The Clemson football team absolutely destroyed the Louisville Cardinals Saturday, dominating from start-to-finish in the ACC Atlantic Division matchup.
It was a fun day in Death Valley for Clemson football.
The Tigers came out and just took care of business against an inferior Louisville Cardinals team. The final score of the day? 77-16.
Clemson jumped out quickly to a 14-3 lead in the first quarter and then never looked back. The Tigers took a 35-3 lead into halftime and then followed that up with 28 points in the third quarter.
Passing-wise, Trevor Lawrence finished the day with 8-of-12 for 59 yards and two touchdowns to one interception.
The Tigers had three rushers go over 100 yards- Travis Etienne (8 carries for 153 yards, 1 TD), Tavien Feaster (6 carries for 101 yards, 2 TD) and Lyn-J Dixon (4 carries for 116 yards, 1 TD).
Chase Brice had a great day passing the ball in the second half as well, completing 6-of-7 passes for 110 yards and three touchdowns.
Perhaps the highlight of the game, though, was when defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence took a handoff from the fullback position in the third quarter and pounded the ball into the end zone.
Analysis:
There are still plenty of things the Tigers can work on, even after a dominant performance like this. After two weeks of relying on the passing game, Clemson let the rushing attack lead them this week.
It was good for the Tigers to see guys like Etienne, Choice and Feaster have big days after struggling to get yardage in weeks past.
Trevor Lawrence didn’t have his best day, but still did enough to get the job done and had two touchdown passes. I’d like to see him continue to improve and come out next week with a bit crisper passes.
Defensively, the starting defensive line created pressure on Louisville’s quarterbacks all day. The Tigers got to play a lot of different guys, which led to a few Cardinal scores in the second half. But, that helps build depth and experience, which will be important down the road in a potential College Football Playoff matchup.
Overall, you couldn’t have asked for a better day from Clemson football. The Tigers still have plenty to improve on, but continue to come out focused and looking to leave no doubt as we head into the final stretch of the regular season.
What’s next?
Clemson will take on Boston College next Saturday in Chestnut Hill. With a win, the Tigers would clinch the ACC Atlantic Division for the fourth-straight season.