Clemson Football

The defending national champion Clemson Tigers escaped Kenan Memorial Stadium with a 21-20 victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels.

After looking sluggish on offense in the season's first four games, the Tigers were pushed to the limit Saturday. They extended their winning streak to 20 games, but it seems clear head coach Dabo Swinney and his staff have a lot to fix if they want to repeat as champions.

North Carolina cut the deficit to one point with 1:17 remaining when head coach Mack Brown went for two and the win. The Tigers defense stuffed quarterback Sam Howell at the 3-yard line on an option run, however.

         

Notable Game Stats

• QB Trevor Lawrence (Clemson): 18-of-30, 206 yards, one touchdown; 11 carries, 45 yards, one touchdown
• QB Sam Howell (North Carolina): 15-of-27, 144 yards, two touchdowns
• RB Travis Etienne (Clemson): 14 carries, 67 yards, one touchdown
• RB Michael Carter (North Carolina): 16 carries, 99 yards
• RB Javonte Williams (North Carolina): 10 carries, 49 yards, one touchdown; two receptions, 35 yards
• WR Tee Higgins (Clemson): six receptions, 129 yards, one touchdown
• WR Dyami Brown (North Carolina): three receptions, 63 yards, one touchdown

Lawrence's Inconsistent Play Leaves Tigers Vulnerable

When this season started, it was reasonable to expect Lawrence would at least be in the Heisman Trophy conversation by this point.

He was coming off an incredible true freshman campaign in 2018 with 3,280 yards passing and 30 touchdowns, and he led the Tigers offense to a combined 74 points in the College Football Playoff against Notre Dame and Alabama en route to winning a national title. 

Rather than take another step forward in his development, Lawrence appears to have regressed. He entered Saturday with more interceptions through four games (five) than he had all last season (four). 

Something is different about Trevor Lawrence this year. He's regressed in some of the traits that made him an unbelievable player as a freshman.

He's locking onto receivers. He's not getting his feet set. He's hesitating.

— ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (@ClayJerry721) September 28, 2019

There are still glimpses of elite-level Lawrence. His placement of this go-ahead touchdown pass to Tee Higgins on 3rd-and-6 in the fourth quarter was perfect:

Trevor Lawrence ➡ Tee Higgins 🎯

No. 1 Clemson takes its first lead of the day against UNC. pic.twitter.com/7nnFUaYSNp

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 28, 2019

As noted by Michael Felder of Stadium, Lawrence was thrown off his game Saturday when North Carolina's defense forced him to look away from his No. 1 option:

UNC did a great job to confuse Trevor Lawrence and the Clemson staff. Forced those false starts. Forced him to get to #2 and #3 in his progressions and by bringing pressure was able to move him off his spot.

— Michael Felder (@InTheBleachers) September 28, 2019

If there is a reason to be optimistic about Lawrence and the Tigers, the rest of the regular-season schedule isn't difficult. Boston College, North Carolina State and South Carolina are their only opponents with winning records. 

It also helps that Lawrence is surrounded by a highly-skilled players at running back and wide receiver to help take some pressure off his shoulders.

Travis Etienne entered Saturday averaging 7.5 yards per carry. Higgins has been a big-play machine all year with 23.5 yards per reception. Justyn Ross hasn't had a breakout game yet, but the sophomore had 1,007 yards and averaged 21.7 yards per catch in 2018. 

Now that opposing defenses have had a chance to adjust to Lawrence, it's up to him to prove he can counter their attack. If he can't get it done, the Tigers' dreams of winning a second straight national title will turn into a nightmare. 

            

What's Next?

Clemson will have a week off to regroup before it hosts Florida State on Oct. 12. North Carolina will go on the road to Bobby Dodd Stadium for an Oct. 5 matchup with Georgia Tech.

Three games into the 2019 season, Trevor Lawrence is not dazzling the college football world relative to his enormous hype. Clemson's sophomore quarterback has already tossed five interceptions, surpassing his total of four as a true freshman.

And the ever-patient CFB universe is calmly assessing his performance with nuance and thorough explanation.

Riiiiight.

