Clemson Football: 3 Takeaways from ACC Championship Game win over Miami

3. Kelly Bryant is peaking at the right time

The Tigers had their doubters entering the 2017 season. Clemson was the No. 5 team in the preseason poll, two spots behind No. 3 Florida State. The Seminoles finished the season 6-6 and lost their head coach to Texas A&M. Clemson is 12-1 and has secured a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Perhaps the biggest challenge facing Clemson was having to replace Deshaun Watson. The current Houston Texans quarterback, Watson led the Tigers to back-to-back appearances in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Would Kelly Bryant, a relative unknown, be able to pick of Watson’s mantel and carry the Tigers to the Playoff again? It wasn’t likely, yet here we are, and here is Kelly Bryant.

Bryant threw four total touchdown passes in his first seven games. He had a 300-yard passing game against Louisville, but he never looked comfortable as a passer. Instead he relied on his legs to make plays, scoring seven times on the ground during those first seven games.

Bryant has thrown nine of his 13 touchdown passes this season in his last seven games and added three more scores on the ground. He completed 23 off 29 passes for 252 yards with one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown against Miami. Bryant isn’t Watson, but he’s playing at the highest level he’s played at all year.