The Clemson Tigers come into Thursday’s Orange Bowl matchup with Oklahoma as the consensus No. 1 team in the College Football Playoff and both major polls.
Deshaun Watson can make Clemson history vs. Oklahoma
Watson has a chance to take his great season (and Clemson’s) to the next level.
Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports
But despite being a narrow preseason favorite to win the ACC, the Tigers started out the season at No. 12 in the polls and 15 in S&P+, with the biggest question mark being the health of sophomore quarterback Deshaun Watson. A high-profile recruit out of Georgia in the class of 2014, Watson picked Clemson over offers from Alabama, Florida State, LSU and Ohio State, among others.
A promising true freshman campaign was limited due to injury, and a knee injury late in the year caused him to miss the Tigers' Russell Athletic Bowl thrashing of Oklahoma. But in eight games, the quarterback threw for 14 touchdowns against just two interceptions, running for five more.
Watson didn’t miss a single game in 2015, passing for 30 touchdowns and running for 11 more. That helped lead Clemson to its first ACC title since 2011 and put himself in New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist.
His 3,512 passing yards, 887 rushing yards and 41 combined touchdowns this year have him well within sight of his predecessor Tajh Boyd’s Clemson records for total offense and total touchdowns in a season, with at least one more game to play.
Player (year) | Passing yards | Rushing yards | Total Offense | Total touchdowns |
Deshaun Watson (2015) | 3,512 | 887 | 4,399 | 41 |
Tajh Boyd (2012) | 3,896 | 514 | 4,410 | 46 |
Watson has passed for 300 yards or more as many times this season as he’s rushed for more than 100 yards (four games each), and had showcase moments in some of his team’s biggest games this year against Notre Dame (three total touchdowns, 93 rushing yards), Florida State (404 total yards) and the annual rivalry with South Carolina (393 total yards, four touchdowns).
On Thursday, he’ll face one of his stiffest challenges yet against Oklahoma, which has the No. 12 defense in the country by S&P+. And he’ll have to do it without one of his best wide receivers in Deon Cain, who is suspended for the game.
Watson will have his work cut out for him against not only the Sooner defense, but Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield. Another dual-threat quarterback, Mayfield has production to match Watson’s with 3,389 yards passing, 420 rushing and 42 total touchdowns.
If all goes well, Watson could find himself in the record books. If all goes perfectly, he’ll put Clemson in a position for its first national title since 1981.
See More:
