LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kelly Bryant knows the unofficial quarterback dress code.
Bryant walked into a tight-fit interview room wearing the school colors. Subtle purple coat. Crisp white shirt. Striped-orang tie. Bryant took the questions before revealing a bag of SweeTarts in his left breast pocket.
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That was a surprise, but perhaps not nearly as much as Bryant's performance in a 47-21 victory against No. 14 Louisville at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium on Saturday. That revealed more about No. 3 Clemson and their quarterback — who out-dueled defending Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson with 342 yards of offense and three touchdowns.
"I just did my job," Bryant said. "I did everything the coaches asked me of me, just tried to lead our guys out there. Just trying to do my job. Nothing more, nothing less."
If Bryant continues to play like that, then Clemson will win its second straight national championship. It might not seem the logical successor considering the five-star lineage with Deshaun Watson — who made his first NFL start a few hours up the road in Cincinnati two days beforehand. Or the Tigers' future — which features a five-star quarterback in Hunter Johnson on the bench and the nation's top quarterback in Trevor Lawrence on the way in 2018.
The free-range conversations about Bryant have shifted. He's the quarterback for a team that has planted itself in the usual 1A-1B conversation with Alabama — to the point there's a favorable forecast to complete the trilogy in the College Football Playoff. But is he the quarterback of the future?
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney doesn't align stars like the rest of us.
"A lot of people are quick to just write people off," Swinney said. "This is a developmental sport. I see improvement. Guys get better. Maturity matters. (Bryant) just worked his butt off this summer, and just came to camp. What y'all are seeing in games, we saw in camp."
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He has watched Bryant on a step-by-step basis. He watched him take hold of the starting job in fall camp. Said receiver Hunter Renfrow: "You could see him processing things faster."
Swinney went from hoping Bryant would react favorably in the first two games against Kent State and Auburn to wondering how his quarterback would react on the road at Louisville.
They got their answer on second-and-4 on Clemson's first drive. Renfrow heard the crowd cheering, and thought Bryant was sacked. When he looked up, a ball was coming, which he hauled in for a 40-yard gain. The Tigers went for it on fourth-and-1 later in the drive, and Bryant scored on an 8-yard keeper. That's how you make statements on the road.
Bryant would make a few more. A 79-yard touchdown to Ray-Ray McCloud. Another 38-yard touchdown pass to Deon Cain, which was called back because of offsetting penalties.
Bryant finished 22 of 32 passing for 316 yards, and this showdown was over long before the fourth quarter.
"Those were beautiful throws, but he has to make layups," Swinney said. "He settled in, and played a heck of a game. Made some big-time scrambles with his legs, some nice runs. He's a problem."
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Swinney meant that as a compliment. And with Bryant playing like that, the Tigers look like the team to beat. If Clemson proved anything, it's that the succession plan from Watson might not take as long as expected.
He wasn't trying to be Lamar. He wasn't trying to be Deshaun," Renfrow said before drifting into whether Bryant can be better than Watson. "You never know. Kelly is a really special talent, and he's had a real good couple games so far."
That's high praise for a quarterback who looked comfortable in the spotlight. He's not worried about the future. If anything, being doubted as the starter has taken some of the pressure off.
"I can just do me," Bryant said. "I can just play my game then."
He's playing with confidence. He's playing with swagger. He's playing like Tajh Boyd and Watson before him — and whoever comes next.
Right now, however, it's Bryant's turn. And he looks good at it.
"We've had a bunch of guys do the same thing previous years," Bryant said. "It's new challenges, but it's the same team with the same dream."
