Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence so desperately wanted to make a play against Syracuse that he unwisely put himself in a dangerous position.
While head coach Dabo Swinney appreciated the effort, he acknowledged that Lawrence needs to be smarter in that situation, per ESPN’s Marty Smith.
Dabo Swinney says Trevor Lawrence decision on the play he got hurt "wasn't very smart. He was out of control. I love the effort. But there's times that you live for another play."
— Marty Smith (@MartySmithESPN) October 2, 2018
The injury happened during the second quarter of the Week 5 tilt. Facing a 3rd-and-7, Lawrence scrambled away from pressure and tried to pick up a first down.
As he was running up the sideline, it became clear Lawrence wouldn’t reach the marker. Nevertheless, he tried to fall forward instead of protecting himself and going out of bounds. The subsequent, legal hit jolted Lawrence’s head/neck area.
The freshman left the game and did not return. Clemson won 27-23, but the ACC clash was far more interesting than anticipated without him.
Fortunately for the Tigers, Lawrence — who may have avoided a concussion — is expected to start in Week 6 against Wake Forest.
“I definitely expect him to play,” Swinney said, per David M. Hale of ESPN.com. “I don’t see any reason why he wouldn’t.”
Hopefully, he’ll make better decisions when on the run.