Duds
Trevor Lawrence’s first quarter
Trevor Lawrence had a much better showing late in the second quarter and into the second half, but the first quarter was painful to watch.
Lawrence had trouble throwing accurate passes and he finished the first quarter completing just 3-of-7 passes for nine yards and two interceptions. Both interceptions were in the end zone and cost the Tigers chances to get early points and potentially put the game away early.
Interestingly enough, Lawrence actually went 9-for-9 for 156 yards and two touchdowns in the second quarter and looked much better as the game progressed.
Early offensive play-calling
The offensive play-calling was certainly questionable, especially early in the game.
The Tigers were running roughshod all over Louisville’s defense, but got away from what was working all too often. Obviously, you have to stay balanced, but there was one time where Clemson got inside the 20-yard line and didn’t run the ball one time.
Travis Etienne and even Lyn-J Dixon, who didn’t have as impressive stats, were getting the job done. Sometimes you just have to stick with what’s working and let Lawrence settle into the game, perhaps with some short throws and easy completions.
Andrew Booth’s poor decision
The most disappointing aspect of the afternoon was probably the punch thrown by Andrew Booth. Booth was visibly frustrated and threw the Louisville wide receiver to the ground and punched him. Dabo Swinney sent Booth to the locker room before the officials could and he was assessed a suspension by the ACC for his conduct.
Swinney revealed that Booth rode the bus home with the managers, instead of flying with the team, and that they will handle the rest of his punishment in-house.
There was good news, though. He was reportedly extremely remorseful for that poor decision and was apologetic to his team and to Louisville for his actions. Booth will learn from this mistake and will become a better player and person as a result.