be honest), the first half of Saturday’s game between the Clemson Tigers and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets should have sealed the deal.

Lawrence went into the locker room with 391 passing yards and five touchdowns as the No. 1 Tigers cruised to a 52-7 halftime lead over their ACC rival. And honestly, it didn’t even really look that close…

And it’s not just that Lawrence’s numbers are gaudy but the way that he and Clemson ripped up the Georgia Tech defense has been something to watch.

How good was Lawrence’s first-half performance? Just look at the company he’s joined.

If you’re going to pick any nits, it’s that Lawrence threw his first interception of the season. That pick means he’ll fall 14 passes short of breaking Russell Wilson’s ACC record for most consecutive attempts without an interception. It was Lawrence’s first interception since Oct. 19, 2019, almost one year ago.

And just to remind you how dominant Clemson has been today, and overall this decade, Lawrence is the first ACC QB with five touchdowns in a half against another ACC squad since Tajh Boyd did it in 2012 (twice). The 52-point run in the first half was also the most by an ACC team in a conference game in 15 years.

Winning the ACC seems like a foregone conclusion for the Tigers this year. But if Clemson doesn’t play for the national title season, it might be one of the biggest shocks in a long time.

[ESPN]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.

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