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TEXAS 20-POINT COMEBACK ON OSU ๐Ÿค˜
SYRACUSE, NY - OCTOBER 13: Dexter Lawrence #90 of the Clemson Tigers comes set before a snap during the game against the Syracuse Orange at the Carrier Dome on October 13, 2017 in Syracuse, New York. Syracuse defeats Clemson 27-24. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
SYRACUSE, NY - OCTOBER 13: Dexter Lawrence #90 of the Clemson Tigers comes set before a snap during the game against the Syracuse Orange at the Carrier Dome on October 13, 2017 in Syracuse, New York. Syracuse defeats Clemson 27-24. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

Dexter Lawrence's PED Suspension Upheld; Will Miss Cotton Bowl vs. Notre Dame

Joseph Zucker
Dec 27, 2018

Clemson Tigers star Dexter Lawrence will miss the 2018 Cotton Bowl against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish after his B sample came back positive for a banned substance, The Athletic's Matt Fortuna reported Sunday.

Fortuna shared a statement from Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich that confirmed Lawrence, Zach Giella and Braden Galloway will miss Saturday's College Football Playoff semifinal:

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinneyย announcedย Dec. 24 that Lawrence,ย Giella and Galloway had tested positive for a "sliver" ofย ostarine.

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agencyย describesย ostarine as aย Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator (SARM) on its official site.

"While they are not yet approved for human use, SARMs are of interest to the medical community because they might be effective at treating different health conditions without resulting in the negative side effects of steroids," USADA wrote.

USADA also noted ostarine isn't an ingredient in any legal medication or dietary supplement, but it also warned the substance is illegally used in some supplements without proper warning.

In 13 games as a junior, Lawrence has 44 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Bleacher Report'sย Matt Millerย ranked Lawrence as the 20th-best player overall and the sixth-best defensive lineman in his most recent big board.

For almost any other team, losing Lawrence ahead of such a big game would be a crippling blow. Clemson, on the other hand, can still rely onย Clelin Ferrell off the edge and Christian Wilkins inside.ย Wilkins was a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, whileย Ferrell has 10.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss.

According toย Football Outsiders, Clemson finished the regular season sixth in sack rate, getting to the quarterback on 9.9 percent of its opponents' pass attempts that didn't come in garbage time.ย While Lawrence's absence won't make things easier for the Tigers, they should still be able to harass Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book in the pocket with some regularity.

TEXAS 20-POINT COMEBACK ON OSU ๐Ÿค˜