ESPN REPORT: Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s sad news has finally arrived.
NEW ORLEANS — For Trevor Lawrence, New Orleans hasn’t exactly been the Big Easy.
In his three years as the starting quarterback at Clemson, he only lost two games, both of which were in the Caesars Superdome. In 2021, he also lost his first preseason game as a rookie with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He had a sprained left knee, which is one of the reasons he was so determined to play against the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night.
And that’s another reason the Jaguars’ thrilling 31-24 triumph was so satisfying: Lawrence and Christian Kirk connected on the game-winning touchdown pass.
Jaguars defeat Saints 71d through big plays and offensive inconsistencies.DiRocco Michael and Terrell Katherine
“I’ve had a bad taste in my mouth every time I’ve left New Orleans, so it feels good to get a win here,” he stated.
Lawrence still feels the pain from the two College Football Playoff losses he suffered: to Ohio State in a semifinal game the next season, which ended his college career, and to LSU in the national championship game after the 2019 season. These losses left Lawrence’s record as a starter at 34-2.
Just four days after sustaining a sprained left knee late in the Jaguars’ 37-20 victory against the Indianapolis Colts, Lawrence earned his first triumph at the Superdome. It did not appear that he wouldhaving the ability to play early in the week Although Lawrence’s quarterback indicated his knee felt better as the week went on, coach Doug Pederson stated he initially believed Lawrence would be sidelined on Monday. He was cleared to play after warming up well before the game.
At his post-game news conference, he acknowledged that he did experience some knee pain, but he insisted that he played through it without any problems.
Lawrence reported that it “felt pretty good.” “I didn’t mind it too much; I was content with it. I’m rather pleased with it because it didn’t set it back. The plan was to win the game without giving anything away. We now have ten days to rest and prepare for Pittsburgh.
“It went perfect, honestly, so that was really good.”
Lawrence rushed for a career-high 59 yards on eight carries in addition to throwing for 204 yards. He was the second-best runner in the game, 3 yards behind Alvin Kamara, but it wasn’t
precisely what one could have anticipated.
“It wasn’t the plan, but instincts kind of take over, and I’m glad that it was able to hold up and I was able to feel good enough to make those plays,” Lawrence stated in reference to his knee.
Because C.J. Beathard, the backup quarterback, received most of the first-team repetitions in practice on Tuesday and Wednesday and Lawrence did not practice on Monday, Pederson claimed that Beathard’s performance against the Saints was even more impressive.
“This is a short week, and on Monday I would’ve told you that he was not playing in this football game,” stated Pederson. “But Trevor is not like that. Proud of his effort, his ability to run and get out of the pocket. Luckily, they were runs ahead of pace. He did not have to make many cuts.
“But a lot of gutsy performances out there, and his is probably the No. 1.”
Not just Lawrence, a former outstanding player at Clemson, won his first game in the Superdome on Thursday night. Travis Etienne Jr., the running back, went 0-3 despite having carried for 53 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the first player in franchise history to score double touchdowns in three straight games. Not only had he lost both of his games with Lawrence at Clemson, but after the 2017 season, he had also fallen short against Alabama in a CFP semifinal.
