At last, it's Trevor Lawrence's turn against the Irish
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Nearly every time the NBC cameras cut over to Trevor Lawrence, the junior quarterback appeared hard at work.
He wasn’t throwing 60-yard moonshots to the outstretched arms of his receivers, nor was he putting defenders on skates or barreling over them with his broad 6-foot-6 frame. Not this time, at least.
On a surprisingly mild evening in South Bend, Lawrence stepped into a much different role. He traded in the pigskin for a clipboard, his helmet for a medical mask. At arguably the most inopportune time, COVID-19 and Lawrence had crossed paths.
Against the 4th-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Lawrence was forced into leadership from the sideline.
“It was definitely tough not being able to play,” he admitted a few days after the overtime loss. “But I’d rather be there than be at home watching. Any support I can offer, any extra set of eyes, some help for D.J. [Uiagalelei]… I was just glad I could be a part of it and be with the team.”
Despite backup quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei’s heroics, Lawrence itched to throw on the shoulder pads and check himself in. Clemson’s star signal-caller didn't doubt his ability to play. If protocol allowed it, Lawrence said, he would have been on the field.
But after receiving a positive COVID result just nine days prior, Lawrence knew his chances to play against the Irish were slim. He turned to his coaching staff, begging for an opportunity to shift his reality. There was no loophole to be found. Dabo Swinney informed Lawrence of his fate a week before the South Bend showdown.
For the first time in years, and on one of college football’s grandest stages, Lawrence was cast as the understudy.
“[Traveling to South Bend] is really a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Lawrence. “I hate that I wasn’t able to play, but I was grateful I got to go and at least be there for it.”
Dabo Swinney was appreciative of his sideline presence as well.
“I thought he was great,” said head coach Dabo Swinney. “I thought he was a calming influence on the sideline for D.J. and just an encouraging voice. He's an inspirational guy, so it was great to have him there. I wanted him to get the experience. I know he won’t be here when we go back to Notre Dame in 2022, and I wanted him to have the opportunity to make that trip with us. He was about a day or so away from being able to play. But I’m glad he was able to come.”
The face-off between the Tigers and Fighting Irish was nothing short of an instant classic. Behind quarterback Ian Book, Notre Dame wound up 47-40 victors in a slugfest that could only be settled with the assistance of two overtimes.
It was an outcome that pained Lawrence as he looked on, helpless. But the heartbreaking loss was also a result Lawrence believed may have been the same, even if he’d suited up.
“Football’s such an interesting game. You just look back, and D.J. made so many plays that were just great. Obviously, I’d have loved to be in there and done everything I could to win, but at the same time, D.J. played really well. I was proud of him.”
“So who knows how it would have gone if I was playing?”
At the moment, no one does.
But in just under a week, the entire college football world will have the answer to that hotly-debated question. Lawrence is preparing to lead his team into Charlotte on Saturday for an ACC Championship rematch against the Irish.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. Win, and Clemson is sure to receive its sixth straight College Football Playoff berth. Lose, and those aspirations all but fade into oblivion.
With a likely NFL departure due after the season ends, Lawrence will have the opportunity to deliver in the heaviest of moments yet again. Stepping up in the biggest games is an act that’s become a pastime of sorts throughout his tenure. Need a surreal performance with the season on the line? There’s no questioning who to call.
“What you learn is that Trevor’s continuing to stay true to the process so that he can come out and perform each game,” said Tony Elliott, Lawrence’s offensive coordinator. “This young man is true to every word that he says. He’s focusing on his teammates and not putting individual accolades at the forefront.
“All he wants to do each week is go out there and play his best so he can help his team win.”
On Saturday afternoon, for the first time this season against the Fighting Irish, Lawrence will have the chance to do just that.
