Quinnen Williams: Trevor Lawrence 'just threw 50-50 balls' and Clemson's receivers made plays
Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams was more impressed with Clemson’s wide receivers than he was with freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence in Monday night’s National Championship Game.
Lawrence threw for 347 yards and three touchdowns in Clemson’s 44-16 win over the Crimson Tide. Clemson was extremely effective on third down during the game, especially on a key third-quarter drive that ended with a touchdown and the final margin of victory. On that drive, Lawrence hit fellow freshman Justyn Ross for two incredible third-down conversions and Tee Higgins for a five-yard touchdown on third down.
Williams said after the game that Lawrence was “good” but noted that Clemson’s receivers deserve the bulk of the credit for the team’s offensive performance in the blowout win.
“No, they really didn’t do anything that caught us off guard. We knew everything was coming. We ran a zone and they ran go routes. 50-50 balls,” Williams said. “Trevor Lawrence threw the ball up — it ain’t like he just put it on the money, dropped dimes, none of that. He just threw them up and the receivers made plays. You’ve got to give all the respect to the receivers.”
Ross ended the game with 153 yards receiving. One of those third-down catches mentioned above was of the one-handed variety near the sideline. It really was amazing.
You’ll note how Ross adjusted well on the ball that Lawrence threw his way. Williams said he noticed how well Clemson’s receivers adjusted to Lawrence’s passes all night.
“The receivers really adjusted on every ball he threw,” Williams said. “Because he didn’t throw great balls. He didn’t throw pinpoint balls. He just threw 50-50 balls. He threw it up. They have receivers that make plays and their receivers made plays.”
Clemson’s receiving group was one of the best in the country in 2018. They definitely deserve a ton of credit for blowing the lid off Alabama’s secondary. But Lawrence’s performance wasn’t simply a product of his receivers, either. A freshman calming down like he did in a national title game and throwing strikes like the touchdown pass to Higgins is pretty remarkable.
Williams is right, Clemson’s receivers deserve some attention. But Lawrence is deserving of the accolades being thrown his way too.
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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.
Follow @NickBromberg on Twitter
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