Trevor Lawrence, No. 3 Clemson Rout Unranked Pittsburgh 52-17

The third-ranked Clemson Tigers had a successful return with an impressive 52-17 victory against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Memorial Stadium.

Clemson wasted no time putting this game out of reach with 31 points in the first quarter. Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett threw interception on three of the team's first five offensive drives of the game. The Tigers converted each of those turnovers into touchdowns.

Saturday marked Clemson's first game since its Nov. 7 loss at Notre Dame. It was also the first appearance for Trevor Lawrence since the Tigers' 47-21 win over Syracuse on Oct. 24. The junior quarterback announced five days later that he tested positive for COVID-19.

Clemson was ranked No. 3 in the first College Football Playoff Top 25 unveiled on Tuesday.

Pitt had a chance to become bowl-eligible with a victory, but it will now have to win its regular-season finale in two weeks to finish over .500 and have a chance at playing in a postseason game.

Notable Game Stats

• Trevor Lawrence, QB (Clemson): 26-of-37, 403 yards, 2 TD; 8 carries, 9 yards
• Travis Etienne, RB (Clemson): 11 carries, 58 yards, 2 TD; 3 receptions, 20 yards
• Cornell Powell, WR (Clemson): 6 receptions, 176 yards, TD
• Amari Rodgers, WR (Clemson): 10 receptions, 93 yards
• Kenny Pickett, QB (Pitt): 22-of-39, 209 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT
• Vincent Davis, RB (Pitt): 5 carries, 19 yards; 2 receptions, 9 yards
• Jared Wayne, WR (Pitt): 5 receptions, 62 yards

Lawrence's Return Sparks Clemson

A lot has happened since Lawrence's last time on the field, not the least of which was Clemson's first loss of the season.

The Tigers also looked sluggish the week before the Notre Dame game before pulling things together in a 34-28 win over Boston College. It's understandable that not having their starting quarterback would make them look and play differently.

Getting Lawrence back turned out to be exactly what Clemson needed to showcase its talent and look like one of the best teams in the nation again.

Since this is Clemson's final home game of the season, the team honored its seniors. Even though Lawrence is a junior with one more year of eligibility, the school seems to be under the assumption that he will be turning pro after this year.

One proper senior who left Memorial Stadium on a high note was wide receiver Cornell Powell. He racked up 169 yards on five receptions after having 418 yards in the first seven games combined.

A Clemson team at full strength was likely to beat Pittsburgh anyway, but the level of dominance displayed right out of the gate seemed like a message being sent to the rest of the nation.

If there are any nitpicks, the Tigers offense did look sluggish after going up 38-3 in the second quarter. They went five consecutive drives without a score, including one that ended in a turnover, one with a missed field goal and three three-and-outs.

The Tigers still trail Notre Dame in the ACC standings, but they are on track to get a rematch with the Fighting Irish in the conference title game on Dec. 19. Having Lawrence available for that potential game could turn the tide as both teams chase a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Freshmen Shine in Tigers' Victory

For all of the potential hand-wringing over Lawrence going to the NFL, Clemson has gotten a glimpse of what its bright future looks like.

True freshman D.J. Uiagalelei looks like a potential superstar based on his two starts against Boston College and Notre Dame. He threw for 781 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions with a 69.4 completion percentage.

With Uiagalelei taking a backseat now that Lawrence is back, Clemson also got to see how many of its freshman defensive players look. The results were very positive.

It's not a surprise to see the Tigers have multiple young players on their roster who can contribute right away. Head coach Dabo Swinney and his staff are among the best recruiters in the nation.

Per 247Sports composite rankings, Clemson ranked third in the final recruiting standings behind Georgia and Alabama. Uiagalelei and Trenton Simpson were two of the team's 5-star prospects in the 2020 class.

One reason that Swinney has been able to keep his team in the playoff picture for six straight seasons, including 2020, despite losing so many players every year is by recruiting high-end talent to replace them.

Saturday's win over Pittsburgh was another reminder that Clemson is well set up to be great in 2021 and beyond.

What's Next?

Pittsburgh will wrap up the 2020 regular season Dec. 10 at Georgia Tech. Clemson will travel to Lane Stadium for a matchup with Virginia Tech on Dec. 5.