Clemson Football: Studs and Duds in season-opening win vs. Wake Forest

WINSTON SALEM, NC - OCTOBER 06: Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers celebrates a touchdown with Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Clemson Tigers during their game at BB&T Field on October 6, 2018 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
WINSTON SALEM, NC - OCTOBER 06: Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers celebrates a touchdown with Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Clemson Tigers during their game at BB&T Field on October 6, 2018 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
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Studs & Duds for Clemson football in the season-opening win over Wake Forest

The Clemson football team opened up the 2020 season with an impressive 37-13 win over Wake Forest.

The Tigers took control of the game from the onset and never looked back, developing and playing a total of 78 players, out of 80 who made the trip.

As we continue to look back at the victory and look forward to the rest of the 2020 Clemson football season, here’s a look at the studs and duds from the season-opening victory.

Studs

Trevor Lawrence & Travis Etienne

Let’s start with the top. Both Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne had nice nights in what many would consider limited action.

Lawrence completed 22-of-28 passes for 351 yards and one touchdown while also rushing for two more touchdowns. Etienne had 17 carries for 102 yards  (6.0 YPC) and one touchdown.

Those two did exactly what they were asked to do and absolutely looked like NFL-ready players Saturday evening.

Myles Murphy & Bryan Bresee

Just as we’ve gotten used to pairing Lawrence and Etienne together, we should prepare ourselves to continue to pair freshmen Myles Murphy and Bryan Bresee together.

Honestly, Murphy was the best defensive performer of the night and it wasn’t even close. He finished the night with four tackles and two sacks, and looked like a monster in the process.

Though Bresee didn’t have a multi-sack game, he still made his presence felt. He got pressure up the middle and did an excellent job getting into the backfield and showing his elite athleticism, size and strength.

These two are special players and they’re going to absolutely tear it up over the course of the next three years with the Clemson football program.

Schedule

Schedule