Watson and Williams Honored by ACC

Clemson, S.C. – Clemson’s passing combination of Deshaun Watson and Mike Williams were both honored with player of the week selections by the ACC on Monday for their performances against NC State.  For the second straight week Watson was named the ACC Offensive Back of the Week and the ACC Rookie of the Week, while Williams was named the ACC Receiver of the Week.

Watson completed 17-29 passes for 267 yards and two scores, and picked up 62 rushing yards on 15 attempts and scored two more touchdowns, giving him 329 yards of total offense in the 41-0 win over NC State.  

Over the last two games in victories over North Carolina and NC State, Watson has completed 44-65 passes for 702 yards and eight touchdowns.  That is a Clemson record for passing yards in a quarterback’s first two career starts and the eight touchdowns tie the record.  Charlie Whitehurst had eight touchdown passes in his first two starts as quarterback in 2002.

Watson is the first Clemson quarterback to be named ACC Offensive Back and Rookie of the Week twice in the same season, never mind in consecutive weeks.  He has already been named ACC Rookie of the Week three times, just the sixth Clemson freshman to be honored at least three times in the same year. Sammy Watkins (2011) and Anthony Simmons (1995) were honored four times, while Chuck McSwain (1979), James Davis (2005), and C.J. Spiller (2006) were named three times.

Williams had six receptions for 155 yards and two touchdowns, all from Watson, in the NC State game that was held on his 20th birthday.  It was a career high in reception yards for the sophomore from Vance, S.C. It was the second straight game he had two touchdown receptions in a game. For the season, Williams has a team best 21 receptions for 520 yards and four scores.  

This marks the sixth time since 2011 that Clemson has had the ACC Offensive Back of the Week and the Receiver of the Week in the same week.  Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins did it as a duo five times between 2011 and 2013.