The No. 3 Tigers destroyed the Pitt Panthers 52-17 on Saturday. This after being off three weeks and just a week after traveling all the way to Tallahassee only to have Florida State refuse to play a few hours before kickoff due to what they claimed were Covid-19 concerns.
It was also Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence’s first game in five weeks after he tested positive for Covid-19 and had to miss the BC and Notre Dame games due to protocol. To say that Pitt ran into a buzz saw would be an understatement. They had a much rougher trip to Tigertown than they had on their last trip a few years back.
Weekly Stock Report:
Powell Joins Elite Company: It was something that had only happened five times before today. Cornell Powell joined elite company in terms of Clemson all-time receiving greatness. Powell’s third straight 100-yard receiving game got him into a class of Clemson greats that include DeAndre Hopkins, Sammy Watkins, Charlie Waters, Tony Horne, and Rod Gardner . He also became one of only three former Tigers to have back to back 150 yard games. The too were also Hopkins and Watkins….. Stock Way Up
Lawrence Doesn’t Skip A Beat: Trevor Lawrence didn’t look like he had missed five days much less five weeks. Lawrence went 26 of 37 for 403 yards and two touchdowns against Pitt. He also passed Tiger legend Charlie Whitehurst on Saturday afternoon with his huge day and now only trails Tajh Boyd and Deshaun Watson when it comes to career passing yards in Clemson history….. Stock Up
Davis And Skalski Make Returns: If there was any question about whether these two make a difference that was answered on Saturday. The Tiger defense just looked different with them on the field. Davis got a sack in the second quarter. Skalski seemed to be flying all over the field and proved why many feel that he is the heart and soul of the Clemson defense….. Stock Way Up
Etienne Continues to Break Records: Travis Etienne continued his trek through the history books and almost could have been the focus of this entire article. He broke the Tigers record for receiving yards by a running back in a single season previously held by C.J. Spiller. Etienne (76) also joined Tajh Boyd (133), Deshaun Watson (116), and Trevor Lawrence (99) as the only Tigers in school history to be responsible for 75 career touchdowns (scored and/or thrown). He (68) also passed Florida Atlantic’s Devin Singletary (66) for sole possession of the sixth-most career rushing touchdowns according to official NCAA FBS records. Etienne (76) passed Texas’ Ricky Williams (75) for the fifth-most career total touchdowns of any FBS player since 1956. Etienne with his 12 points (456) became the 14th player (and sixth non-kicker) in FBS history to reach 450 career points. He joined Florida State kicker Dustin Hopkins (466 from 2009-12) as the only ACC players to accomplish the feat….. Stock Up
Defensive Backs Show Out:
Andrew Booth Jr. got his second interception of the season when he picked off Kenny Pickett in the first quarter. Malcolm Greene then ended Pitt’s second possession with his first career interception. It didn’t stop there though. Mario Goodrich had two picks. This was his first multi-interception game of his career. It was the first multi-pick game by a Clemson player since Cordrea Tankersley’s two interceptions against Virginia Tech in the 2016 ACC Championship Game. The Tigers have been having issues with turnovers themselves over the last few games but won the turnover battle 5-1….. Stock Way Up
And from elsewhere from across the country…..
Coastal Continues Their Cinderella Story: After their emotional win last week over App St the Chanticleers made sure they didn’t have a hangover as they took down Texas St. They had 572 yards of total offense and extended their winning streak to 10 games. The Chants rushed for 406 yards, five touchdowns, and continued to give evidence that they are the second best football team in the great state of South Carolina….. Stock Up
Oregon Eliminated: Oregon sat at No. 15 as they headed into their rivalry matchup with Oregon St and many felt that they could be considered for the playoff if they continued to win. Not so fast though. The Beavers decided to put a stop to that plan, scoring with 33 secs left in the game. The Ducks, who’s fluorescent uniforms finally were useful on a heavily foggy night, had a chance but weren’t able to get into FG range….. Stock Down
UofSC: Another Saturday, another loss. The Gamecocks that haven’t opted out have continued to fight but they had nothing for the Bulldogs who came into Willy B looking for revenge after Gamecock players tore up their shrubbery last year. They got it too, with 471 yards of total offense (332 on the ground) while holding UofSC to 273 yards total offense….. Stock Through The Floor
