The third quarter kicked off with Death Valley still blazing after the intermission, the stands completely packed and the orange block on their feet since the very first snap, as Georgia Tech received the opening kickoff and attempted to mount some sort of response after a first half their coaching staff had clearly not anticipated when preparing for the game during the week.
The Tigers' defense, however, had no intention of letting up, with Brent Venables calling aggressive coverages from the sideline that stripped Vad Lee of time and space before he could distribute the ball to his running backs in the triple-option system, which up to that point had produced a mere 89 rushing yards in the entire game.
"And here we see a third down and eight for Georgia Tech from their own 22-yard line, with Lee trying to find something in the backfield, but Clemson's pressure comes off the left side—and it's a sack by Vic Beasley, sending the Yellow Jackets back to punt once again," the commentator said, as the cameras captured Beasley rising from the turf with his arms extended to the roar of the stands.
With the ball back in the hands of the orange offense, Wyatt took his position behind the center with the same composure he had displayed all night, reading the defense before the snap with a speed that continued to surprise the commentators every time the cameras focused on him.
Three plays later, Sammy Watkins hauled in his second touchdown of the night, this time a 44-yarder after Wyatt found him on a post route perfectly placed between the safety and the cornerback, who had snuck up too close to the line to gain, leaving the exact window Wyatt had calculated before the ball ever left his hands.
"TOUCHDOWN CLEMSON! And it's Sammy Watkins again with his second touchdown of the night, extending the lead to 34 to 3 here in Death Valley, with Wyatt Sterling showing a pre-snap read of the defense that simply defies explanation for a true freshman!" the announcer shouted, as the stadium lights flashed over the celebration in the end zone.
Two possessions later, Wyatt found Martavis Bryant in the end zone on a 19-yard pass over the middle of the field, which the towering receiver reeled in with one hand before securing the ball against his chest as he crossed the line, pushing the score to 41 to 3 with the Death Valley stands already entering total celebration mode.
"And the scoreboard tells you everything you need to know tonight," the commentator said during a commercial break, as Wyatt's cumulative stats for the game flashed on the screen. "27 of 34 completions for 312 yards and four touchdowns through the air without a single interception—and that's in just three quarters of play."
Georgia Tech responded with their best drive of the game at the start of the final period, with Godhigh finally finding some running room through the Clemson defenders and scoring from the 11-yard line to put the visitors' first touchdown of the night on the board, cutting the deficit to 41 to 10, though the orange stands were barely fazed.
Clemson's response was immediate, with Wyatt driving the team 75 yards in six plays, the last of which was a 9-yard touchdown run of his own, where he broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage before lowering his head and crossing the goal line helmet-first, drawing one of the loudest roars of the night in Death Valley.
"And there you see him call his own number—Wyatt Sterling tucks it and scores on the ground, making it 48 to 10, with this freshman proving tonight that he can do it all, both through the air and with his legs," the commentator said, as Wyatt got up from the ground and was surrounded by his offensive linemen, who hoisted him up briefly before heading toward the bench.
The remainder of the final quarter was an exchange of scores, with Georgia Tech capitalizing on the entrance of Clemson's second-string units to score two more touchdowns, while the orange team responded with rushing touchdowns from their backup running backs, leaving the final score at a resounding 65 to 24, which did justice to the absolute dominance the Tigers had exercised through all four quarters of the game.
"An with that, the referee brings the game to an end here in Death Valley, with Clemson defeating Georgia Tech 65 to 24 in what has been a complete team performance from Dabo Swinney's squad tonight," the commentator said, as the stands erupted in a celebration that shook the cameras. "But if there is one story everyone will still be discussing tomorrow, it's that of the freshman, Wyatt Sterling, who has put his name on the college football map in a way we rarely see from a first-year player."
"Absolutely, Chris, and before we sign off, we have to talk about Sterling's final numbers tonight," his partner responded, as the complete stat box appeared on the screen. "30 of 38 completions for 347 yards and four passing touchdowns, plus a rushing score on 7 yards, for a total of 354 yards of total offense in his first full game as a starter this season—with zero interceptions and a completion percentage over 70%."
"And those numbers, Chris, inevitably lead us into a conversation that just six weeks ago nobody would have imagined having," the first commentator said, using the tone of someone about to say something he knows will spark debate. "The Heisman Trophy conversation."
A moment of calculated pause settled over the broadcast before his partner took the mic back. "Look, I know it sounds premature because we're talking about a freshman in his first season, but Sterling's numbers since he took the field in week seven cannot be ignored, and tonight was the confirmation of everything we had seen in small doses."
"Let's talk about the current candidates," the first one said. "Jameis Winston remains the absolute favorite, and with good reason, because his season at Florida State has been historic—we're talking about over 2,800 yards and 28 touchdowns for a freshman, with a completion percentage that leads the nation. But let's remember that Winston already has ten games under his belt, while Sterling is just starting to write his story."
"AJ McCarron at Alabama is another name that can't be ignored," the second continued. "The guy has been absolutely rock-solid all season, throwing touchdowns on consecutive possessions for weeks, but McCarron has the fortune of playing behind perhaps the most dominant offensive line in the country, which makes his job easier in a way not all candidates experience."
"Johnny Manziel is right there too with massive numbers at Texas A&M, but that team has too many defensive issues to build a serious candidacy when your defense surrenders 30 points per game," the first added before pausing. "And then you have Andre Williams from Boston College with over 1,500 rushing yards as the national leader, and Jordan Lynch from Northern Illinois, who has numbers from another planet, but against competition that doesn't compare to the ACC."
