Clemson Tigers quarterback Tait Reynolds is about to face a major test.
Clemson Tigers quarterback Tait Reynolds won his first career start last Saturday, rallying Clemson back from a 17-3 deficit to defeat the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Reynolds didn't exactly dominate the affair, but he was solid, going 20-for-29 with 215 yards and a touchdown while also carrying the ball 11 times for 26 yards.
Those numbers look better when you remember that he is a true freshman who was, once again, making his first start on the collegiate level. His performance also came at the expense of a pretty stout North Carolina defense coached by Bill Belichick.
But this Friday, Reynolds is facing a different type of challenge.
Throughout Reynolds' outing in Week 3, he had the home crowd at his back. Well, to an extent. There weren't many fans left after the two-and-a-half hour lightning delay. But you get the picture.
Regardless, he was playing within the friendly confines of Memorial Stadium. This week, however, will be a completely different story.
The Tigers are heading on the road to face a very capable California team on Friday night, and while the Golden Bears are not exactly Miami, they're still a decent ballclub, and going all the way out west in a very different time zone won't be easy.
Reynolds has already shown that he doesn't have much fear. He got some brief playing time on the road against LSU in the season opener, and he relieved an injured Christopher Vizzina early in Clemson's Week 2 victory over Georgia Southern.
Still, this time feels different.
Reynolds was not the starting quarterback in Week 1, and he was not tabbed the starter yet during his Week 2 win. That came afterward, and he got to make his debut at Clemson.
And with the Tigers suddenly inching back into the ACC race with a matchup with Miami looming on Oct. 3, a whole lot is riding on this game at Cal.
Will it bother Reynolds? He seems calm, which is an incredible trait for such a young player. But we'll have to see how the handles the atmosphere once he's actually in it.
This is the biggest game Clemson has had in some time. Win, and suddenly, the conversation surrounding Dabo Swinney and the program is fairly different. At that point, all eyes would be on the Tigers hosting Miami in a showdown in Week 5 ... with Reynolds once again under center.
It's a pressure-packed situation for the first-year signal-caller. Thus far, he is handling it beautifully ... but now, he is about to walk into the lion's den.
