We just wrapped up our weekly interviews with Brent Venables, Jeff Scott, and today was our first press conference interview with Trevor Lawrence, who is as comfortable behind the microphone as he in under center. In case you missed it, you can watch his very first interview as a Clemson player HERE. We also spoke with Kelly Bryant, as usual, along with Dexter Lawrence, Kendall Joseph, K'Von Wallace, John Simpson and freshman kickoff specialist BT Potter. I can't remember the last time there was so much buzz over a freshman kickoff specialist, but it was quite a debut for Potter on Saturday, putting all 6 of his kickoffs into or out of the end zone for touchbacks! That's a tremendous weapon to have--especially with the defense this team has. Not many teams are going to be able to traverse 75 yards for touchdowns multiple times against this crew.
As for the quarterbacks, we should probably get used to talking to both Kelly and Trevor on a regular basis. Dabo has made it clear that both will play on Saturday in College Station, and this ongoing time sharing and game-by-game competition could continue for quite some time if both continue to play well. I've been saying since the spring that I thought we could end up seeing exactly this: a dual-quarterback system, for want of a better term. I remember asking both Dabo and Brandon Streeter last spring and again in July how they felt philosophically about playing two quarterbacks significantly well into the season. Both of them said they had no problem with it if both players were deserving of playing time, and now we are seeing that come to fruition before our eyes. And I have to say that the Tigers are working it beautifully so far. There appears to be no dissension or tension whatsoever when it comes to the quarterback position, and much of that is due to the splendid attitudes and selflessness of both Kelly and Trevor. Sure, they both would like to be the guy 100 percent of the time, as anyone would, but they do not put their egos before the team. The coaches are treating the quarterback position like any other, in which multiple players are sharing time, and they have sold that concept to the quarterbacks and the entire team. The prevailing theory has always been that splitting time between two quarterbacks cannot work because it prevents one from getting into the rhythm and flow of the game. There is some merit to that idea, but both Kelly and Trevor seem to think that logic is overblown. I asked Jeff Scott if Trevor's first road game in front of 115,000 fans would factor at all into their decision when to bring Trevor into the game. He began two drives inside his own 10-yard line on Saturday and both drives ended in touchdowns, but that was within the friendly confines of Death Valley. I would be surprised if they coaches put Trevor in a similar situation in his first college road game, despite his obvious poise and maturity. Scott said that those considerations wouldn't factor into their decision-making at all, however, so that will be something to keep an eye on.
Venables was in fairly good spirits compared to his usual demeanor days before a big test on the road. He talked about his familiarity with Fisher's offense, having played against FSU so many times. I asked Venables how well the Aggies' personnel fit what Fisher likes to do from an offensive scheme standpoint, and I also asked him how much of a matchup problem their tight end, Sternberger is. I knew he was going to have a big season when I watched their spring game last April, and sure enough, he scored a pair of touchdowns in their opener. Kendall Joseph told me Sternberger kind of reminds him of Hayden Hurst, the Gamecocks' former tight end who was taken in the last pick of the first round at the NFL Draft this year.
All of our interviews are below. More to come!
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