LSU safety Grant Delpit was watching Clemson and Ohio State go back and forth in the Fiesta Bowl, waiting to see who the Tigers' opponent would be for the national championship game.
One play in particular caught Delpit by surprise as Clemson had the ball trailing 16-7 late in the first half.
Delpit, who won the Thorpe Award as the best defensive back in college football in 2019, was well aware of what kind of passer Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence is. But when Lawrence raced 67 yards for a touchdown late in the first half, it opened his eyes a bit.
"I was watching the Ohio State game, running the ball for a 70-yard touchdown, he looked pretty fast," Delpit said Thursday. "Definitely a great all-around player. He doesn't get credit for his running ability. We'll definitely take that into consideration."
Lawrence carried the ball 16 times for 107 yards against the Buckeyes as Clemson rallied for a 29-23 victory to advance to the national championship game for the fourth time in five years.
Lawrence also completed 18 of 33 passes for 259 yards and two scores, improving to 29-0 as a college quarterback, including 25-0 as a starter.
But it's not just Lawrence that makes Clemson tough. The Tigers have a great running back in Travis Etienne and several outstanding receivers, led by Tee Higgins.
"Just the amount of weapons they have," Delpit said of what makes Clemson so tough. "Guys like Etienne, big tall receivers like Tee Higgins that will go up and get the ball. It's going to definitely be a tough matchup and a fun game. ... We've faced a lot of great offenses. I would say that they're definitely one of the best. We're going to continue watching film on them and get prepared for the game."
LSU has a pretty good quarterback itself in Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow, and Burrow and Lawrence spent some time together at the Manning Passing Academy this summer.
Burrow was impressed with what he saw from Lawrence as he watched him up close.
"It was a fun week. We got to spend time with a lot of quarterbacks around the country," Burrow said. "He's a super fluid guy for how big he is. He's fun to watch. You can tell he's a great competitor, tough guy. I respect those kind of guys."
