Clemson forced to improvise after scout team QB hurt himself celebrating

The Clemson Tigers have had their preparations for the College Football Playoff championship altered a bit due to a freak injury suffered by their scout team quarterback.

Patrick McClure, who typically has the task of emulating the opposing team’s quarterback during practices, was unable to fulfill his usual role during the leadup to Clemson’s game against LSU after hurting his ankle while celebrating Travis Etienne’s game-winning touchdown against Ohio State.

“It was a freak accident,” McClure said, via Andrea Adelson of ESPN. “I was skipping, jumping, fist-pumping down the sideline when he scored, and somebody hit me down my left-hand side while I was skipping. I fell on it funny. It was snap, crackle, pop. I looked down and it was nasty. It was a freak thing.”

McClure has been on crutches as Clemson preps for LSU, meaning defensive coordinator Brent Venables has stepped in to play the role of Joe Burrow. This is not unusual, with Venables stepping in using the alias “Jimmy Greenbeans” on occasion when he wants his defense to study different looks or tempos.

This doesn’t sound like it will be a huge problem for Clemson, but it is kind of funny. Don’t be surprised if Dabo Swinney finds a way to use the story to rev up the disrespect engine again, though.