"And in that context, Chris, I ask you: where do you place Wyatt Sterling tonight after what we just witnessed?" the second commentator asked, addressing his partner directly.
"Honestly, I can't ignore him anymore," the first responded with a smile. "A freshman who arrives at Clemson in January without having played a single snap of college football, and by week ten is producing these numbers in the ACC against top-tier defenses, showing a maturity in his pre-snap reads that is unprecedented for someone his age and experience level."
"Let's put the numbers in context, because I think that's the most important thing here," the second commentator said. "Sterling finishes tonight with 2,241 passing yards on the season, with 24 touchdowns and just 3 interceptions in the games where he has seen active playing time, giving him a touchdown-to-interception ratio that none of the other Heisman candidates can match right now."
"Winston has 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, which are still extraordinary numbers for a freshman," the first pointed out. "McCarron has fewer touchdowns but also fewer mistakes because Alabama's system is designed to minimize risk, and Manziel has massive yardage but also more than 8 interceptions so far this season."
"And what separates Sterling from all of them tonight," the second continued, "isn't just the yards or the touchdowns, but the precision with which he operates under pressure. Because let's remember that prior to this game against Georgia Tech, this kid had been left sitting on the bench during the biggest game of the season against Florida State, and yet he came out tonight as if none of that had ever happened."
"The real question to ask is whether the Heisman voters are willing to consider a player who hasn't been the starter all year long," the second said. "Because Sterling has only four starts to his name, which puts him in a complicated spot compared to candidates who have been building their case for ten weeks."
"That is exactly the discussion we'll be having over the coming weeks, and tonight, Sterling gave voters exactly the kind of performance they cannot ignore," the first closed, as the cameras showed Wyatt in the center of the field being congratulated by players from both teams, helmet in hand, wearing an expression that wasn't one of euphoria, but rather quiet satisfaction—the very same one he had walked onto the field with hours earlier.
Locker Room
Inside the locker room, the atmosphere was completely different from the previous Monday, with music blasting from the speakers and players celebrating with the energy of a team that had just reminded the rest of the conference that the loss to Florida State had been exactly what Dabo had said from the start: an anomaly, not a reflection of who they were.
"ACC PLAYER OF THE WEEK, BABY!" Ted shouted, having entered the locker room with his helmet still on, pointing in Wyatt's direction from across the room, causing several players to turn and start pointing his way as well, with cheers and applause blending into the music already rattling the walls.
"Nothing has been announced yet," Wyatt replied from his locker, jersey in hand, trying to hide a smile with little success.
"After 347 yards and five touchdowns, they're going to put you on the conference front gates poster," Sammy chimed in from the opposite side of the room, peeling off his shoulder pads with the same boundless energy with which he had run his routes all game.
"Four touchdowns through the air," Wyatt corrected him.
"And one on the ground," Laquon pointed out. "That makes five."
"Fair math," Wyatt admitted, tossing his dirty jersey into the laundry bag, unable to stop his smile from growing wider.
"Somebody explain to this man that he doesn't have to be this modest when he just dominated an ACC defense for four quarters," Tajh said from his locker, a smile on his face that Wyatt recognized as genuine, not the look of someone pretending to be happy for another.
"You taught me how to read that defense," Wyatt responded, looking directly at Tajh.
"I just showed you the film," Tajh said. "You did the rest."
Dabo walked into the locker room at that moment, and the noise dropped a few decibels, though it didn't fade entirely, as he scanned the room with that expression Wyatt had learned to read as genuine satisfaction mixed with the look of a man already thinking about the next game, even before leaving the stadium of the last one.
"Tonight, everyone did their job," Dabo said, his voice steady but carrying a tone that didn't need to rise in volume to fill the room. "Offense, defense, special teams—everyone did their part, and that's what makes this team great, not a single individual."
A brief glance in Wyatt's direction accompanied those final words, though the coach continued without pausing.
"Monday we rest, Tuesday we start preparing for the next game, so enjoy tonight because you've earned it," he said before stepping out, allowing the music to blast back up and the celebrations to resume their course.
Wyatt sat at his locker for a moment, his eyes on the floor and his phone in hand, before unlocking it to see dozens of new notifications. His fingers, however, immediately gravitated toward one message in particular—the one he had looked at multiple times but had yet to reply to.
He stared at the message for a few seconds, wearing that same quiet smile he had held all night, before gathering his courage and typing out a response.
FINAL STATISTICS — WYATT STERLING vs GEORGIA TECH (Nov 14, 2013)
Passing: 30 of 38 completed (78.9%)
Passing Yards: 347
Passing Touchdowns: 4
Interceptions: 0
Rushing Yards: 7 (3 carries)
Rushing Touchdowns: 1
Total Offense: 354 yards
Passer Efficiency Rating: 152.3
CUMULATIVE STATISTICS FOR THE 2013 SEASON (Games as starter / active participation)
Completions/Attempts: 187 of 261 (71.6%)
Passing Yards: 2,241
Passing Touchdowns: 24
Interceptions: 3
Rushing Yards: 189 (34 carries)
Rushing Touchdowns: 4
Total Touchdowns: 28
Total Offense: 2,430 yards
Author thought
What do you think of the idea of Wyatt being drafted by the Texans? After all, in 2016 they desperately needed a QB.
What did you think of today's chapter? Give me your opinions and thoughts.
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