Heisman Watch: Clemson QB Deshaun Watson makes his case in ACC Championship Game
By Jacob Yturri
Deshaun Watson padded his Heisman candidacy as he led the Clemson Tigers to a victory of the North Carolina Tar Heels in the ACC Championship game.
The Clemson Tigers are undefeated and headed to the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 ranked team thanks in large part to sophomore quarterback, Deshaun Watson who has put Clemson in an excellent position to win the national championship this season.
Watson, possesses a laser-like throwing arm, with incredible accuracy and can make defenders miss when he runs like no other quarterback in the ACC.
Coming into the game against the Tar Heels, Watson needed a big game to propel himself past other Heisman hopefuls like Derrick Henry and Christian McCaffrey. Watson completed 26 of 42 passes for 289 yards and threw three touchdowns, and ran for 131 yards and two more scores. Watson’s 420 total yards of offense was an ACC Championship Game record.
Watson made a strong case about why he should win the Heisman Trophy at next Saturday’s ceremony with his showing in the ACC Championship Game. Watson led Clemson to wins against notable opponents like Notre Dame, Miami, Florida State, South Carolina and North Carolina.
Part of what makes him so great doesn’t show up in the box score. Watson has so much pressure on him each week without his No. 1 receiver, Mike Williams who was lost in the season opener and has five new offensive linemen starting. Despite all that, Watson kept delivering big performance after big performance and that proves he is the ideal Heisman contender and, at minimum, the best quarterback in the nation.
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Entering tonight’s game, Watson completed more than 70 percent of his passes for 3,223 yards and 27 scores. Also, he gained 756 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. The Tigers have been able to rely on Watson to deliver both through the air and ground all season long.
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He may not have done enough to win the Heisman this year, but he’s most definitely going to be invited to the ceremony and should enter the 2016 season on the shortlist, along with Dalvin Cook, Leonard Fournette and McCaffrey next year.