The "overrated" claims are easy to find. You know what? They're correct too. He was rated so highly that it left him no room for error, which is an unfair expectation.

Lawrence's five picks are a problem. We can start here because that part is simple. Four of his five interceptions were avoidable; he underthrew a should-be touchdown against Texas A&M and has stared down a receiver on three.

Lawrence had only 4 interceptable throws last year. 2 were tips. He's already up to 4 this year. Some of that is due to the 1v1 nature of the offense. Some is from him predetermining throws pic.twitter.com/OWbCNpH3th

— Ian Valentino (@NFLDraftStudy) September 15, 2019

The other interception happened against Georgia Tech as the first half expired. While rolling to his left and falling out of bounds, he heaved a pass down the sideline and found the wrong team. That one, while a blemish in the box score, is forgettable.

On the other hand, predetermining passes is far less forgivable.

Quarterbacks are prone to mistakes when they're desperate to make plays―when they're pressing. That's been the case for Lawrence, who acknowledged it after tossing two picks at Syracuse on Saturday.

"I feel like I made some good plays and decisions for the most part. I had that one interception, kind of a dumb play trying to do too much," he told reporters.

If we didn't have evidence to the contrary, this trend would be concerning. However, Lawrence just spent the entire 2018 season avoiding mistakes of this nature. His dominance in last year's College Football Playoff entitles him to a major benefit of the doubt.

Plus, the biggest thing to remember is it's not like Lawrence is a net-negative whom Clemson has carried to 3-0. The Tigers are still winning because of him, not merely with him.

Take, for example, his 30-yard touchdown to Justyn Ross against Texas A&M. Lawrence drops back, steps up to avoid pressure, scrambles left to extend the play, squares his shoulders and lofts a perfectly placed ball to Ross. He made this happen.

Trevor Lawrence under pressure is something special 🍿

(via @CBSSportsHQ)pic.twitter.com/sOYbBVWphj

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 7, 2019

There are plenty of comparable examples that show his outstanding accuracy, ball placement and timing. For every interception, we can point out a handful of superb throws that only a few other college quarterbacks are capable of hitting consistently.

Despite the mistakes, Lawrence is still responsible for eight touchdowns―his three rushing scores seem to be conveniently forgotten when noting his TD-to-INT ratio―and he played the leading role on offense in victories over Texas A&M and Syracuse. In the latter game, he threw for a career-high 395 yards.

The criticisms are beginning to feel a bit similar to Deshaun Watson in 2016. He threw seven interceptions in Clemson's first five games and tossed 17 total. Bad? Absolutely. The Tigers still won a national championship thanks to his otherwise terrific production, and he's now thriving in the NFL.

Lawrence's mistakes in 2019 are unpleasant, but he's unquestionably atoning for those occasional lapses.

Trevor Lawrence is already throwing better than last week pic.twitter.com/O7vpjaqyUD

— Ian Valentino (@NFLDraftStudy) September 7, 2019

From a team perspective, his unexceptional start to the season is only mildly concerning. Sure, it changes if Lawrence doesn't regain his 2018 form before November. However, a weak ACC―which is an ACC issue, not a Clemson problem―means Lawrence basically has two months to refine his decision-making process.

According to ESPN's FPI, the Tigers have no worse than an 87.4 percent chance to win their nine remaining regular-season games.

Once again, they have an elite defense. Even excluding 14 sacks, they've allowed a meager 3.2 yards per carry. Opposing quarterbacks have mustered a 51.7 percent completion rate and 6.1 yards per attempt with two touchdowns and four interceptions.

Clemson has surrendered just 30 points in three games, and the recent back-to-back with A&M and Syracuse might be the most difficult portion of the schedule. Seriously, which future opponent looks ready to compete with the Tigers?

Perhaps an upset happens. Unexpected results are classified as that for a self-evident reason, and turnovers are the easiest way for a favored team to welcome a 60-minute challenge. That 2016 season with Watson included a one-point loss to Pitt, and he tossed three interceptions in the game.

The worst-case scenario has a history, too.

Yet between Lawrence's history, his opportunity for improvement and Clemson's surrounding talent, the level of panic should be minimal. Lawrence has made mistakes―too many of them, for sure―but he's continually showed the elite skill set that led to a national title and has the Tigers pointed back toward the CFP in 2019.

