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ACC notebook: Clemson QB Watson 'Heismaning'
When quarterback Deshaun Watson led No. 1 Clemson past No. 16 Florida State last Saturday he officially extinguished the term “Clemsoning,” while simultaneously giving birth to a new phrase: “Heismaning,” which can be defined as the act of coming up big in your team’s biggest game.
Watson, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound sophomore, may not be getting the Heisman hype like Alabama running back Derrick Henry or LSU’s Leonard Fournette, but as the undisputed leader on the No. 1 team in the country, he should be.
Watson was every bit the beast as the other big-name candidates last Saturday. The ACC Preseason Player of the Year scorched the Seminoles for 297 passing yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, while running 16 times for a career-high 107 yards.
It was a textbook case of “Heismaning,” which allowed the Tigers (9-0, 6-0) to lock up the ACC Atlantic Division. And they’re just getting started.
"We won the Kentucky Derby tonight," Swinney said after the game. "But we want to win the Triple Crown."
Riding a horse like Watson, Clemson might be able to out-pace the competition. No matter what defense he sees, it’s all been elementary to Watson. On the season, the sophomore signal-caller has thrown for an ACC-best 2,233 yards and has six more touchdown passes (21) than anyone else in the conference, all while completing a league-best 69.7 percent of his passes.
The fact that Watson is careful with the ball tends to earn him the dreaded “game manager” reputation, but he should simply be known as a “game-winner.”
Earlier in the year during the Tigers rain-soaked, marquee matchup with Notre Dame, Watson did not have his best stuff, but like a crafty pitcher he found a way to win. Facing a sturdy Fighting Irish defense, the Clemson QB completed only 10 passes for 84 yards, but two of those were for touchdowns. He also ran for a then-career-high 93 yards and a score to lead the Tigers to a 24-22 victory.
It was more of the same against the Seminoles, as Watson overcame a marginal start only to deliver when it counted the most.
“Deshaun didn’t play well in the first half,” Swinney said. “… We were just a little out of rhythm. But he came back and showed why he’s the best quarterback in the ACC, and maybe the best player in the country.”
The Hangover Part II
For the second Sunday in a row Duke woke up and immediately reached for Tylenol. One week after losing 30-27 to Miami on a controversial, eight-lateral, last-second kick return, the Blue Devils got their bell run by the rival Tar Heels, 66-31, in the battle for the Victory Bell.
"We just got whipped badly in every aspect," Duke coach David Cutcliffe said.
North Carolina (8-1, 5-0) attacked early and often. Tar Heels quarterback Marquise Williams connected with Ryan Switzer for on an 89-yard flea-flicker on their first snap of the game and seemingly the rout was on.
Williams threw for 404 yards by halftime and ended the day with a school record 494 yards and four TD passes, while running for a score.
It was a defeat that forced Cutcliffe to re-evaluate everything.
“We have to look at tackling better, covering better, throwing it better, catching it better,” Cutcliffe said. “We have to look at alignments. We have to look at every detail of the football end of things.”
Meanwhile, the victory upped UNC’s record to 8-1 (5-0) and strengthened its grip on the ACC Coastal Division, which it can win next week with the combination of a victory over Miami and a Pitt loss.
"We don't look ahead and say, `If we beat this team and this team beats that team,’" Tar Heels linebacker Shakeel Rashad said. "But it is in the front of our minds that we are in control of our own destiny. If we keep winning out, then we're going to reach our goal."
Kaya makes his comeback
After missing Miami’s wild, 30-27 win over Duke, Hurricanes quarterback Brad Kaaya made his return from a concussion and delivered. The sophomore slinger looked sharp, connecting on 20 of his 26 pass attempts for 286 yards, two TD passes and one interception during the ’Canes 27-21 win over Virginia.
"Felt great getting back out there," Kaaya said.
His teammates felt the same way.
"It was good having our leader back," said running back Joseph Yearby, who rushed for 78 yards against the Cavs.
The victory was the second straight for interim head coach Larry Scott, who became only the third Miami head coach to win his first two games in over 50 years.
"It's about the kids," Scott said. "It's about giving them an opportunity to have success. They work hard. They've been through a lot. It's all about everything we can do in our power to make sure they have the feeling they have right now each and every week."
