Clemson Football: 4 stats show Trevor Lawrence on pace with Deshaun Watson

1. Yards Per Attempt

Yards per attempt is one of the best ways to measure an efficient quarterback. Yards per attempt is a relatively new stat that we use to look at how many yards a quarterback is throwing for versus the attempts.

It’s a much more helpful stat than yards per completion.

This shows us a measurement of efficiency, accuracy and ability to move the ball all in one number. Trevor Lawrence’s YPA is currently 8.3 and Watson’s was 7.2 in 2016 at the same time.

That’s an extra yard per attempt that the Tigers are gaining through the air with Trevor Lawrence versus Deshaun Watson in the same time period. Watson ended the 2016 season with a YPA number of 7.9.

This post isn’t to say that Trevor Lawrence is Deshaun Watson or that he’s better than Watson. This is a reminder to Clemson football fans that the season is long. Just like Lawrence, Watson had his down moments even during one of the best seasons in Clemson football history. We just can’t remember those as well because of how high the highs were.

Trevor Lawrence has certainly had his down moments, but that doesn’t mean he won’t get things figured out. We also should appreciate the fact that even though he’s had some down moments, he’s still performing better than most give him credit for.