                                 

All recruiting information via 247Sports. Stats from NCAA.com, cfbstats.com or B/R research. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.

The No. 1 Clemson Tigers took their show on the road for the first time this season and topped Syracuse 41-6 at the Carrier Dome. 

Clemson sophomore quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw for 395 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions on 22-of-39 passing, while also rushing for 42 yards and a touchdown. Junior receivers Tee Higgins (150) and Amari Rodgers (121) each recorded 100-yard days through the air.

Clemson's last regular-season loss came on Oct. 13, 2017. Syracuse beat the Tigers 27-24 then and held a 23-13 fourth-quarter lead last season in an eventual Clemson win, but the Orange couldn't upset the defending national champions this time. 

Syracuse squandered several opportunities that could have swung momentum in its direction. The Orange's four red-zone trips resulted in two field goals, an interception and one turnover on downs. 

             

Amari Rodgers' Recovery Gives Clemson's Offense Embarrassment of Riches

Amari Rodgers tore his ACL during practice on March 25, and 173 days later, he caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Lawrence. It marked the first touchdown of his junior campaign, a season that was initially believed to be lost. 

That drive for Amari Rodgers:
- Caught Trevor Lawrence's 300th career pass completion on a 16-yard gain.
- Caught a touchdown reception in front of the first sellout crowd at Syracuse since his father, Tee Martin, quarterbacked Tennessee at Syracuse in the 1998 season opener.

— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) September 15, 2019

The 19-year-old followed his first-quarter score by taking a screen pass 87 yards for his second touchdown to extend Clemson's lead to 24-6 with 9:42 remaining in the third quarter, outrunning the entire Syracuse defense:

Amari Rodgers 87-yds to the HOUSE 😤

(📍 @WellsFargo) pic.twitter.com/VX74MUtUgE

— ESPN (@espn) September 15, 2019

"After reconstructive surgery, Clemson doctors and trainers estimated he could return to action in approximately eight months," Manie Robinson wrote for the Greenville News on Sept. 10. "Rodgers initially circled the sixth game on the schedule—Oct. 12 at home against Florida State. That was an optimistic, yet reasonable, goal for his return."

Now, instead of when Rodgers may return, a different question will be asked: Just how much more dangerous can the Tigers offense be with him if he continues to progress to full strength?

Saturday's win showcased how crucial Rodgers can be when Lawrence shows vulnerability and how overwhelming the Tigers offense can be when everyone is clicking. 

The Tennessee native's debut came last week in the Tigers' 24-10 defeat of Texas A&M, a game in which he caught two balls for six yards.

Rodgers didn't start Saturday night's game against Syracuse, but it served as his true breakout. He finished with four catches for 121 yards and accounted for two of the team's four touchdowns despite fellow junior receiver Tee Higgins having himself an historic outing:

Tee Higgins recorded seven receptions for 150 yards in the first half, the most first-half receiving yards by a Clemson player since Sammy Watkins’ school-record 177-yard first half against Wake Forest on Oct. 25, 2012. pic.twitter.com/fNNXCq9GOr

— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) September 15, 2019

There is a precedent for this. Rodgers was a productive member of Clemson's championship squad last season as both a receiver and returner, ranking second to Higgins in receptions (55) and third in yards (575) behind Ross and Higgins respectively.

Rodgers started every game for Clemson last season, and his role in this year's offense could be even more substantial in the slot now that Hunter Renfrow is in the NFL as an Oakland Raider. 

Depth is showing itself at Clemson outside of the slot, too. True freshman running back Chez Mellusi replaced Travis Etienne in garbage time and took his one carry 57 yards for a touchdown. Earlier in the fourth quarter, Lawrence had found true freshman receiver Frank Ladson Jr. for a seven-yard touchdown.

The dominant storyline of this season will be the anticipation of Clemson and No. 2 Alabama rematching in the national championship. While the Tigers embarrassed the Tide 44-16, Alabama sports arguably the best receiving corps in the nation with Jerry Jeudy, Devonta Smith, Henry Ruggs III and Jaylen Waddle. 

