What Kelly Bryant learned from Deshaun Watson about playing in big games

CLEMSON – Kelly Bryant will get his first opportunity to lead Clemson into a big game when the Tigers host Auburn Saturday night at Death Valley.

The fact that Bryant got to watch Deshaun Watson for two years gives him confidence heading into this week.

Watson proved to be one of the best big-game players in college football in recent years, playing his best on the biggest stage.

“He’s very poised. If it was a bad play, he’d just brush it off. Next play mentality for him, whether it was a good play or a bad play,” Bryant said. “He never got too high or got too low. He played within the game because throughout the course of the game it’s always a long game. It’s not just one play or a quarter or half, it’s four quarters so he put together four quarters throughout the whole season.”

Bryant hopes to carry over some of what Watson did into Clemson’s big games this season.

Bryant played well last week against Kent State, but the Golden Flashes were clearly overmatched from the start.

That will not be the case this week against an Auburn defense that finished No. 7 nationally in scoring defense last year.

Bryant said the key for him will be keeping his emotions in check.

“That’s something I got to see these past two years. That’s something that I’ve instilled in my game — not get too high, not get too low,” Bryant said. “Don’t ride the emotions of the game because of course a big game is going to be very emotional. So just stay poised when you’re out there.”

This story was originally published September 5, 2017 at 1:41 PM with the headline "What Kelly Bryant learned from Deshaun Watson about playing in big games."