Stoudt steers Tigers to victory

CLEMSON -- A few weeks ago, when it became clear that uber-talented freshman Deshaun Watson would be the one to guide the Clemson football team to its 2014 destiny, Cole Stoudt found himself out of a job and out of the limelight, but not down and out.

"I saw it two ways," Stoudt said Saturday night. "One way, I could just say screw this and move on, but I decided to get my mind right and go out there and make myself better every single day because there would be a time when my opportunity would come up again."

It came Saturday, faster than one could say "broken finger."

Watson purposefully dashed off the field with a little more than three minutes remaining in the first quarter, holding his right hand. He was ushered quickly to the locker room, where X-rays confirmed a fractured bone in his hand that will require surgery on Monday.

Suddenly, Clemson's shining star is a star-in-waiting once again – he's expected to be sidelined for at least three and possibly up to five weeks, which means at best he'll return for the Nov. 6 game at Wake Forest, or at worst be back for the Georgia State game on Nov. 22.

Suddenly, Clemson's shining star is a star-in-waiting once again – he's expected to be sidelined for about five weeks, which means at best he'll return for the Georgia Tech game Nov. 15 in Atlanta, or at worst be back for the Georgia State game on Nov. 22.

Until then, Stoudt is the guy – again.

Option 2 behind Stoudt is Nick Schuessler, a sophomore with two career passing attempts.

Option 2.1? How about the Wildcat?

"You never know what's in Coach (Chad) Morris' mind," running back Adam Choice said.

One could almost see the wheels churning in Morris' head Saturday evening.

"I hadn't even thought that far in advance," he said. "But I'd guess we'd better think a little about something like that."

There will be plenty to think about over the next several weeks while Watson is on the mend, but it all began with Stoudt coming off the bench late Saturday afternoon and managing to push enough of the right buttons for Clemson to end up on the winning side of a 23-17 decision against Louisville.

Stoudt, who wasn't at full throttle himself after suffering a strained AC joint in his left shoulder last week against N.C. State, won't be a candidate for Comeback Player of the Year based on Saturday's performance, but he should at least be lauded for seizing control of the ship and guiding it into port.

"I was proud of Cole," Morris said. "He didn't practice all week long and he played hurt tonight. He didn't play perfect, he had some mistakes, but it was a gutsy performance."

Stoudt was a rather non-descript 20 of 33 for 162 yards, but completed 7 of his last 12 passes on two scoring drives that ended in Ammon Lakip field goals when the game hung in the balance.

He also was on the bruising end of several shots from a top-ranked Louisville defense that lived up to its billing, but Stoudt never considered leaving the game.

"The only way they could've gotten me off the field was to drag me off," Stoudt said.

With both offenses struggling mightily, the Tigers' saving grace was big plays on special teams, highlighted by Adam Humphries' 72-yard punt return for a touchdown, and on defense, with Grady Jarrett's fumble recovery in the end zone providing another score.

"It wasn't pretty, but we found a way to win," Stoudt said.

Clemson won a game in which it failed to score an offensive touchdown for the first time since 2009 against Boston College.

Morris, the offensive mastermind, was unable to recall the last time he'd been in charge of an offense that had failed to crack the goal line.

"I'd have to think about that one for a long time," he said.

Given the upcoming schedule – which includes road trips in three of the next four games – winning ugly may become modus operandi for the Clemson football team.

But it sure beats the alternative.