In other words, unexpectedly having a dynamic playmaker like Rodgers in the mix will only strengthen Clemson's odds to repeat. 

         

Trevor Lawrence Has Work to Do in Heisman Race

The good news for Clemson is Lawrence is only a sophomore. 

The bad news for Clemson is Lawrence played like a sophomore Saturday night.

While he led the Tigers offense to the majority of its points against Syracuse, he has already surpassed his interception total (four) from last season through this year's first three games. His two picks brought his 2019 total to five. 

Lawrence's decent outing came on a day when Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa was exceptional, creating a gap between his form and Heisman-caliber play.

Tagovailoa threw for 444 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions in Alabama's 47-23 win over South Carolina and notched a spot in program history several times over in the process:

Tua made some Roll Tide history:

🐘 1st Bama QB to throw for 400 yards and 5 TDs in same game
🐘28/36 for 444 passing yards (2nd most in single game for Bama QB since 1969)
🐘 5 TDs (tied for school record in single game)
🐘 0 INTs pic.twitter.com/bd1nHrwsEI

— Bleacher Report CFB (@BR_CFB) September 14, 2019

The junior Tide quarterback has 12 touchdowns and no picks through Week 3, continuing his impeccable touchdown-to-interception ratio from last season. Tagovailoa seems to be the standard, which isn't surprising given he and Lawrence were pegged as Heisman favorites before the season.

Entering Saturday's slate, however, several other hopefuls had impressed more than Lawrence:

The Heisman watch took an interesting turn after Week 2. 👀https://t.co/odF7Xnbitj pic.twitter.com/h9zBzuN4xT

— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 12, 2019

The others' performances across Saturday only bolstered their individual arguments. Alongside Tagovailoa, the most notable was former Alabama and current Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts' dual-threat dominance:

Jalen Hurts continues his run at the Heisman 😤

15-20 passing, 289 Yards, 3 TDs
14 carries, 150 yards, TD
Oklahoma rolls past UCLA, 48-14 https://t.co/VwqQJ8k3MO

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 15, 2019

Meanwhile, Lawrence's defense bailed him out twice in the third quarter. His first interception gave Syracuse field position at the Clemson 9-yard line, but Mario Goodrich intercepted Tommy DeVito on the Orange's first snap after the turnover.

Lawrence was picked again later in the third, but the Tigers defense held Syracuse on fourth down.

That said, it's early. This slow start can easily be erased with immensely talented skill players surrounding Lawrence and Clemson not scheduled to play a ranked opponent.

What's Next? 

No. 1 Clemson (3-0) will be back home to face Charlotte, while Syracuse (1-2) will host Western Michigan next Saturday.

The Clemson Tigers haven't lost a game since the College Football Playoff semifinals in the 2017 season. A bit of heat and a talented Texas A&M team weren't about to cost them that streak.

Clemson was yet again dominant Saturday, beating Texas A&M 24-10. Quarterback phenom Trevor Lawrence was typically steady (24-of-35 for 268 yards and one touchdown with an interception), while his cast of playmakers came to play as well.

Running backs Travis Etienne (105 yards from scrimmage) and Lyn-J Dixon (79 rushing yards and a score) led the offense, while Justyn Ross (seven receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown) had a big afternoon.

The Clemson defense was an impenetrable force as usual, giving up just 289 yards and forcing two turnovers.

That wasn't great news for Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond, who struggled, finishing 24-of-42 for 236 yards and a touchdown with an interception. The Aggies simply never consistently generated offense, with their only touchdown coming late in the fourth quarter.

It was a reminder of why Clemson is the top team in the nation, while head coach Jimbo Fisher's Aggies showed potential but remain out of the Tigers' league.

            

Clemson's Defense Proves Tigers Are Deserving Title Front-Runners

Here are the defensive players Clemson lost to the NFL draft this offseason: Defensive end Clelin Ferrell (No. 4 overall), defensive tackle Christian Wilkins (No. 13), defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence (No. 17), cornerback Trayvon Mullen (No. 40) and defensive end Austin Bryant (No. 117).

