Clemson’s quarterback situation took another hit early against Georgia Tech when starter Tait Reynolds went down in the first quarter with a left knee injury and had to leave the game.
Reynolds, a freshman, slid to finish a run on the Tigers’ opening possession and was hurt shortly after getting back up. He needed help getting off the field and was escorted to the locker room.
Later, he came back out without his helmet and with a brace on his left knee. He stayed in uniform, though he didn’t seem to be warming up.
Trent Pearman stepped in after Reynolds exited, and Clemson’s opening drive ended with a punt. Clemson radio announcer Don Munson said senior quarterback Christopher Vizzina “didn’t take a single snap” in practice this week because of an ankle injury. Vizzina also fractured his left elbow earlier this season.
Reynolds was still unavailable on the next drive, and on Clemson’s third possession, QB-turned-receiver Chris Denson took the first snap before Pearman returned to quarterback duties.
Midway through the second quarter, with Pearman’s three drives all stalling before midfield and Clemson trailing 10-0, Vizzina entered the game. He immediately helped move the offense with back-to-back first downs through the air, but the drive fizzled and the Tigers settled for a field goal.
Reynolds had already dealt with another injury last week against Syracuse, when he went down with a shoulder issue before returning to that game.
The freshman from Queen Creek, Ariz., began the season on the bench but was pushed into the starting role in Week 3 against North Carolina. He has held the job since then while Vizzina, the original starter, worked through multiple injuries.
In Other News...
Rare FAA Shutdown Put A Major South Carolina Sports Weekend On Edge
A rare Federal Aviation Administration ground stoppage rippled through a busy South Carolina sports weekend, briefly putting the spotlight on the travel plans for one of the marquee matchups in womens college basketball. The No. 3 Southern Cal womens team was grounded in Los Angeles on its way to Greenville for a scheduled game against No. 1 South Carolina, adding an unexpected layer of uncertainty to a trip that was already carrying plenty of national attention.
For Clemson and South Carolina fans, the good news was that the disruption did not spill over into the rest of the states sports slate. South Carolina football and Clemson football were not affected, with their travel either completed before the stoppage or handled by bus, leaving the weekends other teams untouched while the Trojans waited for word on their delayed departure. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Walks Into A Dangerous Spot Before Georgia
South Carolina has spent the week trying to keep the conversation pointed in one direction: Arkansas, not the bigger picture. After clinching bowl eligibility and putting itself in position to keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive, the Gamecocks have plenty to play for, but players and coaches have also had to answer the familiar trap-game question as they prepare for a road test that could easily become a distraction if they let it.
The message from the staff has been to treat Arkansas as a real challenge and a chance to keep improving, not as a stepping stone to what comes next. With the winning streak still intact, South Carolina knows the margin for error is thin, and the focus inside the program is on handling the week properly before the stakes get even higher. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson Faces One Senior Day Concern Fans Will Be Watching Closely
Senior Day brings the usual mix of ceremony and urgency, and Clemsons final ACC home game of the 2026 season against Georgia Tech has both in play. The Tigers are favored by 13.5 points, but the lead-up has been shaped as much by availability as by the matchup itself, with injury reports on both sides and a weather forecast adding another layer to a game that already carries a little extra weight.
For Clemson, the bigger picture is about sending its seniors out the right way while handling the business of a conference home finale. Georgia Tech arrives with its own questions, and the predicted outcome points to a comfortable Tigers win, 27-13, but the pregame list of injured and questionable players is the detail fans will be watching most closely as kickoff approaches. [Read more 🡒]