Clemson QB Deshaun Watson suffered no major knee damage
Clemsonannounced Sunday that starting quarterback Deshaun Watson suffered no major damage to his left knee during Saturday's game at Georgia Tech.
Coach Dabo Swinney said an MRI revealed a sprained ligament (LCL) and a bone bruise and that Watson could play again this season. The true freshman will be re-evaluated later this week.
Watson suffered the injury while scrambling in the red zone in the first quarter. He was helped off the field and taken to the locker room. ESPN reported that Watson was in discomfort when trainers attended to him on the sideline. Clemson later announced that Watson would not return to the game.
Watson had not played since he broke a bone in his throwing hand in an Oct. 11 win over Louisville. Shortly after Cole Stoudt replaced Watson in the game, the senior threw a pick-six that gave the Yellow Jackets a 6-3 lead. Clemson went on to lose the game 28-6.
• THAMEL:Mississippi State takes first loss at Alabama, but playoff hopes remain
Watson has thrown for 1,176 yards with 12 touchdowns and two interceptions this season. He was rated the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the class of 2014 by Rivals.com.
Stoudt began the season as the starter after beating out Watson in a position battle but lost the job after a strong showing from Watson in a Sept. 20 loss at Florida State.
Clemson is 7-3 (6-2 ACC) and ranked 19th in the latest edition of the College Football Playoff rankings. The Tigers close the season with home games against Georgia State and South Carolina.
- Chris Johnson