And it doesn't matter. Despite losing legitimate stars—and literally their entire starting defensive line—Clemson's defense remains absolutely dominant.

Playing Clemson looks exhausting and hard.

— Adam Kramer (@KegsnEggs) September 7, 2019

Linebacker Isaiah Simmons is a star. The secondary is elite. The defensive line may be inexperienced, but these are still highly regarded recruits who have proved to be a handful for two ACC opponents. Frankly, the level of talent on that side of the ball is a bit ridiculous.

What isn't ridiculous is Clemson's preseason ranking. This is the best team in college football. The Tigers have the best quarterback in the nation (Lawrence), an absurd wealth of playmakers on offense, a fantastic offensive line and, oh yeah, a truly stifling and loaded defense led by the best defensive coordinator in college football.

I hereby call this the "Whatever Clemson pays Brent Venables, it's still not enough" game.

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) September 7, 2019

It's not fair. Well, at least not for the rest of the ACC, and potentially for the rest of college football's other title contenders.

In the past two weeks, Clemson has forced six turnovers and held each of its opponents to under 300 yards. And it's unlikely we've even seen the best version of Clemson to this point.

Clemson is making way too many mistakes today and still grinding A&M to dust.

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) September 7, 2019

The sky's the limit for this defense, especially as its young players gain experience. As the old cliche goes, defense wins championships. So far, so good for Clemson.

          

Kellen Mond Must Improve for Texas A&M to Make Noise in SEC

Mond was awesome against Clemson a year ago, throwing for 430 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-26 loss. That version of Mond didn't show up this year, however.

Mond was just a touch off all game long, a fact that even his head coach acknowledged.

"We have a good football team but we have to play better. Mond couldn't get in a groove," Fisher said in his postgame press conference. "We dropped one and then missed one early. I thought he was just a hair off, but he kept battling and played hard."

He wasn't the only one who noticed:

https://twitter.com/TomFornelli/status/1170451978620669954

Mond not looking good

— Mike Farrell (@mfarrellsports) September 7, 2019

Kellen Mond was just featured in a Snickers commercial.

— Adam Kramer (@KegsnEggs) September 7, 2019

Mond started slowly, missing on his first four passes before finally managing a completion on the team's third drive. Texas A&M established itself on that possession, holding on to the ball for 16 plays and taking seven minutes and 33 seconds off the clock. The team only managed a field goal, however, with Mond unable to crack Clemson's defense.

Had he presented more of a downhill threat, the Aggies may have had more success running the ball. Instead, they ran for just 53 yards, and while Mond threw for 236 yards, 47 of those yards came on the final drive of the game with the outcome already determined.

To be clear, the Aggies have a good team. A trip to Clemson is no easy task, and the Aggies didn't get rolled. Clemson was clearly the better team, but Texas A&M showed its potential.

But Mond has to be better. The Aggies need him to play like a star if they are to have any chance surviving a brutal schedule that includes matchups with Auburn, Alabama, Georgia and LSU.

That's four more teams ranked in the Top 10 at the moment. Mond can't afford to have off days like he had Saturday.

He has shown he can ball out in big moments. He was great against Clemson last year, for instance, and threw for 287 yards and six touchdowns in last year's wild 74-72, seven-overtime win against LSU. But in Texas A&M's three SEC losses last year, he was poor.

• Alabama: 16-of-33 for 196 yards, one touchdown and two picks.
• Mississippi State: 23-of-46 for 232 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
• Auburn: 16-of-32 for 220 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

In Texas A&M's nine wins last year, Mond completed 60 percent or more of his passes six times. But he failed to reach that mark in all four of the team's losses.

The Aggies have a talented team, but they aren't talented enough to overcome poor quarterback play against the upper-echelon teams they'll face this season. They proved as much last year, and Clemson showed it to be true once again Saturday.

           

What's Next?

Clemson hosts Syracuse next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, while Texas A&M will host Lamar at 7 p.m. ET.

Despite appearing in four games for the Clemson Tigers last season before leaving the program, quarterback Kelly Bryant will not receive a championship ring.

