Trevor Lawrence adds new chapter to legacy with Fiesta Bowl comeback vs. Ohio State

The Clemson Tigers are headed back to the National Championship thanks to a game-winning drive from Trevor Lawrence in the Fiesta Bowl.

Trevor Lawrence reminded everyone why he’s considered the finest college football prospect since Andrew Luck with a comeback performance to take Clemson to a second straight National Championship Game.

The Fiesta Bowl lived up to the hype that preceded the game but it all came down to a pair of drives where one quarterback made a play and another didn’t. This time, it was Lawrence who got it done and Justin Fields didn’t. Lawrence added to his legacy with a cold-blooded game-winning drive to rip the heart out of Ohio State.

With his team trailing 23-21 in the final minutes, Lawrence led Clemson on a four-play drive that covered 94 yards in 1:18. He found wide receiver Justyn Ross for 11, then scampered for 11 more on the next play. Clemson was in business. On the next play, Lawrence stood patient in the pocket and found Amari Rodgers for 38 yards who rumbled inside the Ohio State 35.

One play later, Lawrence sold a quarterback run by tucking the ball, then popped up and found Travis Etienne for a 34-yard score. It was masterful from start to finish.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Lawrence’s game-winning touchdown to Etienne is the second go-ahead touchdown in the final two minutes of a College Football Playoff game. The first was done by Deshaun Watson to Hunter Renfrow for the game-winning 2-yard touchdown in 2017.

Ohio State jumped out to a 16-0 lead in the first quarter when they had a chance to put away the reigning champions. Lawrence had a pretty pedestrian game through the air to that point, doing most of his damage on the ground, including a 67-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 16-14 just before the half.

Lawrence had two very good games in the playoff last year, as a freshman no less. He threw for 674 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions in those two routs, and completed 66 percent of his passes in those games to complete a 30-touchdown season that ended with a ring and another championship for Clemson.

Those performances were great, but there was something about this performance that elevated the legacy of Lawrence in college football. That battle through the first bit of adversity he’s seen in two years was really a microcosm of his year for the Tigers.

He battled through a rough start to his sophomore season and caught fire down the stretch in the regular season with 20 touchdowns and no picks in his final six games. He was peaking at the right time. On this night, when Clemson needed him most, he came through and looked flawless on the final drive.

Having all the tools is great, but having that clutch gene when the game is on the line is what people will remember about Lawrence, and that’s what made his night special.

The Tigers hope he has another clutch performance left for when they head to New Orleans and play LSU for the national championship.

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