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Clemson Tigers QB Tait Reynolds Just Pulled a Josh Allen
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- Clemson Tigers QB Tait Reynolds Just Pulled a Josh Allen
(Melina Myers-Imagn Images)
The Clemson Tigers defeated the Florida State Seminoles by a score of 36-24 on the road Saturday night, and it was thanks much in part to a breakout performance by quarterback Tait Reynolds.
Reynolds went 18-for-32 with 189 yards and a couple of touchdowns through the air, representing his first passing score since Week 3.
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On top of that, the freshman signal-caller carried the ball 14 times for 85 yards and a score, doing his best Josh Allen impression in the process.
It was, by far, the strongest performance of Reynolds' career, and it came at a time where there was some very serious doubt about his future at Clemson.
After the game, head coach Dabo Swinney heaped praise upon his first-year quarterback.
"If you can't see 2 (Reynolds' jersey number) getting better, then you just ain't looking," Swinney said . "I mean, the kid's just a competitor. He's getting better every week."
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Most would disagree that Reynolds had been improving every week before Saturday.
In fact, there was even some speculation — largely drummed up by Swinney himself — that Christopher Vizzina might have a chance of supplanting Reynolds down the stretch.
Perhaps that was exactly what Reynolds needed to get going.
The Tigers improved to 5-3 with the victory, bouncing back from a loss at home to Virginia Tech the week prior. In that contest, Reynolds struggled to get anything going, as Clemson's offense continued to languish at the bottom of the country.
There is no question the Tigers still have some kinks to iron out moving forward. Reynolds completed just 56.3 percent of his throws, and top wide receivers T.J. Moore and Bryant Wesco again lacked impact, combining for seven catches and 69 yards.
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Additionally, Clemson's backfield was unable to get any type of consistent forward movement, with featured running back Gideon Davidson toting the rock 12 times for 36 yards. Chris Johnson Jr. barely touched the football again.
But the real takeaway here is that Reynolds may have just had a breakthrough performance, and it came in a hostile environment on the road against a desperate Florida State squad.
While this one game doesn't necessarily mean that Reynolds has proven he is for certain the guy heading into 2027, it absolutely bolstered his stock and, at least temporarily, quelled some of the doubt surrounding his aptitude.
The Tigers will remain on the road next Saturday when it faces the Syracuse Orange.
