A month ago, it looked like Trevor Lawrence was out of the Heisman conversation.
Between Trevor Lawrence contracting COVID-19 and missing two games, the FSU game being canceled and head coach Dabo Swinney’s refusal to blow out opponents, Lawrence never had a true say in the award.
After Deshaun Watson missed out on two deserving Heisman Trophies, there are many Clemson fans that still swear that award doesn’t matter, and quite honestly, they are full of it. That award matters – it is the most prestigious award in college athletics and every person that says the award doesn’t matter would celebrate any Clemson player that wins the award.
That said, Trevor Lawrence has one more opportunity to take back what is rightfully his and he can do so with the performance of his life Saturday in Charlotte against the #2 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
There is one stat line that will secure the award and take it away from the current front runner – Alabama’s DeVonta Smith. That stat line has to look like this – 450 passing yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions.
Yes, the 450 yards would be a career-high for Trevor Lawrence and four touchdowns would be his sixth game in a Clemson uniform throwing for four or more. Not only would 450 yards be a career-high for Lawrence it would be a program high for Notre Dame.
Who currently holds the record for most passing yards against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish? That would be Clemson freshman D.J. Uiagalelei when he threw for 439 yards and two touchdowns in the Tigers double-overtime loss in November.
We all know Trevor and this offense are more than capable of putting up those kinds of numbers.
However, it has to be something that Swinney and offensive coordinator Tony Elliott want to achieve as well. As Dabo said last week – if winning the Heisman was important to the program, Trevor would.
As I wrote last week, that is incredibly selfish of Dabo but he has a chance to help Trevor live forever in college football lore while also helping Clemson make a sixth straight College Football Playoff.