It’s hard to believe that after the past few years with a Heisman contending quarterback in Deshaun Watson that Clemson is now a run-first team.
With this year’s quarterback Kelly Bryant off the field, it’s more difficult for Clemson to run the football. The designed quarterback runs and even the scrambles are what breaks the backs of defenses facing this Clemson offense.
Every day last week, the same question was asked: Is Kelly Bryant 100 percent? Should he even play and risk further injury?
Heck, we even asked this question on Monday afternoon if a 100-percent Zerrick Cooper is a better option at quarterback than an 85-percent Bryant.
How quickly things change.
Clemson Sports Talk
Kelly Bryant surveys the field in Clemson win over Georgia Tech
Bryant told us all week that he was feeling good and ready to go. Fans were skeptical because he said the same types of things the week leading up to Syracuse. People had to see it to believe it.
In pregame warm-ups, Death Valley was as electric as it gets amidst the downpour of rain. Through the mist, you could see Bryant dancing and bouncing around with his teammates.
He was smiling as if he knew something that everyone else didn’t. He was ready to go.
Bryant looked like his normal self while running the football. On a wet field, you wouldn’t think that Clemson would test his running ability so early and often.
In the first half, that’s just what they did.
Bryant got back into the comfort zone of his ground game, and after a few confidence boosting runs, he made quick decisions and scrambled on pass plays that were not there.
He finished with 12 carries for 67 yards and Clemson’s leading rusher. But there was a moment when we knew that Bryant really was back to his usual self.
Kelly Bryant’s ankle looks, if not 100 percent, then very close to it.
- ESPN's Chris Fowler
With around six minutes left in the second quarter, Clemson was driving and faced a third-and-two from its own 37.
Bryant sent a man in motion and ran the quarterback power play that has been the Tiger’s bread and butter on short-yardage situations. The run up the middle wasn’t there, so Bryant escaped to the outside.
He faced a similar situation at Syracuse two weeks ago. Bryant tried to get to the edge on a second-and-two but was barely able to make it back to the line of scrimmage before stepping out of bounds.
Saturday night, he galloped for 11 yards on the third-down play that was indicative of just how healthy he was.
“Kelly Bryant’s ankle looks, if not 100 percent, then very close to it,” ESPN’s Chris Fowler said after the run.
Going out to practice, I was feeling like I was back to my usual self. I didn’t want to overdo it, but I knew early in the week that I was back to my usual self.
- Kelly Bryant
On that drive, Bryant rushed for 37 yards and set up a touchdown to take a 21-3 lead before halftime. He went on cruise control from there.
Bryant wasn’t asked too many times post-game about how his ankle was feeling. We already knew.
He was asked when he knew he was able to do all of the things that make him such a dynamic football player.
“I felt it Monday,” Bryant said after the game. “Going out to practice, I was feeling like I was back to my usual self. I didn’t want to overdo it, but I knew early in the week that I was back to my usual self.”
Swinney said after the game that Bryant didn’t have to come out once in practice all week.
The legs of Bryant breathe life into a Clemson offense that can sometimes look dead otherwise. The Tigers will need him to play his best games the next two weeks as they try to wrap up the Atlantic division for the third straight year.
With his performance Saturday night, Bryant played like he was tired of getting asked about his injured ankle.