According to ESPN's Chris Low, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney explained the reasoning Wednesday: "He wasn't on the team. You've gotta be on the team to get a ring. I love Kelly and appreciate what he did for us, but he decided to move on."

Bryant left Clemson when true freshman Trevor Lawrence took over as the starting quarterback, and the Tigers went on to win the national championship with a 44-16 victory over Alabama.

Bryant transferred to Missouri as a graduate transfer, and he is set to start in 2019.

In four games at Clemson last season, Bryant completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 461 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while rushing for 130 yards and two scores.

Although Bryant went 16-2 as a starter, led the Tigers to a College Football Playoff berth in 2017 and won a national title in 2016 as Deshaun Watson's backup, he didn't leave the school on great terms. After getting demoted, he called it a "slap in the face."

In hindsight, it's tough to argue with Swinney's decision, as Lawrence led Clemson to an undefeated record and enters 2019 as one of the top Heisman Trophy candidates.

Swinney said he hasn't spoken to Bryant since he left the program but added: "Hopefully we'll be able to visit and sit down and have a good conversation, but he's focused on what he's trying to do, and we wish him the best. He's a graduate of Clemson and always will be and was a heck of a player for us, but my job is to do what's best for the team."

Professional sports teams typically give players who are traded or released during a championship season a ring for their contributions, and while following that custom may have started the healing process between Clemson and Bryant a bit more quickly, both sides are looking ahead.

Clemson is focused on winning its third national title in four years, while Bryant is looking to replace Drew Lock at Missouri and help Mizzou win double-digit games for the first time since 2014.

Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney said Wednesday he doesn't believe the SEC schedule faced by the Alabama Crimson Tide played a role in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

The Tigers crushed the Tide 44-16 to win their second national title in the past three years. Swinney told ESPN's Chris Low he has a lot of respect for the SEC, but pointed to Bama's large average margin of victory as a reason fatigue shouldn't be considered a factor:

"Listen, the SEC is a great conference, but I don't think they've been as deep the last few years. I think they've had two or three really good teams and then it's kind of been hit or miss from there. It's an awesome league, for sure, and I know people say that Alabama was tired because they went through the grind and had to play all these teams. Well, they won by an average of 33.1 points per game [going into the playoff], so they ought to be well rested.

"My thing on that is, 'Are you serious? They're tired?' Then you look at Clemson, and we won 12 games by 20-plus. Who really challenged Alabama in the SEC? They didn't get challenged by anybody until the Georgia game [in the SEC championship]."

Alabama wasn't seriously challenged for a vast majority of the season. It didn't win a single-score game until a 35-28 victory over the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC title game. Then the Tide beat the Oklahoma Sooners by 11 in the CFP semifinals before the blowout loss to Clemson.

Bama head coach Nick Saban didn't blame the schedule after the championship game, however, instead accepting blame for not being adequately prepared for the matchups.

"I have a feeling I didn't do a very good job for our team...never got comfortable with what we needed to do on defense," he told reporters after the Jan. 7 game. "Our secondary vs. their receivers. It was bothering me going into the game and as it unfolded, those matchups were a big difference."

Clemson and Alabama could be on a CFP collision course this season, so the differences between life in the SEC and ACC may move to the forefront of the conversation again.

After some were apparently upset that Clemson didn't bring quarterback Trevor Lawrence to ACC Media Day, the team instead let offensive guard John Simpson impersonate the Heisman Trophy contender:

John "Trevor Lawrence" Simpson has arrived at ACC Media Day. Amazing. pic.twitter.com/yWHsUplqtn

— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 17, 2019

"I tried to give my best Trevor Lawrence impression," Simpson said Wednesday, per David Hale of ESPN. "But he doesn't really say or do much, so it's not easy."

The wig was apparently the idea of head coach Dabo Swinney, who received blowback from the media for not bringing Lawrence to the conference's kickoff event.

Although they still couldn't ask questions to one of the biggest stars in college football, they were at least able to see a replica of the quarterback's hair.

Lawrence also seemed to enjoy the impersonation:

😂😂😂😂LOVE IT. https://t.co/mvuwbRtvco

— Trevor Lawrence (@Trevorlawrencee) July 17, 2019

Swinney did explain that he didn't want to bring any underclassmen to the event, and Simpson is set to graduate at the end of next year. 

