Tigers Today: Former Clemson quarterback picks up first NFL win

Nakos updated headshotby:Pete Nakos10/18/21

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Former Clemson quarterback picks up first NFL win

Trevor Lawrence has finally captured his first career victory in the NFL.

Playing in London on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, the former Clemson quarterback and No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft was 25 of 41 passing for 319 yards and a touchdown.

A 53-yard Matthew Wright field goal as time expired gave Jacksonville a 23-20 win. The victory ended a 20-game losing streak for Jacksonville dating back to the start of last season.

In the process of picking up the win, Lawrence knocked off former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The two quarterbacks previously met in the College Football Playoff.

Lawrence led Clemson to a national title as a freshman. And now the Jaguars are expecting Lawrence to develop into their franchise quarterback. Former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer was brought in this offseason, taking over as head coach. The duo are expected to play a large part in the franchise’s turnaround on the field.

A Heisman runner-up in his final season in Clemson, Trevor Lawrence has now entered a Jacksonville quarterback room that includes Gardner Minshew and C.J. Beathard. The Jaguars have been searching for a reliable quarterback for years. Since 2010, Blake Bortles is the only quarterback to start all 16 games in a season.

Clemson center Hunter Rayburn will miss game at Pitt

Dabo Swinney said on his Sunday teleconference that Clemson’s offensive line has been like “musical chairs” this season.

The Tigers will be down a starter once again Saturday against Pitt.

Clemson center Hunter Rayburn will be out against the Panthers as he is in COVID-19 protocol. Rayburn entered protocol Friday prior to Clemson’s game at Syracuse.

After opening as favorite, Clemson now an underdog at Pitt

Clemson opened as a 3-point road favorite for Saturday’s game at Pitt, according to VegasInsider. But the Tigers did not stay favored for long.

Pitt is now favored by 3 points according to most oddsmakers. Saturday’s matchup will be played at 3:30 p.m. and will be televised by ESPN.

Clemson has not been a 3-point underdog or more in a conference game since 2014 at Florida State.

Clemson Sports Show: Tigers squeeze out close victory over Syracuse

There is a lot to break down for Joseph Hastings and Matthew Connolly in the latest edition of the Clemson Sports Show.

Along with sharing their takeaways from the game, Connolly and Hastings focused on the struggles seen by the Tigers’ offensive line. This was evident when head coach Dabo Swinney stated that three o-linemen went to block a player and couldn’t get a hand on him at one point in the game.

Check out what Connolly and Hastings had to say by listening to them on the Clemson Sports Show podcast. You can find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Counting down

  • Clemson at South Carolina: 40 days