Swinney: Lawrence not injured

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney passionately defended the health of quarterback Trevor Lawrence on Wednesday night, stating that any throws his star quarterback has missed through five games had nothing to do with a potential shoulder injury.

“There ain’t nothing wrong with Trevor. Nothing,” Swinney said. “If he missed a throw it’s because he missed a throw. Period.”

Swinney was asked if he could confirm Lawrence had an MRI on his shoulder following the Texas A&M game, a day after TigerIllustrated reported Lawrence suffered a bruised shoulder against the Aggies and underwent an MRI.

Swinney seemed particularly annoyed that a reporter texted him Tuesday night asking him about the report.

“I’m not confirming any of that, and I don’t want anybody texting me anymore. I had a media guy text me the other night. That’s private information,” Swinney said. “If I want anybody to know our medical stuff, I’ll tell you. We’ll put it on the injury report. But people texting me on my phone to ask me information that’s not public, information that I wouldn’t put out, unless it was something that needed to be put out. That’s bad business. That’s not how we do things.”

Lawrence entered the season as the Heisman favorite but has been up-anddown through the first five games.

The sophomore has completed 61.8% of his throws in 2019, down from 65.2% last year, and he has eight touchdowns and five interceptions this season after finishing with 30 touchdowns and four picks in 2018.

But Swinney insisted the numbers being down from last season are not injury related.

“If we did an MRI or we didn’t, that ain’t nobody’s business. We do MRIs all the time. All the time,” Swinney said. “Trevor Lawrence is a great football player and a great leader. And there ain’t nothing wrong with him.”

While Swinney didn’t confirm the MRI, he did say that Lawrence had a bruised shoulder, but it’s not something that is affecting his throwing motion or his productivity.

Hold on Helton: USC interim AD Dave Roberts told the Los Angeles Times that he won’t be the one to make a decision on the future of embattled coach Clay Helton.

Or anyone else, for that matter. Roberts, who took over after Lynn Swann abruptly resigned a month ago, said it would be “unfair” to whomever is hired as Swann’s replacement.

“If a change was to be made, it would probably be the province of a new AD,” Roberts said.

Whether new USC President Carol Folt would take that decision upon herself remains an open possibility.