Clemson won’t have Trevor Lawrence against Notre Dame
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney took the mystery out of “Will he, or won’t he?” when it comes to whether All-American QB Trevor Lawrence will face Notre Dame on Nov. 7.
The No. 1 ranked Tigers escaped with a 34-28 victory over Boston College on Saturday and after the game, Swinney said his star quarterback who is sidelined by Covid-19, will not be available against the Fighting Irish in South Bend.
“He’s doing great,” Swinney said of Lawrence after Clemson scored 28 straight points to down BC in an ACC clash. “[He] Zoomed the team last night, [and I] talked to him this morning, feels like he can play today. He’s doing well, but obviously there’s protocol. He will be out in time to play [against Notre Dame], but you have the cardiac part of it.
“You have to ramp back up, even if he feels great, he could probably go play, he’s not allowed to do that simply because of the protocols. They’re put in place to make sure he could return to play safely. You have 10 days, and then you have the cardiac part, so he won’t be able to get through that in time to play next week.”
Freshman quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei went 30-of-41 for 342 yards with two touchdowns in No. 1 Clemson’s 34-28 victory over visiting Boston College. He will get the start again against the fourth-ranked Fighting Irish.
Swinney said Lawrence is scheduled to finish his isolation either Thursday or Friday, and when he does that, he will be able to return to the team. The plan is for him to travel to South Bend, Indiana, where he can try to help his teammates from the sideline.
“He’ll be in every meeting, we can Zoom him into practice, so he can stay engaged and make his comments and things like that to support those guys, and participate in traveling with us as well,” Swinney said. “Obviously can’t play, but he can still make a contribution with his presence, his encouragement and his eyes, but he can be in every meeting, he can be in every practice. … He’ll do everything he can via Zoom and as soon as they let him come back over here, he’ll start the cardiac piece. There’s just protocols for a reason; we want to make sure when you do come back you do it the safest possible way.”
Lawrence is the top player in the country and has been the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy. He is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
