Clemson got another jolt of bad news on Saturday when starting quarterback Tait Reynolds went to the locker room early in the game against Georgia Tech, leaving his status for the rest of the afternoon up in the air.
Reynolds was hurt on the third offensive snap for the Tigers after sliding on a seven-yard scramble. He stayed down after the play, was helped off by two medical assistants, and spent the rest of the opening drive in the medical tent before heading into the locker room at the 12:03 mark of the first quarter.
The injury appeared to be different from the one Reynolds dealt with last week against Syracuse. In that game, he hurt his non-throwing shoulder on the road and also went to the locker room, though he did return and finish the contest.
If Reynolds cannot continue, Clemson will turn to fifth-year senior Trent Pearman, who was recognized before the game as part of the program’s Senior Day festivities. Pearman would be asked to keep the Tigers in the hunt for ACC Championship contention, a path that requires Clemson to win out.
The quarterback situation has already been a moving target for Clemson. Christopher Vizzina, the starter entering the season, has been sidelined since Week 2 against Georgia Southern because of various injuries. More recently, the redshirt junior aggravated his ankle and was seen walking gingerly during the team’s Senior Day festivities before kickoff.
That leaves Dabo Swinney leaning on a defense that has carried plenty of the load this season, especially against a Georgia Tech offense built around the run. Tom Allen’s unit will be expected to make the difference again in this matchup with the Yellow Jackets.
There’s also a revenge angle in play for Clemson, which is trying to answer last season’s loss that dropped the Tigers to 1-2 after they opened the year ranked No. 4 in the AP Poll. But the bigger concern right now is whether the Tigers will have their starting quarterback back on the field at all.
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