Tait Reynolds delivered the biggest play of his young Clemson career Saturday night, but for Dabo Swinney, the freshman quarterback's 79-yard touchdown run against Florida State represented something more than a record-setting moment.
It was another sign that Reynolds is beginning to play with the confidence and physicality his head coach envisioned when Clemson recruited him.
The touchdown came with 3:17 remaining in Clemson's 36-24 victory at Doak Campbell Stadium, moments after Florida State had trimmed what was once a 19-point deficit to just five.
Facing third-and-12 from deep in Clemson territory, Reynolds broke free for the longest touchdown run by a quarterback in school history, giving the Tigers some much-needed breathing room.
Afterward, Swinney explained that the aggressive running style Reynolds displayed on the play was something he had been waiting to see.
"He plays quarterback. It's like coaching Ben Boulware at quarterback. He's just kind of got that linebacker mentality," Swinney said. "He just loves to compete."
The comparison to Boulware, the former Clemson linebacker and current linebacker coach, known for his physicality and relentless competitiveness, speaks to what Swinney believes Reynolds can bring to the position.
But getting the freshman to consistently play that way has taken time.
Swinney recalled watching Reynolds run for a 99-yard touchdown on a quarterback sneak in high school, a play that helped convince him the young quarterback belonged at Clemson.
"Because when he ran in high school, he punished people," Swinney said.
That mentality wasn't always evident during Reynolds' first several appearances with the Tigers.
Early in the season, Swinney noticed the freshman running cautiously, sometimes carrying the football with both hands rather than attacking defenders with the confidence he had shown in high school.
To make his point, Swinney turned to a sport Reynolds knew well: baseball.
"When I watch you run, it's like it's like you're popping up to the pitcher. And you're just kind of jogging down the first," Swinney recalled telling Reynolds.
He then asked the freshman whether he had been allowed to steal bases in high school.
Reynolds, apparently offended by the question, informed his coach that he had stolen 75 bases.
"I'm like, well, can you run like you're stealing home?" Swinney said. "All right, because you run it like you just popping out to the pitcher."
The message was straightforward. Swinney wanted Reynolds to stop running tentatively and begin trusting the athletic ability that had made him such an intriguing prospect.
Saturday night provided perhaps the clearest indication yet that the message is getting through.
"And now you're seeing him run with some swagger. You're seeing him run with some calm," Swinney said.
"He wasn't doing that earlier. He was running with two hands on ball. You know, you just afraid to fumble the ball."
The development extends beyond Reynolds' ability to make plays with his legs.
Against Florida State, the freshman completed 18 of 32 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. He also finished with 85 rushing yards on 14 attempts.
Those numbers came despite several missed opportunities in the passing game.
Swinney pointed to three significant drops by Clemson's receivers, including throws he believed should have helped the Tigers sustain drives and produce more points.
Yet the mistakes around Reynolds didn't appear to affect his composure.
"He just didn't really get flustered," Swinney said. "You know, I mean, just put the ball right on the money. Those are big time throws."
Swinney acknowledged that Clemson needs to provide more help around its young quarterback, particularly as the offense looks to turn scoring opportunities into touchdowns rather than field goals.
The Tigers settled for five field goals against Florida State, and their 4-of-17 performance on third down demonstrated that consistency remains a work in progress.
Still, Reynolds showed the ability to make the kind of individual play that can change a game.
His 79-yard touchdown didn't erase Clemson's offensive shortcomings, but it provided a glimpse of what the Tigers might have as their freshman quarterback continues to develop.
For Swinney, that development is about more than speed or athleticism. It's about Reynolds becoming comfortable enough to play the position with the same physical mentality that initially caught Clemson's attention.
And while the head coach made it clear there is plenty of work ahead, he believes that combination could eventually make Reynolds a difficult player to defend.
"He's still got a long way to go," Swinney said. "But his ability to be a dual threat quarterback is going to be a great, great thing for us as he matures."
