Clemson QB Kelly Bryant plans to stay aggressive as a runner, despite injury

Kelly Bryant suffered a concussion on what he called “probably the biggest hit” of his career the last time he was played in a football game.

And the last time he played at Death Valley, he suffered an ankle injury in the third quarter and did not return.

But the Clemson quarterback is not planning to change his style of play, despite the injuries suffered running the football.

Bryant said a part of what makes him so dangerous is his running ability, and his legs will continue to be a big part of his game.

Clemson plays host to Georgia Tech at 8 p.m. on Saturday.

Bryant is second on the team in rushing yards with 393 yards and leads the Tigers in rushing touchdowns with seven. He is confident he can continue to have success with scrambles, zone-reads and designed runs.

“It’s an injury, but that happens. That’s part of the game. Whenever I try to play timid and play not loose, that’s where the second guessing and not playing and reacting, that’s where all that comes in,” Bryant said. “I’m just going to cut it loose and try to not let it affect me physically and mentally. If you do that it can throw your game off a lot.”

Bryant was not himself in Clemson’s loss to Syracuse. The junior said he felt close to 100 percent entering the contest, but it was apparent early that he was hobbled.

He had four carries for (-8) yards in the first half with a long run of four. He had been averaging 67 rushing yards per game.

With Bryant slowed, Clemson’s offense managed only seven points in the first half. The former Wren star said he knows he will have to contribute in the running game for the Tigers to reach their potential offensively.

“I feel like I can make plays with my legs that open up plays that I can make with my arm as well,” Bryant said. “When I tweaked it I felt like I became one dimensional. That’s a part of my game I had to adjust to during the game. It was a learning experience for me.”

Tigers coach Dabo Swinney said Tuesday that Clemson will not change its play calling to avoid getting Bryant hit.

“It is what it is. We run the quarterback here. That’s what we do,” Swinney said. “That’s like not handing it to your running back because he’s a little sore. We play. We run our offense.”

Swinney said if Bryant is not healthy he will not hesitate to turn to backups Zerrick Cooper or Hunter Johnson.

‘You’ve got to ask your quarterback to be smart… But there’s times, hey, you’ve got to go get it,” Swinney said. “Our quarterback is always going to be a factor with his legs, and if he can’t put us in position to win we’ve got to put somebody else in there.”

This story was originally published October 24, 2017 at 2:07 PM with the headline "Clemson QB Kelly Bryant plans to stay aggressive as a runner, despite injury."