Former Clemson running back Tyshon Dye died at the age of 25 on Friday after drowning in a lake at Richard B. Russell State Park in Elberton, Georgia.

According to Scott Keepfer and Haley Walter of the Greenville News, Elbert County coroner Chuck Almond said Dye was swimming in the lake with his two brothers during a family picnic, but he began to tire and was unable to make it back to shore.

Dye's body was recovered later in the day, and his death was ruled an accidental drowning.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney released the following statement regarding Dye's passing: "All of our hearts are just broken. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. I can honestly say Tyshon Dye is one of the sweetest souls I've ever been associated with or coached. We're just all heartbroken tonight, and we're praying for his family and know that he's been called home."

New York Giants running back Wayne Gallman, a former teammate of Dye, also commented:

I’ve never lost anyone really close.., in my circle. This one hurt real bad. Send prayers to Tyshon dyes family please. He was a special person that was loved by everyone. pic.twitter.com/d2DzqpHJzt

— Wayne Gallman II (@waynegallman) July 6, 2019

Dye spent three seasons at Clemson from 2014-2016 and served primarily in a reserve and special teams role. During his time with the Tigers, Dye rushed 76 times for 351 yards and five touchdowns. He also won a national title with Clemson at the conclusion of the 2016 season.

He transferred to East Carolina for his senior season after graduating from Clemson and registered 50 rushes for 217 yards with the Pirates in 2017.

Terry Bowden has a new job in college football...sort of.

The former Auburn and Akron head coach will work on the staff at Clemson as an unpaid intern, according to Adam Rittenberg of ESPN. Bowden is seeking a graduate degree at the school for athletic leadership, and he will work as an assistant for the football team.

The 63-year-old has been an FBS head coach for 13 seasons, accumulating an 82-69-1 career record.

Bowden is perhaps best known for his time at Auburn from 1993-98, leading the team to a perfect 11-0 record in his first year and winning a national coach of the year award. He went into broadcasting after his time with the Tigers came to an end but returned to the sidelines for stints at North Alabama and Akron.

He spent seven years with the Zips, going just 35-52 before being fired after this past season.

Now as he approaches another life transition, he will use the opportunity to help out a team that has high expectations going into 2019. Clemson is not only the defending national champions, but the squad returns star quarterback Trevor Lawrence as well as plenty of other talent on both sides of the ball.

Adding someone with Bowden's experience to the staff, even in a minimal role, will likely only help the team. Considering he has zero salary, there is little risk.

Bowden also likely knows the program well with his brother Tommy Bowden serving as the squad's head coach for 10 years before Dabo Swinney took over in 2008.

Clemson tight end Braden Galloway and offensive lineman Zach Giella have been ruled ineligible for the 2019 season after the NCAA denied their appeals against suspensions for using PEDs. 

Per a statement from the players' representatives (h/t The Athletic's Matt Fortuna) Friday, the NCAA denied their appeal on bans related to positive tests for Ostarine prior to last season's College Football Playoff:

https://twitter.com/Matt_Fortuna/status/1131911069264502785

Galloway, Giella and Dexter Lawrence were all suspended prior to the College Football Playoff National Championship against Alabama for failed drug tests. 

Per ESPN.com, ostarine is used to build muscle mass and hasn't been approved by the United States' Food and Drug Association, but it has been "used in supplements without being included on the [product] label."

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said there was a "chance" the players may have accidentally been given something by the athletic department that they believed to be cleared by the NCAA. 

"They're going to test everything and look at everything," he told Grace Raynor and Gene Sapakoff of the Post and Courier in February. "And that's the problem. As you really look at this stuff, it could be a contaminant that came from anything, that was something that was cleared and not a problem, and all of a sudden, it becomes there was something."

Lawrence declared for the NFL draft after Clemson won the national championship. He was drafted No. 17 overall by the New York Giants in April. 

By losing their appeal, Galloway and Giella will also forfeit one year of eligibility. Giella would be entering his senior season, meaning his career with the Tigers is over. Galloway will be able to return for his junior year in 2020.